About Coburg University:

About MREI:

I moved into a shared flat in the city center of Coburg and it's quite nice. Rent: 320 euros warm.

Johanna Bodmann, student

From orientation semester to Master's degree, from the district of Coburg to Calcutta

A question of educational equity

It becomes problematic when parents' wallets determine whether it is possible to study at the desired location. Educational opportunities must not depend on the housing market.

Dr. Stefan Brauckmann from the MMI

Exciting hours for first-year students

A warm welcome from the President and Lord Mayor

With a samba festival, design days, museum night, festival, concerts and cultural highlights, Coburg feels like a big city in summer.

Coburg's Lord Mayor Dominik Sauerteig

Lots of support for the newcomers

Get a taste of campus life

Biomarker research, which helps with early diagnosis, is also making progress.

Prof. Dr. Susanne Aileen Funke

Many steps still need to be taken before MMD3 and ISAD1 can perhaps be developed as therapeutics for early early intervention in Alzheimer's disease.

Prof. Dr. Susanne Aileen Funke

Facts instead of fake news

A unique AI application for text analysis

Looking for partners: How the BiasScanner is progressing

What the industry needs

Steel, aluminum or cobalt: anything is conceivable in the simulation

Further information

From the Chinese partner university to the Coburg ISAT

A star-shaped pattern of triangular silver structures

Stimulating action, teaching and research

Exotic experiences

Internationalization at the university

Whether programming or national language

Ideas for practice

Cooperation agreement signed

An enriching exchange between university and excellent practice

Appreciative leadership as a cornerstone of employee welfare

What he is planning sounds like science fiction, but it could soon become reality: Entrepreneur Philipp Scheler is planning nothing less than to revolutionize global freight transport. In this interview, the current alumnus and co-founder of ecoro reveals how Coburg University of Applied Sciences has shaped him. He completed his degree in Automotive Technologies and Management at the Faculty of Mechanical and Automotive Engineering here eight years ago.

From specialist colloquium to doctoral center

Study

1. My survival rucksack (packed, of course)
2. A crate of Hacker-Pschorr beer
3. My cell phone (with reception!) to call for help...

Innovations for socially significant issues

Innovation community in Innovation Valley

"Students from India and other cultures should come here because they not only learn interesting subjects, but also acquire important life skills.

"The exchange between us entrepreneurs, the university and students was a benefit for all sides, both on stage and in the follow-up discussions. For us smaller companies in particular, this was an excellent opportunity to network with the young experts and innovators of the future!" Dr. Florian Bertges, biTTner Werkzeugbau GmbH "It was a very successful evening. Exciting discussions, interesting people and a lively exchange. All in all, a great event and a super format!" Amelie Riek, student "To ensure that we remain competitive and fit for the future as a business location in Upper Franconia, a close exchange with our educational institutions is incredibly important. After all, the region's colleges and universities train and qualify the young talent that our companies urgently need. Events like this are a great forum for a close exchange between business and education. That's why we were happy to host them together with Coburg University of Applied Sciences." Patrick Püttner, Managing Director of the vbw Upper Franconia district group "The evening showed that our expertise at Coburg University of Applied Sciences is absolutely in tune with the times and therefore valuable for the region. Once again, it became clear how important it is to talk to each other and learn from each other - this evening offered ample opportunity for this: both on stage with the companies present and our participating professors as well as during the informal part afterwards. Chapeau!" Prof. Dr. Stefan Gast, President of Coburg University of Applied Sciences

"The evening brought practice and science closer together once again. Simply inspiring." Prof. Dr. Michael Hartmann

"3x3 is more than 9. The event impressively demonstrated how enriching the dialog between science and practice can be. The enthusiasm and practical insights of all participants provided valuable inspiration for my research and teaching." Prof. Dr. Thomas Schauerte "The panel discussion gave an insight into how individual solutions were found to make business succession a success. I was also particularly pleased that the format appealed to many students who wanted to engage with companies and make contacts." Prof. Dr. Hedwig Schmid "I had been familiar with the previous event for years, which I always enjoyed attending. What you and your team have achieved with the '3 x 3 ...' concept is not just an update, you have taken the event to a whole new level. The fresh format, in which you as the moderator threw a question like a ball into the round and answers from one interviewee were supplemented by quick-witted and very authentic comments from the other entrepreneurs and experts, was unique and very entertaining. This is also in line with the very positive feedback from the students present. Keep it up, I'm already looking forward to the next 3x3 in 2025!" Prof. Dr. Claus-Burkard Böhnlein "The new 3x3 format as a cooperation between our Coburg University of Applied Sciences and the vbw shows how important cooperation between business and science is. The intensive, entertaining and highly interesting discussions at the premiere make the potential progress that lies in these collaborations tangible. This format is an absolute gain for the science and business location." Eric Rösner, authorized signatory of Wifög Coburg

Practical knowledge for the vacation flight

Famous grand piano

Coburg expertise in Munich

Here we go at last! At their third meeting, the members of the Analytics4Health (A4H) doctoral center accepted seven doctoral students. They are the first to benefit from Coburg University of Applied Sciences' right to award doctorates. In addition, two new professors bring new research opportunities with them.

• Uncertainty: once the circumstances have been established, questions and doubts arise.
• Adaptation: A child concept develops, a certain sense of well-being sets in.
• Concretization: Change of the body and active perception of the child.
• Preparation: Start of maternity leave and active birth planning. Return from fears and worries.

1. Identify your resources and sources of strength.
2. Make a list of people who support you.
3. Get some exercise in the fresh air!
4. Take your feelings and needs seriously!
5. Learn an active relaxation technique.
6. In the evening, name 10 things you are grateful for.
7. Write a "to-do list", because sometimes there are days when mothers think they have done nothing worthwhile.

• Valerie Segatz
• Sina Bialdiga
• Johanna Graml
• Sophie Helene from Sahle
• Samel Sebastian Feil
• Quan Nian Zhang
• Ke Wen
• Benita Michelle Burghardt
• Clara Bartenstein
• Katharina White
• Philipp Wige
• Lukas Maria Dippold

• Sarah Schmidt
• Philip Swoboda
• Marc Wolf
• Jonas Wagner
• Lisa-Marie Sarré
• Andrea Wirth
• Moritz Hornung
• Johannes Gold

• Christian Vollhardt
• Emily Hofmann
• Niclas Baumgart
• Linda Baumann
• Samuel Gareis
• Lennart Köpper
• Kai Bechmann
• Jens Blienert
• Michael Schader
• Felix Kawala

• Andreas Deinhart
• Nico Schmitt
• Simon Krappmann
• Oliver Gareis
• Jonas Nüßlein
• Kevin Walther
• Kim Heinrich Pipke
• Markus Dietzmann
• Leonie Nüßlein

• Antonia Pauline Katzke
• Jennifer Anita Schwarz
• Elisa Hartmann

• Julia Köhler
• Nathalie Scholz
• Franziska Nicklaus
• Vanessa Dietrich
• Jan Stegner
• Stefan King
• Bianca Stenzel
• Julia Bätz
• Helena Neff
• Enkh-Erdene
• Rishabh Tiwari

• Niklas Winkler
• Raimund Chudoba
• Michael Zehe

• How expectations of pregnancy have changed over time and how the healthcare system deals with this: Barbara Wank, head midwife at the Coburg delivery room, reports on this in the first lecture.
• Maria Kuhn will then provide information on the topic of "Self-care during pregnancy and the postpartum period". She will also provide practical exercises. Kuhn is doing her doctorate at the Faculty of Applied Natural Sciences and Health at Coburg University of Applied Sciences and has spoken about modern parenthood in our Zeitgeist podcast "Do you know what! Practical knowledge straight from the Friedrich Streib Campus!
• Henrike Beck from the Midwives Coordination Office knows best that having children should not be a one-woman show. She talks about support networks and the importance of social support during this critical phase. She will also provide an overview of the network structures in the city of Coburg.

"Tempo" as a key performance indicator of the central defender

Software for data scouting by graduates of Coburg University of Applied Sciences

Men's soccer, women's soccer and the academy: each department has KPIs that are particularly important for its work.

Benjamin Hoppenz

From AI with deep learning, machine learning and data mining to visualization and cloud computing

Every coach has their own tactics - and every club has a data strategy

Podcast

When a person develops Alzheimer's disease, something changes in the brain: two of the body's own proteins begin to clump together in a special way. The amyloid beta peptide combines with peptides of the same type and is deposited between the nerve cells as plaques. And in the nerve cells, tau proteins begin to form so-called tangles or fibrils with other tau proteins. "As a single protein, tau is very important for the body," explains Prof. Dr. Susanne Aileen Funke from the Faculty of Applied Sciences and Health at Coburg University of Applied Sciences. "But as soon as it aggregates with itself, it becomes very toxic." After some time, the affected nerve cells die. Alzheimer's dementia is a neurodegenerative disease. Those affected lose cognitive abilities. More and more memories are erased, personalities are slowly destroyed.

Coburg molecular biologist Funke's working group is researching small protein substances, peptides, which bind to the tau protein. This prevents tau from aggregating with itself. "It works in the test tube and we have now carried out the first cell culture experiments." This is still a long way from becoming a drug: "There are still a few cell culture trials to go and we need cooperation partners for further development." It could be years, perhaps decades, before the active ingredients are further developed and tested in the pharmaceutical industry.

What is happening in Alzheimer's research worldwide

Funke reports on the 18th International Conference on Alzheimer's and Parkinson's Diseases (AD/PD), one of the most important European conferences on the subject with 4700 participants from over 70 different countries. The renowned Alzheimer's researcher from Coburg University of Applied Sciences gave a lecture there and chaired the corresponding session. "The atmosphere was different this time, there was a kind of spirit of optimism," she says. "The fact is that no new drugs have been approved for a very, very long time." Until now, only the symptoms of Alzheimer's could be treated. "Now, however, the first therapies that can change the course of the disease have been approved in the USA, for example." However, the effect is not as clear as hoped, the drugs are expensive, have side effects and have to be administered at a very early stage of the disease, which is not so easy. Alzheimer's is usually only diagnosed when the symptoms become apparent. By then, however, the disease has already caused a lot of unnoticed damage to the brain, as it begins many years earlier. "But biomarker research, which helps with early diagnosis, is also making progress," explains Funke. Her own research is another important approach: at the Institute for Bioanalytics at Coburg University of Applied Sciences, two D-peptides were found using methods such as the so-called phage display method, which dock at exactly the right places on the tau protein. D-peptides consist of D-amino acids, which are the spatial mirror image of natural L-amino acids. They do not occur in nature and are not attacked by the body's own defense systems as quickly as natural peptides. The hexapeptide motifs PHF6* (amino acids 275 to 280 of tau, sequence VQIINK) and PHF6 (amino acids 306 to 311 of tau, sequence VQIVYK) are crucial for the dangerous combination of several tau proteins. Funke's team found two ideal D-peptides for this purpose: MMD3 binds to PHF6* and ISAD1 to PHF6. This alters the aggregation of tau proteins.

