Following this year's election, some new deans took office in the faculties of the HSZG on September 1st. In this interview, they all talk about their wishes and goals for the coming term of office.
From September 1, 2024 and for a term of office of three years, the following people will take over the deanships in the faculties and lead their destinies. In this interview, they talk about their motivation, their wishes and goals for the coming term of office and the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration.
Prof. ten Hagen, what are your primary goals for the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science?
In Computer Science, four of the nine professors have retired in the last four years. Two have accepted an appointment at Chemnitz University of Technology. One lecturer has been appointed as a professor at BA Bautzen. We are of course delighted with the success of our colleagues, but we now have to safeguard teaching and fill these positions. The good news at the end: one position has already been filled. We have created a new appointment in the field of human-computer interaction, which will be filled with content, e.g. a new laboratory will be set up. The generational change has also begun in the field of electrical engineering. A new female colleague will soon be taking up her post. This means that we have been able to recruit two women as professors, who will act as female role models for female students and lower the threshold for studying computer science or electrical engineering.
In theory, female professors know everything, but in practice, little works without female laboratory engineers. There is also a generational change among them. However, this is not just a lot of work, but also an opportunity to work on new tasks and topics. Some examples of obvious challenges: Chips are of great importance for many products that are produced in Germany. The federal government and the state of Saxony are investing large sums in the production of microelectronics in Dresden, for example. Microelectronics is therefore becoming a focal point of the region. We should contribute to this development in research and teaching. We need intelligent networks. We have had a series of modules on machine learning, artificial intelligence and deep learning in the Master's degree program in computer science for years. Many students use ChatGPT or AI notebooks for their homework. AI is on its way to changing many areas of life. We have integrated AI into the new curriculum of the Bachelor's degree program in Computer Science. Now we also need to integrate AI into the Applied Computer Science modules for non-computer scientists.
Progress is fast, we need to continue our education. We have developed continuing education courses, but people in the middle of their careers don't have time for several years of full-time study. One alternative is to enrol on a degree course, e.g. a master's degree in computer science, and study selected modules that are necessary for further training, if possible in parallel with work. This type of further education is recorded as "drop-outs" at the university. We need new structures to provide effective further training.
During the Corona period, we did "remote teaching" with laptops. This can be done much better with large monitors, good cameras and proper acoustics in special rooms. We have two locations, so we should try that out so that some modules can be offered in hybrid form at both locations. Only "remote" is difficult because studying is not just about lectures, but also consists of many other experiences, such as eating together in the canteen. A group of fellow students helps you to get through your studies.
I have developed a number of new courses, such as business process modeling, which have become an integral part of our curriculum. I have also introduced the Business and Informatics degree program and recently defined the Human-Computer Interaction appointment area, integrated it into the curricula and appointed a first professor. Progress is feasible, but it takes a lot of perseverance. I would like to use this experience to help my new colleagues tackle major challenges in order to develop sustainable progress.
How would you like to develop the Faculty's research priorities? Are there specific projects or topics that you would like to focus on in particular?
We conduct research at our faculty on a wide range of topics such as Prof. Kornhuber on direct current networks, Prof. Meißner on virtual reality in automation technology and Prof. Lässig on quantum computing and security in computer networks. My job as Dean is to create the conditions for my colleagues to successfully carry out their research projects.
You have impressive expertise in areas such as data mining and machine learning. How do you plan to incorporate your research experience into your new role as Dean?
Of all my publications, a study on the influence of building development on the accuracy of GPS, which was a by-product of research on a tour guide, has had the greatest resonance. Presumably our illustration of how GPS satellites rise and set in the sky clearly explained the loss of accuracy and this was obviously relevant. I have been working with big data since 2001, initially in local databases and then increasingly on distributed databases in the cloud. This work led to a focus on data analytics in my lecture Relational Databases.
I used traditional machine learning methods in predictive maintenance because - unfortunately - the amount of errors and therefore the amount of training data is limited. Deep learning needs a lot of training data to learn models with millions of parameters, which then develop amazing capabilities. An AI model can only do what it has been trained to do, i.e. you have to develop a comprehensive "curriculum" of training data so that it can deal with the practical challenges. I am currently working on a new lecture "Programming with Data" for the bachelor's degree in computer science to familiarize students with deep learning at an early stage.
