Energy is an important practical issue entangled with most of the key contemporary global challenges: from security and geopolitics to markets, poverty and economic development, and from climate and environmental degradation to innovation and social justice. It is widely recognized that these aspects of energy cannot be tackled by engineering and natural sciences alone, instead they require the engagement of social sciences and humanities in intellectually novel and practically relevant ways. CEU is already making a significant contribution to various aspects of energy studies and could further pursue this fresh intellectual avenue, combining its existing strengths in the social sciences (political science, international relations, economics, sociology, etc.), humanities (history, philosophy, and cultural heritage), public policy, law, management and environmental studies. The name of the theme, Energy and Society, has been chosen to emphasize this unique focus.