The Coburg peptides prevent the toxic reaction

"We used biochemical, biophysical and bioinformatic methods to investigate the ability of the D-peptides to bind to tau and alter its fibrillization," explains Funke. In addition, initial cell culture experiments have shown that the D-peptides are efficiently taken up by the cells and actually inhibit the toxic reaction of the tau peptides in practice. "This could be very interesting for the treatment of Alzheimer's," says the professor cautiously. Alzheimer's is a very complex disease in which the causes and correlations are still not entirely clear. Moreover, it is not certain that what happens in the test tube and cell culture is the same in the human brain. "There are still many steps to go before MMD3 and ISAD1 can perhaps be developed as therapeutics for early intervention in Alzheimer's disease." Funke does not want to raise false hopes: "There can always come a point at which it tips over, at which you realize: it doesn't work here after all." However, a number of other D-peptides have already been shown to cross the blood-brain barrier after oral administration - an important point for a drug to take effect in the brain cells. All tests, all trials, all results have so far been positive. Now the professor is looking for the right partners to drive the topic forward. If a drug is developed from the research, it may take another ten or 15 years. "But it really looks like something could come of it."

Contribution from TV Oberfranken

Alzheimer's research at Coburg University of Applied Sciences will also be the subject of the program 4you on TV Oberfranken on Wednesday, May 22: It can be seen on cable at 6.30 pm and on SAT (FrankenPlus) at 7.30 pm. Afterwards, the report will be available in the TVO media library: http://www.tvo.de/mediathek/kategorie/sendungen/4you/.

A university semester in the countryside is not just for nature lovers. For eleven students at Coburg University of Applied Sciences in their 6th semester Bachelor of Architecture, it is also a teaching and design assignment. As part of the "RURASMUS" program, they are currently spending five days in this year's European Capital of Culture Bad Ischl in the Salzkammergut for a workshop week. The project name is made up of the words "rural" and "ERASMUS", the EU's funding program for student stays abroad.

However, instead of going to universities and colleges in large cities, the international students have deliberately chosen to go to the quiet countryside, because that is exactly where they find the problems they want to learn to solve: vacant buildings, multi-generational living, a lack of housing options or exploding housing costs, as well as tourism orientation in the out-migration area. The project is called "New living in rural areas".

Living where they move from

The task is to develop concepts on how living in the countryside must evolve in order to counteract demographic change, explains Mario Tvrtkovic, Professor of Urban Planning and Design at the Faculty of Design at Coburg University of Applied Sciences: "The Aufs-Land-Semester combines university education with practice and living in rural areas." Tvrtkovic has already been to the Salzkammergut with another group of students. "It is an opportunity to improve life in rural Europe. I was very happy about the exchange with the students from the German and Austrian universities and colleges. The impressions and experiences of how we can achieve forward-looking transformations in the region were inspiring!" Tvrtkovic is the initiator and chairman of the Research Institute for the Promotion of New Perspectives for Rural Europe.

Students at the heart of community life

Unlike traditional semesters abroad, students work closely with local communities and gain insights and opportunities that would otherwise not be available. They are involved in community life and learn how ideas can be implemented quickly through their own initiative. They deal with real problems in a practical project with the people affected.

This is also useful for the students back home, says Tarek Hansen: "As I live in the countryside myself, the topic of RURASMUS concerns me and I find it exciting how the students were received locally. I wanted to get to know my fellow students, the local people and the region and specifically to further exploit the potential of the sickle farm structures there and establish them in these new forms of housing."

For Jana Will, the visit was an opportunity to practically analyze the topic of multi-generational living or rural living: "We were able to talk directly to the residents and contact persons on site and get to know the Salzkammergut. We want to examine existing structures for their opportunities and challenges and supplement and improve them with our design."

Long-term rural study

It was the first - but not the last - visit for the Coburg students: the final presentation will take place in Bad Ischl on June 30, 2024. The results of the workshop will be published there together with the students from other universities who also visited the Salzkammergut. This cultural region is located in Austria, on the northern edge of the Alps. With only 15,000 inhabitants, the spa town of Bad Ischl is the smallest cultural capital this year. The title is awarded annually by the EU to three cities that are characterized by particular diversity and cultural creativity. For the first time, however, several municipalities have joined forces to bear this title. Eight of them are part of the RURASMUS project "Living the Future" and are therefore study locations for Coburg's guests. In addition to the spa town of Altmünster, these include Bad Mitterndorf, Ebensee, Gosau, Grundlsee, Steinbach am Attersee and St. Konrad.

Professor Tvrtkovic now hopes that this form of semester abroad will become an integral part of the course in the long term. The prospect that the young architecture and design experts will soon be able to travel to rural communities throughout Europe opens up a wider range of educational, research and project opportunities.

Four future civil engineers specializing in "Structural Engineering" and four future civil engineers specializing in "Infrastructure Planning" were each delighted to receive an award for their final theses as part of the Campus.Design Open at Coburg University of Applied Sciences. The jury consisted of lecturers from the respective departments as well as representatives of the sponsoring engineering companies - once again, it was not easy to select the three most outstanding theses from the abundance of consistently above-average work. This time, two 3rd prizes were also awarded.

The two prizes are named after two former professors at Coburg University of Applied Sciences who left a lasting impression on their students. Joachim Kurbasik taught statics, reinforced and prestressed concrete construction from 1963 to 1993. "He fascinated his students and always met them at eye level," says Michael Knörnschild, one of the initiators of the Kurbasik Prize, which has been awarded since 2014. Ullrich Hanses was Professor of Soil Mechanics and Foundation Engineering from 1987 to 2012. He assisted hundreds of students with their final theses and well over a thousand civil engineers were taught by Ullrich Hanses. He was awarded the Coburg University of Applied Sciences Medal of Honor for his numerous achievements.

In memory of their joint Coburg professor Joachim Kurbasik, four northern Bavarian engineering companies donate the prize, which is endowed with a total of 2,500 euros, every year: Ingenieurgruppe Knörnschild & Kollegen GmbH, IB Federlein Ingenieurgesellschaft mbH, SRP Schneider & Partner Ingenieur-Consult GmbH, G.I.A. Planung GmbH & Co KG.

This year, the Joachim Kurbasik Prize was awarded to the following graduates for their final theses in structural engineering:

1st prize: Jonas Wagner (prize money €900)
Topic: Structural and economic comparison between timber-concrete hybrid construction, reinforced concrete skeleton construction and solid construction using a multi-storey building construction project

2nd prize: Luca Endler (prize money 700 €)
Topic: Roof structure analysis of the Thüringenhalle in Erfurt

3rd prize: Lukas Eck (prize money € 450)
Topic: Comparison of the CO2 balance between timber and steel structures using the example of the pavilion in Mitwitz

3rd prize: Simon Künzel (prize money € 450)
Topic: Design and modeling of a bridge over the A73 at the Bad Staffelstein Kurzentrum junction

The laudatory speech for the Kurbasik Prize was an inspiring journey through the life of Prof. Kurbasik. Benjamin Steven Reiche (GIA) and Christian Neubauer (SRP) drew a vivid picture of Professor Kurbasik and linked his life with historical events and technical developments. The values and messages that the professor stood for are more relevant today than ever: he was also keen to give the graduates lessons such as courage and humility in various examples.

The sponsors of the Ullrich Hanses Prize are: SRP Schneider & Partner Ingenieur-Consult GmbH, agc Abfallwirtschaft GmbH, dechant Hoch- und Ingenieurbau GmbH, Krumpholz Bodentechnik GmbH, Ingenieurbüro Greiner Eisfeld GbR.

This year's winners of the Ullrich Hanses Prize (focus on "Infrastructure Planning") are:

1st prize: Juliane Mohr (prize money €1,000)
Topic: Comparison of slope failure calculations using analytical and numerical methods

2nd prize: Florian Dippold (prize money € 700)
Topic: Lean management in civil engineering using the example of a specific construction project

3rd prize: Lisa Göldner (prize money €400)
Topic: Planning the foundation of the new building on the abattoir site in Coburg
3rd prize: Max Ruppert (prize money €400)
Topic: Implementation of BIM for model-based quantity takeoff and costing in a medium-sized construction company

Prof. Dr. Markus Weber gave the laudatory speech for the Ullrich Hanses Prize. He was impressed by Ullrich Hanses and gave an insight into his life and achievements both inside and outside the university. Prof. Weber was particularly pleased that Lena Hanses, Ullrich Hanses' wife, still has close ties to the course and the university.

As in previous years, this year's event was a complete success with impressive work from happy prizewinners. The jury is already looking forward to next year. The sponsoring companies are aware of the importance of promoting young talent for a successful future and therefore intend to continue these efforts in the coming years.

"Yoga has been proven to reduce the feeling of stress when practiced regularly," explains Prof. Dr. Karin Meißner from the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Health at Coburg University of Applied Sciences. She is leading the study, the second round of which starts on Thursday, June 6. Yoga provides relief from the symptoms mentioned and at the same time increases well-being and quality of life.

The university offers participants in the study a free eight-week yoga course with weekly exercise sessions in Coburg. Exercises are taught that can also be practiced independently at home after the course. The yoga courses are led by Cornelia Antwerpen, a doctor in a gynecological oncology practice in Coburg and certified yoga teacher. "The courses are not about sporty yoga with handstands in open space," explains the doctor, rather the focus is on relaxed practice. This includes meditation and mindfulness exercises as well as combining physical movement with your own breath, "in order to develop a healthy body awareness and confidence again."