What challenges do you see for the faculty in the coming years and how would you like to tackle them?
The major challenge is the demographic development in the region. In the field of computer science, we have managed to keep the number of students constant over the last 20 years. In addition to the quality of our teaching and the projects with pupils, this is certainly also due to the increasing importance of computer science as a result of digitalization, the ubiquitous apps on smartphones and the use of the internet. In the field of electrical engineering, the KIA model / dual study program, i.e. studying with practical phases in a local company, has succeeded in attracting many new students. There are also many international students from partner universities, e.g. from China, Mexico and Malaysia, who complete part of their studies with us.
How would you like to expand cooperation with national and international partner institutions?
There are a number of new research institutes in the region with which cooperation is a logical next step. BA Bautzen offers courses in electrical engineering and business informatics, so we need to exploit synergies through cooperation. Internationally, there are initially the nearby partners TU Liberec and TU Wroclaw as well as distant partners in Mexico and China. These partnerships should be maintained and expanded. Completely new ones, e.g. with Canada and South Africa, will certainly be added.
What motivates you personally in your work as a scientist and now as Dean?
The progress in computer science in my career and also in recent years has been dramatic. Intelligent agents are trained for a specific task, their tasks are described and they then work together productively in a team. This is incredibly fascinating. People have different experiences and priorities and therefore come up with different solutions to current problems. So we do A and B and of course a bit of C. The A team tries to show that B doesn't work and vice versa. Nothing is moving forward, everyone is frustrated. So we need a dean to bring everyone together, steer the discussion process and bring about a decision. The EI faculty has attracted a lot of talent. The challenge is to enable everyone to use their skills and interests to advance teaching and research at the Faculty of EI.
What do you look back on with particular pleasure during your past term as Dean of the Faculty of Management and Cultural Studies?
I am particularly pleased with the great commitment of all my colleagues to the further development of teaching, our courses and the Faculty in general. Sustainable progress in the digitalization of teaching gave us all a significant boost and also led to the introduction of new teaching formats. The faculty event "House of Managers", which was designed and organized by students, also attracted attention beyond the HSCG and generated new impetus internally. The International Business Communication degree course launched in 2021 has successfully established itself, and we have further sharpened the focus of the other degree courses and optimized the portfolio. Most recently, many stakeholders worked on making the Applied Nursing Science degree course the first in Saxony and one of the first in Germany to be legally compliant within six months and now successfully launching it for the winter semester.
I was also very pleased about the great commitment of many students in the student council and other committees - and of course about the many good and very good certificates of the graduates, which I was able to sign as Dean. I would particularly like to express my gratitude for the collegial and fruitful cooperation in my faculty, but also among the deans, with the departments and staff units, the Rectorate and, last but not least, with our important partner, the IBS Academy Austria.
Do you have goals and visions for the coming years?
We started shaping the long-term direction of our faculty as early as 2022. In several closed meetings, the entire faculty jointly defined the framework and incorporated our visions into the HSCG's strategy process. These visions guide me. I am inspired by the commitment and passion shown by many stakeholders inside and outside the university for shaping the scientific, economic and social structures in Upper Lusatia and the three-country region. I will therefore be actively involved in the implementation of the HSZG strategy and beyond, not only because of my office, but also out of personal and professional conviction.
Are there new strategies, for example, to promote the internationalization of the faculty, intensify cooperation with foreign partner universities or strengthen cooperation with practice partners?
Internationalization was and is a key success factor for our faculty. In order to become even more attractive for international students and partner universities, we are planning, together with Faculty W, to offer English-language modules as part of an "International Semester". We are intensifying our existing partnerships in Europe and the Far East, while also taking advantage of opportunities for new collaborations worldwide. We are particularly committed to innovative formats such as the Erasmus+-funded Blended Intensive Programs (BIP), which create unique unifying effects by bringing together students from at least three EU countries. My aim is to establish long-term and stable collaborations by creating and maintaining institutional networks in teaching and research through the participation of several colleagues.
