uni:intern

THE EMPLOYEE PORTAL

A good 1,000 pupils and interested parents came to our university on Saturday for the Student Information Day to find out about the 100 or so study programs on offer. On the Mensa forecourt, they had the opportunity to talk to academics and students at the stands of 8 faculties and find out more about studying and everyday university life. On the campus of the University Medical Center in Leipziger Straße, those interested were able to find out more about the Human Medicine course.

The Rector, Prof. Dr.-Ing. Jens Strackeljan, thanked all those involved: “On behalf of the entire university management, I would like to thank you as participants for this successful event! Thanks to your commitment, your suggestions and your dedication, we have given prospective students and other guests an excellent introduction to Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg.

For the first time, we separated the Student Information Day from the 'Long Night of Science', deliberately chose an earlier date and found a new location in the Mensa forecourt. These suggestions from the student marketing department were not immediately well received everywhere. But the success of the event seems to confirm that we are on the right track with the new ideas and hope to welcome many of the prospective students to the lecture halls and seminar rooms on campus this fall or in the following years.

Student recruitment is a worthwhile joint effort of great importance for OVGU. We need to convince high school graduates and their parents that our degree programs and our campus are attractive reasons to pursue a university education.

I would be delighted if you and your teams continue to help shape the future of OVGU with good ideas and such great commitment!”

A central program for study orientation and information provided pupils with general help in choosing a course of study on the study information day. Among other things, prospective students learned how to search for the right course of study and what to consider when applying to the university.

Partner institutions of the University of Magdeburg provided information and advice on topics such as housing and living in Magdeburg or financing your studies.

Hannah Thiele captured some impressions of a sunny student information day.

What connects science, future issues, music and culture? The new “Tomorrow Labs” science festival in Magdeburg (in German).  Sina Frankmölle from the Third Mission department talks about what's behind it, what guests can expect and which highlights from OVGU are included.

Photo: privat

What is the Tomorrow Labs Festival?

Under the motto “How do we want to live and work in the future?”, the festival offers a fascinating look into the future of science. Four so-called labs - Health, Society, Technology and Earth - invite visitors to discover and engage in dialog. Visitors can look forward to chilled music, interactive experiments, talks and stage shows, exciting exhibits, workshops and an after-show party while getting to know innovative research projects and universities, research institutions and companies.

When and where will the Tomorrow Labs Festival take place?

The Tomorrow Labs Festival will celebrate its premiere on June 8, 2024. From 4 p.m. to 10 p.m., teenagers and young adults in particular, but of course everyone else who wants to get to know exciting research from their city, are invited to the Port of Science. The institutions and companies located at the former commercial port will open their doors. The festival is free of charge.

You mentioned Labs. What exactly does this mean?

How do we want to live and work in the future? That is the central question of the festival. In order to provide answers to this question, it focuses on four key areas that will significantly shape our future: Health, Technology, Environment and Society.

Lab Health presents the latest developments in the healthcare sector, from advanced diagnostic procedures that enable earlier and more precise detection of diseases to the latest therapeutic approaches and customized treatment options.

The STIMULATE showmobile in front of Speicher B in the Port of Science (Photo: Andreas Lander)

The Society lab focuses in particular on the development of smart cities, the integration of artificial intelligence into everyday life and innovative educational concepts.

In the Technology Lab, everything revolves around topics such as robotics, mobility and cyber security. The lab shows how these technologies can be used in various industries and what impact they will have on our daily work and lives.

Lab Earth addresses how a sustainable future can be shaped and invites visitors to actively inform themselves and exchange ideas on topics such as sustainable urban planning and climate protection.

What highlights will OVGU be presenting in the labs?

For example, there will be a big hands-on activity on swarm intelligence, or guests can find out what the future of urban mobility looks like. In a wood construction workshop, furniture can be built for lingering. Visitors will learn how bioplastics are made from waste and what climate change has to do with mathematics. What can artificial intelligence do and how will we work with it tomorrow, or will we even need to work at all? Scientists from our university will also be exploring these two questions. In a workshop on loneliness, guests will be shown how we can be together instead of lonely.

Who organizes the festival?

Tomorrow Labs is a joint event organized by the state capital of Magdeburg and Magdeburg's scientific institutions. Around 20 players from science, business and administration are taking part in the new festival format. The patron is Prof. Dr. Armin Willingmann, Minister for Science, Energy, Climate Protection and the Environment of Saxony-Anhalt.

Thank you for the interview.

Sustainability is a cross-cutting issue that affects all areas of life, including research and teaching. What is the current situation at our university? For example, what role do the 17 sustainability goals defined by the international community under the umbrella of the United Nations play in teaching and research at OVGU? The OVGU Sustainability Forum offers academics who are concerned with this topic and would like to anchor sustainability more explicitly in research and teaching, including through specific projects and activities at our university, a space to discuss sustainability in their work, share experiences and gather new ideas. Spokesperson Prof. Dr. Michael Bücher from the Department of Political Science introduces it.

What is the Sustainability Forum?
The Sustainability Forum has existed at OVGU since 2016, providing a forum for researchers and lecturers who deal with sustainability-related issues in their academic work and/or teaching. Sustainability is not only related to ecological issues, but also includes economic and social aspects, as understood by the well-known concepts of the "sustainability triangle" or the UN's "Sustainable Development Goals" (SDG). There is currently at least one meeting every semester.