The study is open to women aged 18 and over who were first diagnosed with non-metastatic breast cancer no more than five years ago. Unfortunately, women who already regularly practise yoga or similar relaxation techniques cannot take part. Regular course attendance over a period of eight weeks is required for the study. This includes a weekly 90-minute guided yoga practice in a group, exercises for self-practice at home and the completion of questionnaires, which takes around 30 minutes. Similar studies are underway at Immanuel Hospital Berlin and Essen University Hospital.

Further information and registration with Annika Hiller, doctoral student in the field of health promotion, annika.hiller@stud.hs-coburg.de

The event for founders will be opened by Paul Redetzky, founder of Emergo Entertainment. With a keynote speech, he will share his experiences and insights into the world of self-employment and get the guests in the mood for the rest of the afternoon. This will be followed by two rounds of workshops in which participants will have the opportunity to choose from a variety of topics. Under the direction of Prof. Dr. Hedwig Schmid from the Faculty of Economics at Coburg University of Applied Sciences, the budding entrepreneurs will learn in the "Twix" workshop how they can get to know their own management style and find co-founders and employees who complement them and their strengths well. In the "Mars" workshop, Lorenz Raab from the Transfer and Entrepreneurship Department at Coburg University of Applied Sciences will show inquisitive minds how they can quickly visualize, test and improve ideas by building prototypes in order to develop more effective solutions. In the "Smarties" workshop, Jonathan Fischer, Creative Art Director at nuspace GmbH, , will teach participants what they need for successful videos in the colorful world of social networks. Participants will learn how to create appealing short videos cost-effectively and gain insights into the important aspects of the algorithm. In the "Milky Way" workshop, Alisa Ehrlicher, Head of Marketing & Communication at Zukunft.Coburg.Digital GmbH, introduces her audience to the basics of AI in the field of language models and image recognition. She shows how to talk to an AI (prompting) in order to achieve optimal results in a short time and gives an insight into how AI can support start-ups as a tool.

Information on formal aspects of starting a business and starting a business from unemployment

Before, during and after the event, representatives of the Coburg Chamber of Industry and Commerce and the business development agencies of the city and district of Coburg will be on hand to offer advice and guide founders through the formal aspects of setting up a business so that it (doesn't) "take longer again". During this time, the employment agency is available under the title "KitKat" to answer all questions about starting a business from unemployment and to help founders who want to get off to a fresh start after a career break.

After the workshops, the Gründungsnetzwerk Coburg invites you to a relaxed networking session and barbecue to round off the day with new ideas and contacts. As the Coburg start-up network also wants to whet people's appetite for self-employment, the event is not only aimed at founders, but also at anyone who wants to become one. Participation in the event is free of charge, but registration is required. The registration deadline is Friday, May 10, 2024. Further information, contact details for the participating organizations and the registration link can be found in the events section at: www.existenzgruendung-in-coburg.de

This is the Coburg start-up network

In order to provide start-ups with the best possible support on their path to self-employment, the two business development agencies of the city and district of Coburg, the Coburg Chamber of Industry and Commerce, the Upper Franconia Chamber of Crafts, Coburg University of Applied Sciences, the Coburg Employment Agency and the digital start-up center Zukunft.Coburg.Digital have joined forces to form a regional alliance. The start-up network offers various services, support and events through its individual members. Joint events are also held at regular intervals to promote the topic of business start-ups. Further information on the network partners can be found at: https://www.existenzgruendung-in-coburg.de

Urban and regional planning have a core task: to guide spatial and structural development in such a way that socio-political values about an appropriate living environment can be implemented now and for future generations. This requires foresighted planning action by local authorities, cities and federal states. The German Academy for Urban and Regional Planning (DASL) has been recognizing successful practical examples for over 40 years with the German Urban Development Award. This award is presented to urban development projects that are characterized by sustainable and innovative contributions to urban development culture. The projects should take into account the current requirements of contemporary lifestyles as well as the challenges of designing public spaces, the economical use of resources and the obligation to preserve the town and cityscape.

Exhibition on the urban planning prize

The German Urban Development Award is sponsored by the Wüstenrot Foundation. Award-winning examples from 2023 are the subject of the exhibition, which can be seen from Tuesday, May 7, to Friday, June 7, in the foyer of Wohnbau der Stadt Coburg (Mauer 12, 96540 Coburg). The opening and discussion evening will also take place here on Tuesday, May 7, at 7.30 pm. One of the organizers is the DASL, whose Scientific Secretary Prof. Mario Tvrtkovic also represents the Faculty of Design at Coburg University of Applied Sciences. Here, Tvrtkovic researches and teaches as a professor of urban planning and design in the architecture course. The university is also involved in the "CREAPOLIS Campus" real-world laboratory. As host, the city of Coburg's housing department also provides valuable input.

Topics in Coburg: climate, common good, diverse use

How can the objectives of the integrated urban development concept and the integrated urban climate concept for Coburg be implemented? And how do we deal with conflicting objectives? These are questions that will be addressed by the panel discussion at the opening. Another topic is, for example: How can we succeed in realizing urban development geared towards the common good and land-saving goals with multiple inner development - higher densities and more diversity of use, multimodal and sustainable mobility options, more space for green and blue? And the focus will be on how intermediary players such as the university can contribute to sustainable urban development and the transformation to sustainability with the development at the Coburg freight depot with the "CREAPOLIS Campus" real-world laboratory.

Admission to the opening and exhibition is free. The exhibition is freely accessible during Wohnbau's opening hours.

The Faculty of Design at Coburg University of Applied Sciences combines the Architecture, Interior Design, Civil Engineering and Integrated Product Design courses and will be presenting over 50 exhibitions, ten workshops and more than a dozen lectures at the Campus.Design Open from Thursday, May 9 to Saturday, May 11. On Friday, May 10, the focus will be on Japan from 1 pm. Among others, Dr. Christoph Henrichsen, art historian and Japanologist, will introduce the topic of "Wood Culture Japan" at 3.15 pm.

The highlight will be Tomoaki Uno's work report at 4 pm. A unique feature of his architecture is the independent implementation of his designs. He is characterized by his active presence on the construction site, works closely with craftsmen and craftswomen and always remains in contact with the clients. Instead of a strict separation of design and implementation, he maintains the integral unity of both aspects. This guarantees control down to the last detail and a flexible response to challenges. He also developed his own method of building construction through iterative experimental processes - i.e. constant further development - which enables him to realize his visions without compromise.

He will provide an insight at the Campus.Design Open 2024 at Coburg University of Applied Sciences. Further information at www.campus.design

The doors at Coburg University of Applied Sciences' Campus Design are still closed to the public. Behind them, everything is already set for the major annual event. The students are already looking forward to finally being able to show their work again from Thursday, May 9, to Saturday, May 11, and making the campus a tangible experience for everyone. Today we are giving you a sneak peek behind the scenes. "We're expecting a distinguished visitor from Japan: Tomoaki Uno!" says architecture student Stefanie Lederer, for example. She talks enthusiastically about the work of the Japanese architect, who is known for wooden buildings modeled on traditional craftsmanship. "Old Japanese pavilions have been standing for centuries. If a wooden part breaks, it can be replaced again: very, very sustainable." And inspiring for today's architectural designs. Last year, Prof. Markus Schlempp and his students established a friendly relationship with Uno during an excursion to Japan. He accepted the invitation to Coburg: "This is really very special, because although he gives numerous lectures online," says Lederer, "he has only spoken once in presence in Europe, in Oslo." The second time is now at the Campus.Design Open.

Sustainable timber buildings in Franconia and the world

Uno's work report will be presented on Friday, May 10, at 4 pm. The event begins at 1 p.m. with a focus on Japan and at 3.15 p.m. Dr. Christoph Henrichsen, art historian and Japanologist, will introduce the topic of "Wood Culture Japan". In keeping with this, students will be showing wooden joints they have made - some in the Japanese style, others in the traditional German carpentry style, as Tarek Hansen explains. He is also an architecture student and is part of a team that planned and built a special pavilion in Mitwitz (Kronach district). After an old house in the center of the village had to be demolished, the idea was born to create a new center here. "In the end, a large covered meeting place with a lot of regional reference was created from beetle wood." At Campus.Design Open, however, not only such exciting regional projects are presented, but also important international ones such as the "Women Empowerment Center", which Prof. Dr. Rainer Hirth implemented with students in Sri Lanka. There will also be an exhibition on exemplary stable buildings that combine landscape architecture, species-appropriate animal husbandry and carpentry.  

For newcomers and returnees

A total of over 50 exhibitions will be on display over the three days. Campus Design unites the Architecture, Interior Design, Civil Engineering and Integrated Product Design degree programs and Bachelor's and Master's theses from all degree programs will also be on display. "We are opening up our university, presenting the interesting work of our students and showing examples of how the topic of sustainability can be implemented in everyday life," says Prof. Dr. Egbert Keßler, who is presenting the event for the first time as Dean of the faculty, succeeding Prof. Dr. Holger Falter. "There's always a first time," he explains - and that doesn't just apply as Dean. "Those who know Campus Design will certainly be happy to come again this year and I recommend everyone else to make their personal 'first time' at Campus Design. You won't regret coming!"

Floating drops and ultrasonic espionage in the ISAT

Visitors can also get active themselves at workshops on topics such as screen printing, portrait painting and photo development. Bands will play in the outdoor area in the afternoons and evenings. Drinks, hot and cold, vegan and Franconian food will also be available there. Campus.Design Open is a festival, is fun, but also imparts a lot of practical knowledge. In an exhibition, Prof. Dr. Alexandra Troi gets to the bottom of the question: "What's going on in the wall? Focus on heat and moisture". The program of the Institute for Sensor and Actuator Technology (ISAT) at Coburg University of Applied Sciences also fits in with this. As part of the Campus.Design Open, ISAT will be opening its doors and laboratories on Thursday, May 9, from 1.30 p.m. to 5 p.m. under the motto "From floating drops, ultrasonic espionage, moisture measurement in masonry and sensor technology for hip prostheses: Experience research up close and interactively". Find out more at: www.isat-coburg.de.

There will also be lab tours for civil engineers. Friday morning is dedicated to them with the "Day of Civil Engineers": Coburg Professor for Energy-Efficient Building Design Prof. Dr. Michael Schaub will speak from 10 a.m. on the topic of "Status quo - energy transition and heat pump", followed at 10.45 a.m. by Roland Koenigsdorff from Biberach University of Applied Sciences on "Geothermal energy", at 11.20 a.m. by Prof. Dr. Bernd Hüttl and Prof. Dr. Michael Rossner from the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at Coburg University of Applied Sciences on "Photovoltaics and electricity storage" and shortly before 12 noon by Stefan Grafe (Baurconsult) on "Planning practice".