At the same time, we are actively continuing to expand our networks with practice partners. This strengthens practical integration by providing students with valuable insights into real business challenges and developing practical solutions. In turn, our practice partners benefit from innovative ideas and discover new talents and future specialists.
What challenges do you see for the faculty in the coming years and how would you like to tackle them?
A key challenge will be to concretize and implement our contribution to the university strategy I mentioned earlier. In doing so, we will break new ground, which will entail changes in terms of both content and organization. I am convinced that we will succeed in doing this together. I see a special opportunity in the unique chance to significantly influence the design of our new faculty building on Brückenstraße in Görlitz. We have already been able to incorporate many great ideas into the plans - and this is just the beginning. I am looking forward to seeing the implementation, even if there are still some major challenges ahead of us.
How do you see the role of management science in the so-called structural change?
In my view, management science strategies and tools play a key role in the further development of companies because they help them to shape change on their own. Innovations and a positive attitude towards entrepreneurship offer the opportunity to break new ground and develop sustainable business models in regional companies. Our graduates acquire practical skills that enable them to contribute impulses and value-adding approaches. Our research and knowledge transfer also contribute to this.
You are the new Dean of the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering. What motivated you to accept this position?
Since my appointment to the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, I have already taken on various functions in academic self-administration, e.g. as a course and research representative. In the run-up to the elections, there were intensive discussions about the future composition of the faculty management, with many colleagues suggesting that I run for the position of Dean and at the same time expressing their confidence in me. This ultimately motivated me to take on this position.
Have you set yourself any goals or priorities as dean for the coming term of office?
I see an important priority for the coming term of office in further increasing the attractiveness of our degree programs by further developing the content and didactics of our courses in line with demand. The upcoming initial accreditations and reaccreditations are important milestones during this term of office. Of course, research and knowledge transfer as well as successful faculty development are also high on the agenda.
Are there any plans to further strengthen cooperation between the Faculty and industry?
The Faculty of Mechanical Engineering is one of the strongest research faculties at our university. This has already resulted in close cooperation with regional companies. Even closer cooperation can help us to better understand the needs of companies and incorporate them into the design of our courses, not least to strengthen our KIA degree programs.
In your opinion, what are the most important topics in mechanical engineering at the moment? How will your faculty respond to them?
A lot has been achieved at the faculty in recent years. Existing courses have been updated and new courses have been introduced (e.g. Green Engineering). As already mentioned, we need to further increase the attractiveness of all degree programs. All faculty members have always pulled together to achieve this. The Faculty of Mechanical Engineering is excellently positioned in the area of research and I am sure that the commitment of all those involved will not wane.
How does your faculty do justice to the important aspects of sustainability and environmental protection in research and teaching?
One word suffices here: comprehensively. Research projects on the material and energetic use of biomass, sustainable energy supply and product development as well as heat storage and energy efficiency technologies address these topics, as does the teaching content of all our degree courses, from energy and environmental technology to green engineering and mechanical engineering.
What do you see as the biggest challenges facing the faculty in the coming years and how would you like to tackle them?
I see an important challenge in maintaining the excellent study, research and working conditions at our faculty, the trusting cooperation, a collegial culture of discussion and transparent and democratic decision-making processes. I myself have benefited from this pleasant and motivating environment for more than 11 years now and see it as the basis for achieving all other goals.
Prof. Wiegert, you are the newly elected Dean of the Faculty of Natural and Environmental Sciences. What motivated you to take up the post of Dean?
