Media
- A new culture of failure in North-South Research partnerships, by Iris Staubesand, 2022
- Wenn Natur und Zivilisation eins sind von Helen Lagger, Berner Zeitung, 2021
- “It changes the relations” – The power of film in research for development, by Anita Makri, 2021
- “Scientists as Storytellers” by This Rutishauser, 2020
- Interview with Sonja Schenkel by Irena Sgier: Think Tank Transit. Change is always a Creative Process. 2019
Key Notes and Panels (recent)
- Zurich Film Festival, Is Green the New Genre? Future Storytelling für die grosse Leinwand, (Moderation), 2025
- Perspectives of Change – Stories of Possibilities, Zurich University of the Arts, 2024
- Forum Kultur und Ökonomie. Kreativität für ein Regeneratives Morgen, zusammen mit Björn Müller, 2024
- Schweizer Stiftungssymposium 2024. Art and Culture as Key Allies for Societal Transformation. 2024
- Brilliant Failures of Research Partnerships: Events, Emotions and Unanticipated Potential for change, Annual Conference of the Swiss Academy for Natural Sciences, 2022
- Arts and Culture in Changing World, Symposium LöwenbrauKunst, Zurich, 2023
- Full Filmography
- Swiss Films Profile
- Aktion Grüner Film
List of Academic Publications (selection)
- Schenkel, S. et al, (2025). «Zurück zur Quelle» (Back to the Source). Die Bibliothek zur glücklichen Zukunft in Vals. The Library for a Happy Future, Zurich.
- Schenkel, S. et al, (2025). «L’eau qui could» (Water that flows). Die Bibliothek zur glücklichen Zukunft in Neuchâtel. The Library for a Happy Future, Zurich.
- Mueller, B. and Schenkel S. (2023). Culture as Lever for Transformation: A planetary perspective unto the systemic relevance of art and culture. Mercator Foundation, Switzerland.
- Schenkel S. (2020) Storytelling for the SDGs: Social Impact of Entertainment and Media. In: Leal Filho W., Azul A., Brandli L., Özuyar P., Wall T. (eds) Partnerships for the Goals. Encyclopedia of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Springer, Cham
- Schenkel, Sonja. (2014). Creative Change: Researching Values through Collaborative Design. Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies, Geneva
- Schenkel, Sonja. (2012). On-/Off-Screen: Creative Inquiry into Film Production. Conference on Conflict Resolution, University of Massachusetts, Boston.
- Modeling a User’s Culture. (2010). Reinecke, Katharina. Schenkel, Sonja, Bernstein, Abraham. In: Blanchard, Allard. Handbook of Research on Culturally-Aware Information Technologies: Perspectives and Methods. IGI Global.
Teaching (regular)
- since 2019 – Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETHZ), “Bridging Art and Science”, ETHZ4Development, in collaboration with Shruti Patel and Jasmine Neve. spring or fall semester.
- since 2024 – Zurich University of the Arts. Alternative Futures. in collaboration with Karin Zindel, 2days Block Seminar
MOOC’s (Massive Open Online Courses) and Conferences (selection)
Social Impact Entertainment: Creating Impact through Media. 2019. Presented upon invitation from the ETHZ4Development Initiative, ETHZ/ Zurich.
From the Ghana Think Tank to Design Anthropology: Reflections on the Power of Art in Participatory Research, 2019. Presented at Transdisclipinary Lab, ETHZ
Participatory Planning: Towards Citizen Design Science. 2016. Upon invitation of Prof. Gerhard Schmitt. Chair of Institute of Information Architecture at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, lecture and MOOC.
How dare you: Unmasking Entrepreneurial Futurism: Never get stuck on your self-identification. 2016. Video Interview Session with IMPACT HUB Zurich. https://how-dare-you.org
The Creativity-Change Nexus. 2014. Schenkel, Sonja. Humanitarian Innovation Conference, University of Oxford
Emotional Tracking – Kitchen Lectures. 2014. Schenkel, Sonja and Dr. Nielson, Philipp (Max Planck Institute for Human Development). Kunsthochschule Weissensee, Freies Museum Berlin
The Innovation – Social Change Nexus. 2013. Schenkel, Sonja. Impact HUB Zurich.
Creativity as Momentum of Leadership or Censorship. 2012. Schenkel, Sonja. Leadership Lunch Conference, Research Center for Leadership in Action NYU Wagner.