Lots of practice and good partnerships

The many collaborations at the University of Applied Sciences also show how fundamental the practical relevance of the course is: Under the direction of Prof. Mark Phillips, Prof. Philipp Stingl and guest lecturer Maria Pfeiffer, students from the Interior Architecture and Integrated Product Design courses have developed a concept for the exhibition "Weapons and such..." for the rooms of the Veste Coburg art collections. Integrated Product Design also presents, for example, a collaboration with an outdoor manufacturer. Under the direction of Prof. Natalie Weinmann, the students focused on innovative approaches to sustainable product design, the sensible use of materials, recycling and the circular economy. The "Ctrl-Goethe" project is the second part of a collaboration between the degree course and the Klassik Stiftung Weimar: under the direction of Prof. Dr. Michael Markert, students are designing interactions to control Johann Wolfgang von Goethe's virtual study. The lecture "Fast Digital Prototyping - Mockups With AI" in the Hofbrauhaus on Friday at 11 a.m. will focus on how AI will change the professional field of designers in the future.

More information can be found at www.campus.design. It's worth taking a look at the site from time to time, because there is still a lot of work going on here too. Just like behind all the doors of Campus Design. For now, here is a small insight into the big program.

The Coburg School Psychological Counselling Centre, Coburg University of Applied Sciences, the City of Coburg's Demography, Education and Family Department and many other partners hosted a varied program that was specially tailored to the needs of teachers. The event at the university's Friedrich Streib Campus proved to be a great success and was highly appreciated by the participants.

The Teacher Health Day began with inspiring words of welcome from the President of Coburg University of Applied Sciences, Prof. Dr. Stefan Gast, and the 3rd Mayor of Coburg, Can Aydin. Both emphasized the importance of teacher health and the valuable role of teachers in the education system. They encouraged all teachers to take the opportunity to benefit from the offers of the Teacher Health Day for their important but also challenging profession.

"Coburg University of Applied Sciences sees itself as a university in the region for the region," emphasized University President Gast. The event was a successful example of how tailor-made solutions can be developed together with local stakeholders. Gast invited the teachers to take away "effective ideas on the key topics of resilience, nutrition and mindfulness". "For your professional practice and your personal empowerment." The third mayor, Can Aydin: "You are not only imparters of knowledge, but also role models and supporters for your pupils. You make a significant contribution to creating learning environments in which knowledge is not only imparted, but also experienced with enthusiasm. Thank you very much for your valuable work".

Expert Vera Kaltwasser on mindfulness in educational institutions

One of the highlights of the event was the keynote speech by Vera Kaltwasser, a renowned educator in Germany and abroad, on the topic of "The potential of mindfulness in an educational context". In her presentation, she informed teachers and educational leaders about the importance and practical application of mindfulness in educational institutions. The participants were enthusiastic about the theoretical foundations and current research findings on mindfulness and the body-mind link. The speaker impressively conveyed that stress can be controlled via the body and thoughts and that this is fundamentally important and can be learned for both adults and children.

In addition, the Teacher Health Day offered a series of workshops from various stakeholders from Coburg institutions in the field of health promotion, the MedauSchule, MedauTherapy and Regiomed Klinken, on topics such as mindfulness in the classroom, stress management, healthy eating, voice and exercise. Participants had the opportunity to take away new ideas and practical tools for themselves and their colleagues.

In addition, the 140 participating teachers received a wide range of ideas and interesting project suggestions for their lessons and schools in numerous workshops offered by the university's faculties in a tour of the stations. Prof. Dr. Niko Kohls researches and teaches in the field of integrative health promotion at the university's Faculty of Natural Sciences and Health and was in charge of organizing the Teacher Health Day. He was supported in particular by Dean Prof. Dr. Wolfram Haupt and research assistant Maria Kuhn.

Food for thought from a top chef

Top chef Holger Stromberg set the mood with his keynote speech before the lunch break: "If the fuel doesn't fit, the engine can't work". The four-star chef enthusiastically explained why nutrition is our second most important source of energy, what effect food has on our mental and physical performance and how much can be gained for the blue planet with green cuisine. Afterwards, the participants were able to enjoy lunch prepared by Holger Stromberg and his team as well as the team from the university canteen.

The organizers were very satisfied with how the Teacher Health Day went and emphasized the importance of teachers' commitment to their own health and well-being. "Our aim is to prevent health problems and increase teachers' job satisfaction," said Regina Knape, regional representative for teacher health in Upper Franconia and Coburg school psychologist. "The Teacher Health Day was an important step in this direction. We would therefore like to thank the city and the university for their cooperation and support, as well as the Oskar Hacker Foundation and the Rainer Markgraf Foundation for sponsoring the event. Together, we want to continue to focus on teachers and look forward to offering more events of this kind in the future."

Overall, the Teacher Health Day in Coburg was a complete success and clearly demonstrated the great interest and need among teachers with regard to their health and resilience. The organizers are already in the process of planning the next steps to provide teachers with the best possible support in the future.

Elena Friedel, what are your tasks as an Entrepreneurship Education Coach?
Elena Friedel: My focus is on supervising and supporting the "GO! ", the networking and qualification program between the four Upper Franconian colleges and universities in Bamberg, Bayreuth, Hof and Coburg. The aim of the project is to provide an annual cycle of entrepreneurial training for those interested in setting up a business, to network them with each other and, above all, with regional partners and innovative companies, and ultimately to get successful start-ups off the ground. I accompany students who have a start-up idea and register for the program, ideally until the start-up is founded. I also design and develop start-up-related courses. At the same time, I build on existing projects and offerings at the university and support lecturers in establishing a link to the topic in their teaching formats. In doing so, I also build on the courses and projects that already exist at our university.

And Thomas Nick: What does a typical working day as Coordinator for Start-up Support look like?
Thomas Nick: I'm currently doing a lot of analysis and sorting out what start-up support options Coburg University of Applied Sciences already offers - for example, the Entrepreneurship Track for Regional Impact on Global Challenges(ERIC) project, the faculties' start-up officers or the FTC, but also external network partners in Coburg, such as the Coburg start-up network. From this, I would like to find out what is still missing and what we can still offer. An ideal working day looks like this for me: In the morning, a team interested in setting up a business comes to see me, which I have been supporting in their start-up project for a while. As the team is preparing for a start-up pitch, we go through the documents together and practise the pitch together. In the afternoon, I research external funding programs and offers to provide our students with additional help on their startup journey. In the evening, I represent Coburg University of Applied Sciences at a networking event on the topic of start-ups.  

Why did you apply for the advertised positions?
Elena Friedel: I am enthusiastic about promoting ideas of all kinds. I really enjoy supporting students. And because GO! is a project that can still be filled, I can give free rein to my creativity when developing formats. At the same time, there are already exciting projects and offers.
Thomas: I have always been interested in entrepreneurship and self-employment and was able to gain my first experience during and after my Master's degree. In my position, I have the opportunity to contribute my experience and knowledge to my home university in order to build something great together with our team. As Elena has already said, we have a playground here where we can prove ourselves creatively.

What has become of the start-up, Thoma Nick? To what extent can the experience and knowledge from that time help you in your current job?
Thomas Nick: I studied Entrepreneurship and Management in the Principality of Liechtenstein. The course was designed so that you develop a business idea during your studies, ideally found a company and work on your start-up. My team and I seized the opportunity and worked on our project for a year and a half - we attended pitch fairs, raised capital and went through a start-up accelerator, among other things. We found a carbon nanotechnology patent from the Frauenhofer Institute, optimized the technology and developed new applications. After a year and a half, we split up as a team and realized that we didn't want to take the next big step. As I went through the start-up process myself, I can pass on my experience to the students and assess what they might need in which phase of the start-up.  

Elena Friedel, what points of contact did you have with the topic of start-ups?
Elena Friedel: My partner founded a company a few years ago. So I had a lot of insight into the start-up process and the first few years of a company. I also work at the University of Bamberg in teacher training, where I work intensively on the topic of the school of the future. Schools are currently facing many challenges - in terms of content, structure and with regard to digitalization, differentiation and the shortage of teachers. This gave rise to the idea of supporting schools in the transformation process. However, I am currently still in the idea-finding and concretization phase.  

Our activities will initially run until the end of 2027. What do you want to achieve by then?
Elena Friedel: I hope that we have created a place that raises awareness of the topic of start-ups and brings together exciting formats. At the same time, I hope that we are a point of contact for all those interested in founding a company from all faculties. Students and lecturers who think they have nothing to do with the topic should also contact us and we can then look together at what is possible. For the "GO!" project, I hope that I have accompanied many students on their way - ideally together with Thomas until the company is founded. I particularly hope to reach women, people with disabilities or with family commitments - statistically speaking, they are still particularly unlikely to start a business.
Thomas Nick: My goal is to have created a service structure and a network that opens up all paths for people interested in starting a business, from students to university staff and lecturers. When I look back in three years, I would like to see more university-related start-ups. I would like the university to be described by the words innovation, culture and entrepreneurship. I would also like to see entrepreneurship as an interdisciplinary elective subject for Bachelor's and Master's degree courses. In this way, successful, heterogeneous start-up teams can be created and the necessary skillset can be taught at an early stage.

For most of them, it was their first visit to Coburg University of Applied Sciences. The orientation semester and studying with a practice partner aroused particular interest during the networking meeting. A subsequent tour of the campus with a visit to the bioanalytics laboratory convinced the guests of the good study conditions in Coburg. Dr. Katja Kessel, Head of Student Advisory & Career Service, was delighted with the visit: "We have been working with the Employment Agency in the area of study and career guidance on a basis of trust for many years. The fact that we can continue to expand our personal network with the advisors in Thuringia is extremely important for us, not least because of the lack of school-leavers in Bavaria in 2025."

New contacts are made not only due to personnel changes, but also because networks are growing regionally. Team leader Marcus Pötzschig, consultants for Sonneberg and Hildburghausen as well as colleagues from Meiningen, Eisenach, Schmalkalden and Bad Salza attended the event. "Coburg University of Applied Sciences - closer than you think!" will apply even more to large parts of Thuringia from June: for the first time, regional trains will run on the ICE route between Coburg-Erfurt, taking just 30 minutes. "Eisenach-Erfurt-Coburg and back" could therefore be the timetable for new students from Thuringia.