In the Faculty of Natural and Environmental Sciences, with Prof. Weber as Dean, Prof. Brauweiler as Vice Dean and Ms. Zenker-Hoffmann as Dean's Councilor, we have been in the comfortable position of having a very committed, always open and collegial management team over the last few terms of office. A lot has happened during this time and there has been an almost complete generational change at the faculty. On the one hand, as almost the oldest member of the professorial staff, I felt it was my duty to stand for election. On the other hand, it is also an exciting task and a great responsibility to be able to play an active role in the diverse processes of shaping the HSZG. I would like to take on this task. Above all because the natural and environmental sciences are extremely important for our future and must remain present at the HSZG in teaching and research. Even after more than 30 years working in microbiology and biotechnology, I learn new, interesting and sometimes fascinating things in this field every day. There is a lot to learn from nature, and protecting it is a top priority for our society. Providing the necessary framework conditions with the F-N team, imparting knowledge about nature and the environment to students, arousing enthusiasm and preparing them for an exciting but also challenging working world is the greatest goal for me as Dean.
How do you rate the current state of your faculty's research performance?
There are a large number of research projects by very committed colleagues, which I cannot list here to do justice to everyone. I have no doubts that the F-N will continue to be one of the strongest research faculties at the HSCG in the future and that important impulses will come from the F-N.
Do you see a need to integrate current topics such as climate change and sustainable development even more clearly into the faculty's educational programs?
I don't really like politicized buzzwords like "climate change" and "sustainability". In this day and age, climate protection and sustainable development should be a natural part of every action. You just have to understand why. I see it as a central task of the HSCG to stand for sound scientific education and to make a contribution to being able to evaluate data and facts precisely and objectively and thus create transparency. For example, in order to understand the causes and effects of climate change, I need to know the basics of physics, chemistry, biology and mathematics. These are the cornerstones of teaching in the F-N degree courses. In addition, with the Bachelor's degree course in Ecology and Environmental Protection, the topics of climate change and sustainable development have long been central components of the F-N's educational program. The current revision of the curriculum will make this even more visible in the future.
Are you planning strategies to promote interdisciplinary research within the faculty and the university as a whole?
Interdisciplinarity in research is without question very important and is explicitly required in many funding measures anyway. Most research projects within the F-N, and affiliated to the F-N, are interdisciplinary. At the moment, however, it is still unclear to me what means and measures a faculty management can use to provide support here. It is important to remain in constant dialog and exchange of information within the faculty and with the other faculties.
What importance do you attach to student involvement and participation in the future design of the faculty?
The involvement and participation of students is of course very important. The existence of the Faculty is based on the students, not the other way around. Student participation in committees such as the Study Commission or the Faculty Council is not only mandatory, but extremely important for evaluation, planning and decision-making. I would like to see us get even more students actively involved.
Are there measures in place to promote the transfer of knowledge and research results into society?
I think it is important for the HSCG to have as cohesive a strategy as possible for accomplishing this "third mission" in addition to the usual, often very specialized specialist events. With projects such as the "Future Learning Location Upper Lusatia", I think we are on the right track. F-N is intensively involved in such projects.
What particular highlight do you associate with your past term of office and are there any specific goals you have set yourself for your upcoming time as Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences?
The Faculty of Social Sciences celebrated its 30th anniversary with a festive event on November 23, 2022. It was a particular pleasure for me to invite the founding Dean of the Faculty, Prof. Dr. rer. soc. Hermann Heitkamp with his contribution to the emergence, foundation and development of the Social Sciences degree program. The largest faculty of the HSZG can look back on a successful history in teaching and research and is facing up to current challenges.
Social change also requires the university to develop continuously. On the basis of the "University Development 2030+" strategy, which was drawn up by the Senate Commission and adopted by the Senate in June 2023, we have initiated a discussion and strategy development process at the faculty with the aim of modernizing the degree programmes, leveraging synergies between the degree programmes and strengthening cohesion within the faculty. To achieve this, it will be necessary to critically evaluate the current degree programs and align their content with new requirements. The focus of the new term of office will be on intensive collaboration with the faculty's staff, but also in collaboration with neighboring faculties, particularly in the further development of curricula.
Are there any specific projects or initiatives in the pipeline that you would like to report on?
The Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences is working with the University of Leipzig to develop the secondary school teaching degree course with special needs education. In future, it should be possible to study the subjects of mathematics, biology, German and economics, technology, home economics/social studies as well as special educational needs at the HSZG. The first students should be enrolled in the winter semester 2025/26. The cooperation between universities of applied sciences and a university in the field of teacher training is a first. Thanks to the good cooperation between the locations, I am confident that we will achieve this ambitious goal.
