Opening of the Science Year of the HSZG 2023-24

Turning points do not happen in a day and not just through a war. They themselves have a history and a time that is not a point in time. They reach into the future and raise questions that make us - sometimes only slowly - turn around and make new judgments.

At this year's "Opening of the Year of Science", a good year and a half after the government declaration announced by Federal Chancellor Scholz in the special session of the German Bundestag on February 27, 2022, we would like to ask: Does this turning point concern us? Is it also our turning point, a turning point for and at Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences?

More specifically, we want to ask and discuss with you whether research and teaching at the university are being confronted with new challenges that question previous orientations, topics and concepts - and if so, to what extent - not only as a result of Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine and its consequences, but also with regard to climate change and regional structural change in Lusatia. The relevant topics obviously range from new framework conditions for energy research and the energy transition to problems of migration and questions of how to deal with military research at our university.

Even though we will certainly not be able to address all relevant aspects, we would like to dedicate this year's "Opening of the Year of Science" to the topic of "Turning point" - also for research? Challenges between military research, migration, climate and regional structural change" and invite you to the university campus in Görlitz on October 11, 2023 from 4.30 pm.

We would be delighted to welcome you to Görlitz for the opening and a small reception afterwards.

With best wishes and best regards

Raj Kollmorgen
Vice-Rector Research

A poster exhibition on Saxon-funded (TG 70) research projects will be integrated into the event.

Program:
16.30 Welcome (PF)
16.35-17.00 Turning point and challenges for future research (input, Prof. Kollmorgen, PF)
17.00-18.00 Panel discussion Pros and cons: New regional research fields after the turning point? Challenges between defense research, climate and regional structural change.
18.00-18.20 Turning point at Europe's external borders? - Lines of development in the governance of irregular migration since 2015 (Jan Schaller (M.A.), research associate at the Institute for Transformation, Housing and Social Spatial Development at the HSZG)
18.20-19.30 Reception and small buffet
19.30 End of the event