Innovative companies, excellent universities and a high quality of life - Upper Franconia has the best prerequisites to be successful in international competition. Last week's presentation of the Upper Franconia Technology Transfer Center (TTZ) at the Lichtenfels City Palace demonstrated the important role played by the networking of business and science. The high-caliber event brought together representatives from business, science and politics, who made it clear how the economic and demographic challenges can be mastered with clever cooperation, courage and self-confidence.

Frank Carsten Herzog, first Chairman of the FADZ Business Association, emphasized the importance of the Upper Franconia Technology Transfer Center in his welcoming address: "With the TTZ Digital Intelligence, we are ushering in a new era of knowledge transfer in the region. This pioneering project has the potential to further strengthen the competitiveness of the Upper Franconian economy and its innovative companies. It not only enables an exchange of ideas, but also the development of completely new perspectives for companies, society, politics and science."

Clever combination of skills

In fact, the TTZ fits perfectly into existing structures and offers a clever combination of skills: While Coburg University of Applied Sciences focuses on digital expertise in the product life cycle at its Lichtenfels site, Nuremberg Institute of Technology at its Kronach site is concerned with making artificial intelligence usable for SMEs.

"Whether human-robot collaborations, the use of virtual reality in training courses, AI-supported quality assurance in glass production or the early detection of dementia with the help of speech markers - the variety of research projects and collaborations is immense," explained Dr. Johannes Schütz, Managing Director of TTZ Oberfranken at the Lichtenfels site. He illustrated this together with Prof. Dr. Tobias Bocklet, Scientific Director at the Kronach site, using specific examples. "The Technology Transfer Centre represents the bridge between the academic world and the business world and supports companies in research and development, the implementation of new business ideas and the optimization of existing processes," added Bocklet.

Venturing into collaborations and research projects

The highlight of the event was the panel discussion with Prof. Dr. Siegfried Russwurm. Under the moderation of Andreas Renner from Coburg University of Applied Sciences, the BDI President discussed both the challenges and possible solutions for a sustainable Upper Franconian economy with Philipp Steinberger, CEO of Wöhner GmbH, Gisela Raab, Managing Director of Raab Baugesellschaft, Prof. Dr. Stefan Gast, President of Coburg University of Applied Sciences and Johannes Zeck, Managing Director of the FADZ Zweckverband.

"In Upper Franconia, we not only have a strong SME sector with immense innovative strength, but also a high quality of life. We must stand by these strengths and confidently present them to the outside world," Russwurm made clear. The German economy's recipe for success is a mix of large system integrators and those medium-sized technology specialists, of which there are plenty in Upper Franconia. "There are many disruptive and innovative ideas here. We need to encourage people to develop and drive them forward together. We need to generate the relevant expertise at the universities and turn this knowledge into money. To do this, we need appropriate networking opportunities," said Russwurm.

Philipp Steinberger, CEO of Wöhner GmbH, emphasized that such networks are already being used successfully. "Innovation has been the lifeblood of our company for 90 years and we are very happy about the bridges that exist between business and science in the Coburg-Kronach-Lichtenfels region," explained Steinberger, adding: "We benefit from contact with students and always get fresh ideas here. "I can only advise everyone to be bold and not be afraid of research collaborations. Funding is definitely manageable and once contact has been established, there is always a way to make innovation affordable."

Creation of qualified jobs

As was also revealed during the panel discussion, the TTZ Upper Franconia has another benefit: the offer of attractive jobs. "Through sustainable technology transfer, we naturally also want to inspire the next generation for the innovative possibilities," explained Prof. Dr. Stefan Gast, President of Coburg University of Applied Sciences. Johannes Zeck from the FADZ Zweckverband agreed: "We can only counter the shortage of skilled workers if we make our region and our economy attractive. In addition to the TTZ, our Machbar future workshop in Lichtenfels is also an important building block for awakening interest in technology and innovation among the general public, especially the younger generation."

Member of the Bundestag Emmi Zeulner had already made it clear at the beginning that Upper Franconia should by no means hide, by referring to the highest industrial density in Europe and explaining that Upper Franconia has four times as many hidden champions and twice as many patents as the national average. Gisela Raab, Managing Director of Raab Baugesellschaft, picked up on this thread and added the advantages that rural areas have to offer for SMEs: "The short distances and direct contacts between business, science and politics mean that we can quickly take action here. With the TTZ Oberfranken and the institutions of the FADZ, we have the best conditions to successfully advance our region together."

About the FADZ trade association

The FADZ Wirtschaftsverband e.V. reflects the entrepreneurial commitment of more than 50 regional member companies from industry and trade, represents their interests and designs formats and projects in the FADZ.

About the FADZ

The aim of the FADZ project, which was launched in 2019, is to establish and operate a research and application center for digital future technologies in Lichtenfels / Upper Franconia. The project is an association of volunteers, business, science and politics. More than 50 companies from the region pool their interests in the FADZ Wirtschaftsverband e.V.. Machbar e.V. is the future workshop of the FADZ and offers services for the general public. The political will of the town and district of Lichtenfels is organized in the FADZ Zweckverband. The association coordinates the cooperation with the Coburg University of Applied Sciences and the publicly funded conversion of the Kirschbaummühle property.  www.fadz.vision

Universities and colleges have a key role to play as places of education for future experts: their commitment and knowledge transfer are crucial for the implementation of a culture of social, ecological and economic responsibility. They promote and develop principles of transformative planning and have an impact on society. Together with Prof. Mario Tvrtkovic from the Faculty of Design at Coburg University of Applied Sciences, students in Basel last week took part in the conference "Transformative power of European cities and regions. Shaping the future in uncertain times" in Basel last week. Here, a common understanding of European planning culture for transformative regional and urban planning and design was discussed from an international perspective and ways for joint implementation were developed. The focus was on the question of how universities can be better utilized as valuable resources for the realization of sustainable development of cities and regions.

Crises and complex challenges

Under the auspices of many crises, the changed, complex challenges for shaping spatial development were already discussed at the National Urban Development Policy University Days in Coburg and Berlin in 2022 and 2023. At the same time, impulses were given for a necessary reorientation of our actions. The conference in Basel followed on from this. Coburg architecture and urban planning professor Tvrtkovic co-organized the conference, as he has done in the past. He emphasized: "Only with forward-looking planning action by municipalities, cities and the federal states can spatial and structural development be steered in such a way that socio-political values about an appropriate living environment can be implemented now and for future generations."

Opportunities through urban development and regional planning

Since the end of last year, Tvrtkovic has been Scientific Secretary and a member of the Executive Committee of the German Academy for Urban and Regional Planning (DASL), which was responsible for organizing the conference in Basel in close cooperation with the Institute for Spatial Development (IRAP) at the University of Applied Sciences of Eastern Switzerland in Rapperswill. The DASL brings together experts in urban and regional planning who have made outstanding achievements in research and practical planning. "The specialist disciplines responsible for spatial development also have a responsibility for the transformation towards sustainability. The DASL promotes these topics in science and practice and makes them accessible to the public," explains the Coburg scientist.

The conference was sponsored by the Federal Ministry of Housing, Urban Development and Building (BMWSB) as part of the National Urban Development Policy.

A degree in computer science is fundamentally skills-oriented - including in the field of programming, which involves mastering programming language concepts and applying them to problems. At the same time, computer scientists must have personal and social skills, for example to develop solutions in teams. These skills are located at different taxonomy levels. A good exam therefore measures competencies at several taxonomy levels. Moodle question types are used for these tasks and a Moodle test with Coderunner is carried out: Instead of writing the program code on paper in a written exam, Coderunner can directly compile, execute and test the program code that the examinees work on as a solution to a programming task. This type of exam therefore tests the required skills much more realistically than a paper-based exam and also reflects the approach that computer scientists use methodically to solve programming problems. The exam is largely graded automatically on the basis of all test and answer results. The stored test cases provide students with direct feedback as to whether their answer and programming solution are correct. This setting also forms the basis for automated assessment of the exam.

Preparation for the digital exam

In order to serve the different taxonomy levels, various question types such as multiple choice, assignment and code runner were defined. Such a digital examination requires technical and organizational conditions: on the one hand, the IT infrastructure must be reliable, powerful and available (e.g. stable WLAN); on the other hand, large rooms with appropriate equipment such as sufficient sockets are necessary, especially for large cohorts. A PC is provided for students who do not have a functioning laptop. In addition, a digital examination must be integrated into the respective university IT examination process: only participants registered for the examination are permitted in the examination course, the examination must be conducted on a separate examination server, grades must be reported to the university IT system and the examination must be archived digitally.

Implementation of the digital audit

To prevent attempts at cheating, the exam is only conducted with Safe Exam Browser, which secures the laptop both internally and externally. In addition, Safe Exam enables the specific configuration of which tools (e.g. special URLs) and/or third-party applications are permitted during the exam. Common programming development environments (such as Eclipse Foundation, etc.) are used in the exercises, but are not permitted during the exam as they always allow internet access. Automatic assessment of the task is canonical for multiple-choice and assignment question types, for example, taking into account guess correction factors. With Coderunner tasks, the central idea is to award points for each successful test case. Not all test cases are visible to the examinee in order to prevent the solution from only providing the expected test results but not solving the actual task. However, Coderunner only allows the evaluation of functional correctness. This means that if the testing of a learning objective requires a specific solution, this cannot be evaluated automatically but must be corrected manually.

Findings and outlook

A necessary prerequisite for learning objectives at higher taxonomy levels is learning the syntax of a programming language. Errors in the syntax of the solution mean that no test cases can be executed and the task is therefore awarded zero points. It became clear that the number of syntax errors increases significantly in more complex tasks under test conditions and time pressure, and that the designed solution would have scored at least partial points in the case of a paper assessment. This is another reason why digital assessment cannot be completely automated, but requires individual manual corrections. In addition, the same quality criteria must be applied for an automated assessment as for a paper assessment. This has further consequences: In a digital examination, tasks in a paper examination with consecutive subtasks must be broken down into individual tasks for an automated assessment in such a way that students can at least still score points for the partial solutions. The examination under the specified technical and didactic framework conditions has a significantly higher organizational effort, as the examinees have to be divided into different rooms. Exam results are comparable to the previous paper exams.