What role does interdisciplinary cooperation within the university play for you and how would you like to promote this?
As a small university location and with declining student numbers, it is necessary to make good use of all existing potential. In teaching, the expertise of lecturers from the Faculty of Social Sciences is used in other faculties. For example, the development of the teacher training course can only succeed through cross-faculty cooperation. There are also interdisciplinary links in some research projects. I see the interdisciplinarity of the university as an opportunity for its future viability.
How do you see the role of the social sciences in a rapidly changing society?
With their specialist expertise, graduates of the Faculty of Social Sciences play a central role in the process of social change. Due to demographic change and the increasing number of tasks, there is an enormous need for specialists in educational and social work professions. The courses provide students with theoretical and practical knowledge that they can put into practice. In this respect, we as the Faculty of Social Sciences are actively involved in the development process of society.
What role does practical orientation play in your education?
The dovetailing of theory and practice is a central feature of degree courses at universities of applied sciences. In the Social Work (BA), Curative Education/Inclusion Studies (BA) and Childhood Education courses, it is a central prerequisite for obtaining state recognition. In this respect, practical orientation is essential in the academic qualification of students.
What motivates you personally to continue your work as Dean?
The tasks as dean are very diverse and varied. I have always found the collaboration and exchange with the university management and the deans of the other faculties to be appreciative and constructive. Many topics were initiated. University development in particular is a process that will occupy the entire university and the development of the faculties for years to come. I would like to use my second term of office as Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences to support the university development process that has been initiated, to further advance the development of the curriculum at the faculty and the establishment of the teacher training course planned jointly with Leipzig University and thus make my contribution to this change process.
What goals have you set yourself for your term of office as Dean of the Faculty of Business, Economics and Industrial Engineering?
I can name three goals:
How would you like to develop the faculty further, particularly with regard to digitalization and adapting to modern teaching methods?
The digital component, especially with regard to the possible uses of AI, which are constantly being optimized, presents us with major challenges. We now need to keep a close eye on what is going on and react accordingly in the courses we offer. One thing is certain: pure classroom teaching is no longer attractive to Generation Z, but simply moving the lecture culture to the online space is not the best alternative either. Project work or workshops with other universities (preferably from abroad), in which students can seek and develop solutions to problems from business practice, would be one such way.
What role do international collaborations and exchange programs play for the faculty?
Globalization is bringing the world closer together in a way and digitalization is turning distance into proximity. Unfortunately, however, this virtuality also turns proximity into distance and the experience you can gain during a stay abroad cannot be replaced by online participation. We have already created formats for taking students to a partner university for just one or two weeks (e.g. to Austria, Finland, Portugal, Greece, Latvia and Kazakhstan), but I would like to see more students taking the initiative to spend time abroad - including internships! - and gain these unique experiences.
We are constantly expanding our network of partner universities for incoming students, especially in the direction of Southern, Northern and Western Europe. Not only as outgoing destinations, but also to attract incomers from there. The presence of internationals in the faculty is enriching in many ways: it broadens the cultural and linguistic horizons of both teaching staff and fellow students.
How do you see the cooperation between the university and the regional economy? Is there potential for development?
Some colleagues are already very well networked with local companies. This then leads to supervised internships and theses that involve problems with solution developments. It is not uncommon for this to lead to working student jobs, which are then linked to a permanent position after graduation. There are already company visits, keynote speeches or fireside chats with company representatives, but this could be expanded and made more permanent.
What initiatives are you planning to make the faculty even more attractive for students?
As already mentioned above: More digitalization in teaching, practice-oriented projects, international mobility, but that is only ONE component. Another component is faculty life itself. So far, we have offered cycling tours, hikes, flying days, excursions abroad and barbecue events, which could have even more users. We have set up seating in House Z II to give students a space and place to get together after events and socialize offline. This creates an atmosphere of togetherness.
The interviews were conducted by the University Development and Communication Office, Public Relations Department.