Why was it created?
It was set up to provide a space for the exchange of experiences among OVGU academics working on this topic and to anchor the topic of sustainability more explicitly in research and teaching, including through specific projects and activities at OVGU.

What is discussed in the Sustainability Forum?
Current topics and projects relating to sustainability that are relevant to OVGU or are planned or ongoing at OVGU are discussed. The aim is to talk about current activities, research and ideas and to learn about, discuss or present new developments and ideas for research and teaching in the cross-cutting topic of sustainability. For example, the EU GREEN project was presented and the current research projects "KlimaPlanReal" and "SENATRA", which involve OVGU researchers, were discussed.

Who can get involved in the Sustainability Forum?
The Sustainability Forum serves the exchange between lecturers and researchers across institutes and faculties; however, enriching ideas "from outside" are also welcome.

Are there resolutions that are implemented?
As the Sustainability Forum is not an "official" body of OVGU, there are no formal "resolutions". However, good ideas are supported by many people and may end up in the relevant committees if their approval is required.
Sometimes ideas are developed that are then implemented: In the past, the Sustainability Forum gave rise to the very well-attended "Science Slam Sustainability 2019" event. The sustainability certificate at OVGU "NAO", which all OVGU students can obtain after graduation, was also the result of intensive discussions in the Sustainability Forum about how sustainability can be implemented in teaching.

Campus design is currently a major issue for the university. Is the Sustainability Forum getting involved?
The Sustainability Forum has so far been less involved in this area, as it does not primarily concern the field of research and teaching apart from new/additional teaching spaces. However, discussions about this could certainly be a topic at the next meetings. The next meeting will be on July 11, 2024.

Thank you very much for the interview, Professor Böcher.

Our university is involved in numerous European projects and partnerships. This holds a great deal of potential, but often also poses challenges for those involved. Juliane Vopel is currently setting up an in-house consulting service. The OVGU Master's graduate in International Vocational Education has been working as an in-house consultant at the university since July 2023. In the first 10 months of her work, the focus was on researching networking potential and establishing contacts with our European partners and local stakeholders. She tells editor Ines Perl what she has planned for the future.

You are currently setting up an in-house consulting service. Who can contact you?
As an in-house consultant, I am currently setting up a new consulting service that can be used by all university employees and students to implement international projects quickly and efficiently.

Can you please give a few examples?
For example, I am supporting the implementation of a micro class on gender-competent education for sustainable development (GBNE), which students from other universities will soon be able to attend. I am also working on a concept to establish a language café that will improve the English language skills of administrative staff by enabling them to exchange ideas with colleagues from our partner universities.

Why was it necessary to set up the advice center?
In commercial enterprises, internal advisory units have been in place for a number of years, providing an interface between project initiators and the implementation of projects. This principle has not yet been established at universities. However, such an advisory service has advantages such as increased project efficiency and higher quality. Our university is involved in numerous European projects and partnerships. In particular, joining the European university alliance EU GREEN holds great potential. At the same time, however, there are also hurdles that need to be proactively overcome through the consultancy service.

You talk about hurdles. What hurdles might these be?
They can be language barriers, but also cultural differences between our European partners that need to be overcome. It is also often difficult to find the right contact person at the other universities. Thanks to its proximity to the partner universities, Inhouse Consulting can quickly locate a contact and pass them on.

How does a consultation work? What do you do as an in-house consultant?
In-house consulting is tailored to the needs of the target group and the scope of the project. The consulting process starts with an initial meeting in which the idea is presented by the initiator. This is followed by research and a potential analysis by the consultant, i.e. me. I make a recommendation for action and suggest further steps. This is followed by further consultations with specific tools to support implementation. For example, project management tools, stakeholder analyses or support with time management are offered.

Who can contact the advice center?
All OVGU employees and students can contact me. I also try to incorporate requests from local stakeholders into projects. For example, the state capital Magdeburg, SWM or the Netzwerk Zukunft Sachsen-Anhalt, with whom we work together on various event formats.

You explicitly highlighted EU GREEN - how does EU GREEN fit in here?
The project I work on is called Transfer Europe and is funded by the German Academic Exchange Service DAAD. In it, we are working on projects that are not dealt with in EU GREEN. For example, in:takt pop-ups are to be set up at three other EU GREEN universities as part of a project.

How can I contact you?
The offer can be carried out digitally, but also on the premises of the OVGU. A consultation appointment can be booked online.

Thank you for the interview.

Something is happening behind sports hall 3: the renovation of three of the six existing tennis courts. Oliver Beymel from the construction and property department explains: "Two courts will be covered with a wooden open-air hall. This will enable sports to be played even when the weather and light conditions are not ideal. The structural work for this was completed in June 2024."

An underground infiltration system is currently being installed, including for the reuse of rainwater. Furthermore, wood preservation work is being carried out before the LED lighting system is installed and preparatory work for a photovoltaic system is carried out. The installation is due to take place this year, subject to funding being approved. The roof area of around 1,400 m² allows for a system size of approx. 200 kWp. This means that an annual yield of 150,000 kWh of clean energy can be forecast.

Planning for the final restoration of the outdoor sports facilities is in full swing. The main focus is on "multifunctionality". For example, sports groups that currently train mainly in the basement of sports hall 3 will also be able to enjoy fresh air training. The work should be completed by the beginning of the fourth quarter. Consideration has also been given to the bicycle parking spaces, which will also be spruced up and given appropriate lighting as part of the construction work.