In summary, the switch from a paper exam to a digital exam has proven successful under the conditions mentioned. Direct feedback tools help students to learn, although the recorded metrics (average grade, failure rate) cannot currently provide measurable evidence of this. However, the cost-benefit ratio for switching from paper to digital can only be justified for larger cohorts. In the future, the competencies of these modules will also be assessed by means of a digital examination and the examination tasks will be further developed in terms of measuring learning objectives and improved automated assessment.

The text was published in DUZ Wissenschaft & Management, issue 02.2024, www.duz.de.

The Free State of Bavaria is investing around 4.1 million euros in this so-called HTAplus modular building at Coburg University of Applied Sciences via the HighTech Agenda Bayern. It will be a sustainable building. For example, photovoltaic systems will be installed on the façade. The ground-breaking ceremony was held in July 2023 and the opening is already planned for June 2024. The CRAI is not a public building, but is also of great importance to the region's citizens thanks to the collaboration between researchers, industry and society.

AI has been the subject of research at Coburg University of Applied Sciences for a long time. The ongoing Voll-KI project is investigating how AI can be integrated into teaching and better adapted to the individual needs of students. In a new project, AI is being used to optimize photovoltaic systems by predicting their performance more reliably and identifying faulty system components. In addition, the Shuttle Model Region Upper Franconia 2 project is researching how autonomous vehicles can drive safely even in poor weather conditions. The GENESIS project is working on using AI to better detect intrusions into company networks and respond appropriately. And a project on stress management using AI has also recently been launched (AI4Coping).

A lot of technology will also be moving into the new building. Several laboratories are planned, including: a laboratory for natural language processing, a laboratory for data stream mining, a laboratory for AI-supported quality assurance, a laboratory for AI-supported multimodal human-machine interaction and a laboratory for explainable and responsible AI in the insurance sector.

In recent years - even before ChatGPT - the technical IT infrastructure has also been massively expanded, partly in the Erlangen data center. A co-working space, for example, is also planned for the exchange of information.

Prospective students were able to choose from 16 different on-site programs over two days and three locations, in which 20 Bachelor's degree programs were presented. Experience architecture at the Design Campus? Get to know Automotive Technology at the Friedrich Streib Campus? Or gain an insight into Applied Digital Transformation at the Lucas Cranach Campus? All of this was possible - and much more: in addition to the on-site programs, there were also online events in the afternoon for all those who were unable to come to Coburg.

"It's great here, everything looks so individual and creative and friendly," said one visitor to Campus Design who visited the Interior Architecture program on Thursday. This year, visitors came to Coburg from Bayreuth, Bamberg, Nuremberg, Augsburg, Dresden and Sauerland to get to know the courses offered by the Faculty of Design. A highlight was once again the traditional excursion of the Civil Engineering course, which took interested parties by bus to two construction sites in the region - practical relevance even before the start of the course!  

The presentation of the CAT Racing Team, which will be competing in the electric class for the first time this year with its self-constructed racing car, was particularly exciting at the Friedrich Streib Campus. Here too, the taster offers attracted visitors from near and far - the longest journey was made by a family from Schleswig-Holstein, who had combined their vacation in Franconia with a visit to the taster days.

The social work course in particular attracted a great deal of interest again this year. However, there were also numerous enquiries about the orientation semester, a relatively new offer that is particularly suitable for those who cannot yet decide on a full-time course of study under the motto "try out studying".

The Applied Digital Transformation course was presented at the Lucas Cranach Campus . Here, prospective students were able to get a taste of the "Innovation and creativity methods" event and contribute their ideas at the "Developing a new wallet" workshop.    

For all those who are not yet familiar with Coburg, there was once again a guided tour of the city on both days this year, with all the challenges that the April weather had to offer.

The online events in the afternoon also offered the opportunity to get to know the degree programs: Zoom events lasting 45 minutes each provided the most important information. This was supplemented by an online campus tour and a consultation hour on the subject of registering and studying at Coburg University of Applied Sciences, where numerous questions could be answered.

If you liked it at Coburg University of Applied Sciences, you have the opportunity to apply for the winter semester from Thursday, May 2. All information about the application process can be found here.

The 89-year-old has very clear, alert blue eyes that gaze into the distance as she remembers the 1930s and 40s. "As a child, I didn't notice that much. Until what happened to my father." Ilse Gössl tucks herself in and heads towards the cafeteria at a surprisingly brisk pace. "I was born and grew up in Coburg." She talks about the beautiful apartment in the Hirsch Villa. "It used to be a Jewish school with a boarding school and a huge garden. My parents were friends with the Jew Hirsch, who ran the school. Thank God the Hirschs fled in time." Ilse Gössl's family rented the apartment in the Hirsch villa from the city.

Systematic murder

After the first series of deportations took place in Franconia in the fall of 1941, including the "Frankentransport" to Riga-Jungfernhof, the remaining Jews were deported to concentration and extermination camps in eastern Central Europe in 1942/43. Most of them were murdered there. The exhibition at Coburg University of Applied Sciences focuses on the fates of eleven Jewish Coburg residents.  

"Very bad!" Ilse Gössl says that there wasn't much talk about the Jews back then. She had a wonderful childhood. "My father was a teacher at the Ernestinum, a nature lover and a very correct person." He steadfastly refused to join the NSDAP. "Then they took him to prison. They said that if he didn't join, he would be shot." That was shortly before the Americans arrived. Her father was quickly released. Ilse Gössl was ten years old at the end of the war. "I was glad when it was all over."

Why history must not be forgotten

Almost 80 years have passed since the end of the Nazi dictatorship and the Second World War. "I'm shocked that the right-wingers are gaining so many votes today," says Ilse Gössl. She talks about political developments and the time she has left to live. "I won't live to see it all. But I have three wonderful great-grandchildren. They are five, three and a half and one and a half years old and I'm afraid that they will experience bad things." The current political situation worries her. "I hope it doesn't develop in the same direction as it did back then." This is another reason why it is important to look at history. The exhibition is a contribution to this.

The official opening with supporting program will take place on Wednesday, April 10, at 5 pm in the Säulenhalle. The exhibition runs until Friday, April 19 (freely accessible during Coburg University's opening hours: Mon - Fri: 6.30 am to 6 pm, Sat 7 am to 1 pm, Sun closed). Gaby Schuller and Dr. Hubertus Habel from the "Living Culture of Remembrance Coburg" working group have created the exhibition in cooperation with expert colleagues from Lichtenfels and Kulmbach. The exhibition is part of a course at Coburg University of Applied Sciences on the history of the Holocaust and the long tradition of Jewish life in Germany.

• marcapo GmbH
• PVA SPA Software Entwicklungs GmbH
• e.solutions GmbH
• Strobel advertising agency
• CREAPOLIS
• Katharina Bork (Design Sticker and Game Jam Logo - Student Visual Computing)

ERIC stands for "Entrepreneurship Track for Regional Impact on Global Challenges" and is funded by the Bavarian State Ministry of Science and the Arts to pave the way for sustainable start-up projects and pilot projects. The ERIC start-up competition was launched for the first time in the winter semester 2023 / 24. Students and staff at Coburg University of Applied Sciences are encouraged in a low-threshold way to see ecological and social challenges as drivers for ideas and innovations. The development of sustainable business models (sustainable business modeling) was also methodically supported in some courses. "We developed our idea as part of our business studies course," explains student Tina Knipper. "And then it grew from there." Together with Jana Adler, Lina Bätz, Amelie Motschmann, Susann Müller and Milena Scherz, she is part of the team that won the competition. The six students on the Bachelor's degree courses in Business Administration and Integrative Health Promotion came together in a project in their first semester at Coburg University of Applied Sciences and designed the 24/7 Regiofresh food vending machine.

The snack vending machines on the Friedrich Streib campus and the kebab store around the corner are not suitable for a healthy, balanced diet. Due to the location on the Judenberg in the west of Coburg, it's not easy to just pop into the nearest supermarket, the portions there are often too large and the students also want products from regional agriculture. Student Amelie Motschmann explains that the Regiofresh concept aims to fill the vending machine with regional, seasonal and healthy products from local farms: for example, fresh fruit and vegetables, pasta, bread, tomatoes, eggs, cheese and fresh milk. Small quantities for up to two people are also intended to help prevent food waste. "This is a very pragmatic approach and it combines the design of a liveable and lovable campus with regional aspects. Both are very important to Coburg University of Applied Sciences," explains Prof. Dr. Felix Weispfenning. As Vice President for Transfer, Sustainability, Public Relations and Entrepreneurship, he initiated the competition and sees 24/7 Regiofresh as an idea that "has great potential to be implemented".

The idea wins the jury and audience awards

The concept won both the jury and the audience award. The jury included Vice President Prof. Dr. Felix Weispfenning from the university and Prof. Dr. Christian Zagel, Professor of Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Digital Future Technologies. Entrepreneur Uwe Schellenberger (koha-Stiftung Bamberg) and Frank Jakobs (IHK zu Coburg) were external jury members. The audience award was chosen by the university community via an online vote. Both prizes were awarded at the beginning of the summer semester as part of the university's IMPACT innovation and learning festival.

Even though the other projects "Farmers First Bank", "Nutri Know - Healthy Nutrition", "Healthy Angels" and "Reducing Smartphone Use in the Workplace" were not awarded first place, they also won, says ERIC employee Julia Karberg. "And not just rebuy vouchers, but above all appreciation and experience!" Vice President Weispfenning adds: "We want to train students to become personalities and enable them to judge things according to their own values, develop ideas and take responsibility - also in the context of social commitment." When students engage with the process of founding a company, they develop skills that help them to set up a company. "Such personalities are also in demand within companies."

The team behind the 24/7 Regiofresh concept is delighted to have won both prizes and is now looking at a possible implementation. Amelie Motschmann smiles: "It's great that we were able to initiate a project in the first semester that was so well received. It motivates us for the future!"

Since 1933, the beginning of their radically nationalist dictatorship characterized by violent racial mania, the Nazis had robbed Jews in Germany of their economic, professional and civic existence. By deporting them to the deadly concentration camps, they also robbed their victims of their individuality and names: Concentration camp prisoners were just numbers. To commemorate eleven Coburg victims of the 1942 deportations, Gaby Schuller and Dr. Hubertus Habel from the "Living Culture of Remembrance Coburg" working group have developed an exhibition in cooperation with expert colleagues from Lichtenfels and Kulmbach, the Coburg-specific version of which will be shown at the university in April. The official opening and supporting program will take place on Wednesday, 10 April. The exhibition is embedded in a course at Coburg University of Applied Sciences on the history of the Holocaust and the long tradition of Jewish life in Germany.

A total of 5.6 to 6.3 million people fell victim to the Holocaust. The exhibition at Coburg University of Applied Sciences illustrates the genocide and the fates of eleven Jewish Coburg residents. After the first series of deportations took place in the fall of 1941, including the "Frankentransport" to Riga-Jungfernhof, the remaining Jews were deported to concentration and extermination camps in eastern Central Europe in 1942/43. Most of them were murdered there.

The victims paid 60 Reichsmarks for the journey on the death train

The victims from Lower, Upper and Middle Franconia were "loaded" onto the special train "Da49" in Bamberg on April 25, 1942; 52 from western Upper Franconia, including five from Coburg. At Bamberg station, the train became a rolling concentration camp. With around 1,000 prisoners, it was 140 percent overcrowded. The abbreviation "Da" was the railroad code for "German resettlers". The railroad charged the normal fare of 4 pfennigs per person per kilometer, but granted a 50 percent "bulk discount" for more than 400 people. The Gestapo had collected the money from the deportees, who had to pay 60 Reichsmarks for the journey to their deaths. Less than four days later, the train reached Krasnystaw near Lublin, from where it was a 17-kilometer walk to the Kràsniczyn transit ghetto. The SS murdered them in the gas chambers of the Sobibor extermination camp, presumably at the beginning of June 1942. Behind this was a complex network of perpetrators controlled by the SS and Gestapo, the main features of which had been organized during the so-called "Wannsee Conference" in January 1942.

On 9. and On September 9 and 10, 1942, the last twelve Jews from Upper Franconia were deported, including six from Coburg: the Gestapo gathered the remaining elderly people and those who had been decorated during the First World War from all over Franconia at the "faeces loading station" in the city of Nuremberg and sent the 1,000 victims on the special train "Da 512" to the supposed "ghetto for the elderly" Theresienstadt north of Prague - to the "stable in front of the slaughterhouse", as one survivor aptly described it: Those of the 140,000 deportees here who did not starve to death, like Frieda Reuter from Hochstadt, were later sent to their deaths in the extermination camps in what is now Poland. Only 51 of the deportees from "Da 512" survived, including Sali Altmann from Coburg.

Among other things, the exhibition focuses on anti-Semitism, the ghettos, the planning, the transports and the personal biographies of the Coburg victims over 80 years after their deportation. Eleven fates. Out of six million.

To the exhibition:

• Time: The exhibition can be seen from Monday, April 8 to Friday, April 19. No admission, no registration, freely accessible during the opening hours of Coburg University of Applied Sciences: Mon - Fri: 6.30 am to 6 pm, Sat 7 am to 1 pm, Sun closed.
• Location: Columned hall at the Friedrich Streib Campus of Coburg University of Applied Sciences, Friedrich-Streib-Str. 2, 96450 Coburg
• Official opening with supporting program: Wednesday, 10 April, 5 p.m.
• Guided tours for school classes: Bookable with Dr. Hubertus Habel: Mobile: 0151-10066552; e-mail: buero@dr-habel.de - Costs: 50 euros expense allowance, eligible for funding from the culture and school service ks-cob.

At this year's "IMPACT'24 - Innovation and Learning Festival" at Coburg University of Applied Sciences, students once again had the opportunity to apply and deepen their specialist and methodological knowledge in practice. They put their creative minds to work to develop ideas for the region. One of the projects came from Marktgraitz: in the vacant retail space of a former bakery in the center of the village, the local community wants a village store to ensure local supplies and make village life more attractive. After a forced break due to coronavirus, the project is set to gain momentum again with the ideas of the Coburg students.

A team of students and two coaches

A project team of social work and civil engineering students tackled this task. They were accompanied by two learning coaches: Janine Koch is a research assistant at Coburg University of Applied Sciences in the Entrepreneurship Track for Regional Impact on Global Challenges ERIC project, comes from a practical background and, together with her project colleagues, is increasingly focusing on practical teaching and learning formats in cooperation with external partners. Bernd Kleim is one of the senior experts, specialists who are already retired or about to retire and support the university on the basis of their professional experience and knowledge.

Koch reports that an excursion to Marktgraitz was on the agenda at the beginning in order to gain an impression of the local conditions and to be able to interview the project sponsors. "This also included a visit to the village store in the neighboring municipality of Marktzeuln, including an exchange of experiences with the managing director there. The next three days were then used intensively to reorganize the team again and again, to feel our way forward methodically step by step and to allow content to mature," says Koch. Kleim adds: "Following the design thinking concept, our group first collected their own ideas and evaluated them as a team." The result was a colorful bouquet of ideas. "In the next step, these were subjected to an initial practical test."

Identification with the topic

"With the help of a jointly prepared interview guide, our students spent a day asking local residents about their opinions and ideas," says Kleim. Initial concerns such as "Are our ideas perhaps unrealistic?" or "Do I have the confidence to hold a conversation with strangers?" were gradually dispelled. "The group's enthusiasm was increasingly noticeable. We observed how the students' identification with the topic grew with each partial success and how our group increasingly gained confidence in their own abilities and in the potential of the team to present and represent their ideas confidently on the last day." One student from the team reported afterwards: "Village stores and regionality interest me and I was able to gain valuable insights." She could "definitely imagine this as a field of work."

The future of the village store

The project initiators were also very impressed. Christine Seemüller-Kohles from the Bürgergemeinschaft Dorfladen Marktgraitz explained: "The way the students conducted the interviews was highly praised." The interviews were perceived as "very pleasant". "The interviewees enjoyed it and see it as a good basis for the further development of the village store." And what was the outcome? After the interviews, the students agreed that village stores are only sustainable as a business model if concepts of social exchange are at the forefront. The focus is therefore on innovative ideas for the village store as a social meeting place for young and old. In doing so, the students focused on the transformation of society towards an intergenerational, ecological and social economy and way of life in line with the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals. The focus was particularly on the goal of "sustainable design of cities and communities". This was well received locally in Marktgraitz. The recommendations for further action have already been discussed intensively. First Mayor Jochen Partheymüller explained that he would be delighted if the students continued to support the process and immediately made a concrete offer. "We would be happy to invite you to present the presentation to the municipal council."

Podcast

How technical and social innovations can go hand in hand was recently the subject of a panel discussion with start-up teams - listen to the podcast: "Technical and social innovations - (not) a contradiction?"

The German Federal Environmental Foundation (DBU) is funding the project "Monitoring of sediment inputs in stagnant waters using simplified echo sounders as a decision-making aid for necessary countermeasures". The detection and recording of input paths and sedimentation areas depends on which measurement technology is available. If the costs are too high, the cause of problems in the water system is often not investigated consistently enough or not continuously monitored. Two professors at Coburg University of Applied Sciences are now investigating whether citizen science is a solution: Prof. Dr. Andreas Weiß specializes in hydraulic engineering, urban water management and surveying. Prof. Dr. Klaus Drese is Professor of Sensor Technology and Analytics and Head of the Institute for Sensor and Actuator Technology (ISAT). The integrative cooperation enables interdisciplinary work and ensures the consideration of different perspectives on the research topics of measurement technology and water management. Together with their teams, Weiß and Drese want to find out whether fish finders can provide useful data for research. Private individuals use such systems when fishing.

How science uses private observations or measurements

Fish finders are echo sounders that are primarily used to identify and locate fish. In addition, an integrated fish finder echo sounder also provides information about water depth and bottom conditions or shows depressions as well as elevations and changes at the bottom of the water. The results of the measurements can be visualized in depth maps and thus provide a supportive function for water body managers. The aim of the Coburg project is to examine whether such systems can be used in principle and whether there are fish finders that can be used in a targeted manner so that their data can also be used as a source of information and decision-making. The investigations are being carried out on local standing waters such as the Goldbergsee and Froschgrundsee lakes.

Such citizen science approaches can offer scientists the opportunity to use private observations or measurements as support. By analyzing the measurement data, the Coburg project aims to derive new suitable measurement parameters that are most representative of the soil profile and thus the sedimentation process. A matrix of measures will be developed depending on the recorded entry points and causes. The measures include organizational, usage-oriented and structural considerations. As the project advisory board, the Kronach Water Management Office is providing advice and support with its technical expertise.  

Television report on the project

The film feature by TV Oberfranken in the magazine "4you" will be shown on Wednesday, March 27 at 6.30 pm on cable and at 7.30 pm on SAT (FrankenPlus) and will then be available in the TVO media library: http://www.tvo.de/mediathek/kategorie/sendungen/4you/.

The University Council is made up of the Senate of Coburg University of Applied Sciences and ten external members. Together, they elected Dr. Andreas Engel, President of the Coburg Chamber of Industry and Commerce, as the new Chairman on Friday. "I am delighted," he said after the election. He is particularly concerned with the development of the region: "The university is the beacon in the innovation triangle of Coburg - Kronach - Lichtenfels. The University Council contributes to the further development of the university: I am happy to be involved in this!"

Among other things, the University Council adopts the university's basic regulations and elects the President and his deputy. The term of office of the current University Council runs from November 15, 2023 to November 14, 2027.

The "IMPACT'24 - Innovation and Learning Festival" aims to develop new ideas and solutions for the region. With this goal in mind, 149 Coburg University of Applied Sciences students from the fields of social work, applied digital transformation and design spent five days working on projects in groups at the start of the summer semester. The students were able to choose from 14 projects from the categories of health, social affairs and sustainability. Six of these projects were carried out in cooperation with external partners.

Each group was assigned a learning coach - one of whom was Dr. Christian Schadt, research associate in the Entrepreneurship Track for Regional Impact on Global Challenges (ERIC) project. "The great thing about the festival was the interdisciplinary collaboration and learning from each other. The results may hold potential for the development of new, innovative business ideas," he summed up at the end of the week. He himself supervised the seminar "Upcycling and 'cradle to cradle' - 'Back to the future'", which took place in the CREAPOLIS Makerspace, the public workshop at Coburg University of Applied Sciences. Here, leftover pieces from IKEA were converted into new furniture under the guidance of a carpenter.

Thinking outside the box

Two further examples illustrate just how interdisciplinary the festival was: one project group was tasked with developing a concept for the youth spaces in Schalkau and Almerswind in the Sonneberg district. Together with their learning coach Prof. Björn Bicker, Dean of Studies at the Faculty of Social Work, the students gained an impression of existing and potential youth spaces on site. Ideas and visions were developed together with a social worker from Volkssolidarität Thüringen, a representative of project partner Flechtwerk and pupils from a community school. "What better experience could there be for the students? Learning and applying go hand in hand during the project week."

Two projects submitted by Coburg-based automotive supplier Brose were concerned with raising awareness of mental health in a corporate context using modern media and developing a diversity concept with recommendations for action. Steffen Tauss, Head of Social and Health Care at Brose, was impressed by the results: "The students not only developed a well thought-out concept in a very short time, but also presented initial drafts for concrete implementation. We are excited to see how the ideas will prove themselves in practice." In addition to Brose and carpenter Rudolf Worofka, other external partners whose projects were worked on included the Albertinum grammar school in Coburg, Bürgergenossenschaft Dorfladen Marktgraitz and the social and insurance office of the city of Coburg.

Theme days with supporting program

The "IMPACT'24 - Learning and Innovation Festival" was planned and organized by the Transfer and Entrepreneurship Department, the Science and Culture Centre and the Teaching Innovation and Quality Department . In order to provide the students with as many different ideas as possible, each day had a different theme. To kick things off, the founders of smoothie manufacturer Kraftschluck introduced the students to the topic of innovation on Monday in a short excursus on their own start-up story. On Tuesday, the students had the opportunity to get to know various creativity methods, such as brainstorming using Lego bricks. In keeping with the theme of entrepreneurship, a podcast episode on the topic of "Social innovation, technical innovation and entrepreneurship" was recorded live in the auditorium on Wednesday, and the Founders' Award was presented in the evening. The supporting programme for this day was organized by the ERIC project. On Thursday, the students were able to get a taste of "research air". The "AI4Coping" research project presented by Coburg University of Applied Sciences is investigating whether and how artificial intelligence can help with stress management.

Prof. Dr. Christian Holtorf took the young students on a journey into history. In the summer of 1858, the first electric telegraph cable was laid through the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. The spectacular underwater connection between Europe and America marked the birth of the "world-wide web".

Prof. Dr. Niko Kohls talked about a superpower: how resilience helps us to stay healthy and strong and to overcome difficult situations. Resilience shows us how we can learn from mistakes without giving up and gives us the strength to get up again and again, no matter how often we fall down.

With Prof. Dr. Oliver Koch, the young listeners explored a special aspect of technology: under the motto "How do machines feel?", the focus was on questions such as: How does the kettle know that the water is boiling? How does the alarm clock know when to ring?

Prof. Dr. Susanne Esslinger is a scientist who studies the health of our planet. Her topic was: What can we do to make the earth healthy again? Answers were given in the lecture "Sick earth - sick people: let's act together!".

The children attended one lecture in the morning and one in the afternoon - and as is part of everyday life at university, they went to the canteen for lunch in between.

It was the 24th Children's University at Coburg University of Applied Sciences. "This time, applications were submitted exclusively via the school managers of the respective schools, so it was paperless," explains organizer Monika Faaß. "This also pleases our colleagues from the Sustainability Department." She thanks those involved within the university for their support. "Once again, 22 volunteer students have taken on the supervision." The organizing team is already looking forward to Saturday, September 28, when the anniversary children's university will take place.

For around 400 new students, the summer semester marks the start of a new chapter in their lives: University President Prof. Dr. Stefan Gast, Can Aydin, 3rd Mayor of the City of Coburg, and the student representatives warmly welcomed the first semester students to Coburg and the university.

The event in the auditorium was accompanied by the university big band. All new Bachelor's and Master's students had the opportunity to get to know their new fellow students in a relaxed atmosphere, the service offers were presented and the well-filled first-year bags were distributed. During the course introductions, the new students learned more about how the coming months will go.

Lectures start on Monday for all students in Coburg - the university is looking forward to all  higher semesters coming back and every campus being busy again: Good luck to all students!

March 14 is the birthday of Albert Einstein, the anniversary of his death Stephen Hawking's (2018), since 2020 the International Mathematics Day, and also Pi Day! "In English-speaking countries, the date 14.3. is written as 3-14. The first three digits of the circle number Pi," explains Prof. Dr. Klaus Drese. Pi is needed for many mathematical phenomena, including the calculation of sound waves. In other words, for the work of the ISAT, because one focus here is the development of sensor and actuator solutions based on so-called guided acoustic waves, a special form of ultrasound. There will be cake at ISAT on Pi Day.

Pi Day was initiated in 1988 by physicist Larry Shaw in San Francisco. In 2009, the US Congress declared March 14 to be the official national day for the circle constant in the USA. But why is the day celebrated by eating cake together? It's simple: in English, the circle number pi is pronounced exactly like the word pie. Traditionally, the pie on Pi Day should also be round - but to make sure everyone gets their fill, ISAT also allows large, square pies.

From chess with flowers as chess pieces to transportable green spaces for the city center: Coburg University of Applied Sciences is constantly coming up with great ideas and exciting projects to beautify the city and improve the quality of life. The CoGardening project, for example, aims to make squares greener and give residents more access to freely designable beds that also have an intergenerational and integrative effect. A bachelor's thesis deals with heat stress and health-promoting measures in the city center.

These are two of many projects that are to be developed as part of the "Green Deal Coburg 2030" or the research and transfer work on campus. When it comes to the community, students, professors and co. are enthusiastic.

Shaping the region for social, ecological and economic innovation is the declared goal of the university, promises University President Prof. Dr. Stefan Gast: "Our educational and research institution makes a significant contribution to the social and economic development of our home region and, with its diverse activities, provides groundbreaking impetus for the future of cities and communities. By working closely with the city of Coburg, we are already shaping the future today."

For Dominik Sauerteig, Lord Mayor of the city of Coburg, it was also only logical to take this connection to the next level and conclude a cooperation agreement: "The entire city society, indeed the entire region, benefits from the innovative ideas of the students and employees of the university. It is therefore important to use the potential of our university even more consistently for the benefit of urban development and design - and today we are laying a further foundation for this," says Sauerteig.

After all, enabling knowledge and participation for the population and the local economy requires more than just ideas and hard-working implementers. It requires a long-term and reliable partnership and urban development that says "yes" and creates the best conditions for implementation. Like the CREAPOLIS Makerspace, for example. In this innovation space, citizens can access modern machines for their own projects, as well as further their education and social engagement in practical learning projects. The first prototypes for the CoGardening ideas were built there - the designs are to be made freely available to all interested parties.

Dean Prof. Dr. Holger Falter and Prof. Dr. Philipp Stingl from Campus Design together with Karin Engelhardt, responsible for innovation and project management at the City of Coburg, provided the impetus for intensifying the collaboration.  

With the "COxScience" agreement, the city administration is focusing on shaping the future in partnership. As part of the Green Deal in particular, more citizens are to be involved in the changes and progress of sustainable urban development. This will make Vestadt not only an attractive location for education and research for everyone who lives here or moves here, but also a vibrant space for social, ecological and economic innovation. The city and the university are shaping the future together.

Flooded cellars, wet attics, damp walls: the consequences of heavy rainfall can be manifold. But what measures should be taken in the home to limit or even prevent damage? Which ones help best and are still inexpensive? And what does homeowners' insurance have to do with it? Researchers at Coburg University of Applied Sciences are clarifying these questions in a project funded by the German Insurance Association (DVfVW) with around 40,000 euros over a period of one year.

Dealing with natural disasters in the 21st century is a major challenge. Society and politicians are discussing solutions. For example, compulsory insurance for so-called natural hazard damage to houses, i.e. damage caused by extreme weather events such as heavy rain, is on the political agenda. Maps showing areas at risk of heavy rainfall, for example in Coburg city center, are publicly available. "In view of the discussions about compulsory insurance against natural disasters, prevention has also come back into focus, so that we can also contribute to an objectification of the sometimes ideological debate with the research project," says Prof. Dr. Mirko Kraft, Professor of Insurance Management at the Faculty of Economics at Coburg University of Applied Sciences.

The example of Bavarian municipalities

Kraft is leading the research project, which involves examining the specific costs and benefits of various construction measures and focusing on the contractual structure of insurance policies. This relates, for example, to discounts on insurance premiums. The aim of the project is a comprehensive analysis of the risk of heavy rainfall and its prevention. The focus is on practical implementation and theoretically sound findings as well as promoting regionality, as exemplified by municipalities in Bavaria.

Prof. Dr. Mirko Kraft represents the field of insurance science. Prof. Dr. Andreas Weiß from the Faculty of Design is also contributing expertise from the fields of hydraulic engineering and urban development. The two Coburg scientists are cooperating on the project with Prof. Dr. Christoph Schwarzbach, Professor of Health & Insurance Economics at the European Distance Learning University in Hamburg. In addition, two research assistants at Coburg University of Applied Sciences, Larissa Fischer and Jannik Wolf, are also supporting the research project.

Get to know the exciting world of science, ask professors questions, join in, get a taste of campus life: On Saturday, March 16, those who register for the Children's University will experience in a playful way how much fun it is to explore the mysteries of the world.

Prof. Dr. Niko Kohls is talking about a superpower: how resilience helps us to stay healthy and  strong and to overcome difficult situations. Resilience shows us how we can learn from mistakes without giving up and gives us the strength to keep getting up, no matter how many times we fall down. Through games, friendships and challenges, we learn to strengthen our resilience so that we can go through life like superheroes, ready for any adventure that awaits us!

Prof. Dr. Christian Holtorf takes the children on a journey into history. In the summer of 1858, the first electric telegraph cable was laid through the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. The spectacular underwater connection between Europe and America marked the birth of the "world-wide web". An adventurous story full of visions, disappointments and major changes is the subject of the lecture "How old is the Internet? On the trail of the first deep-sea cable".

With Prof. Dr. Oliver Koch , the young listeners explore a special aspect of technology: under the motto "How do machines feel?", the focus is on questions such as: How does the kettle know that the water is boiling? How does the alarm clock know when to ring? This will be explained as part of the children's university lecture on the subject of "Sensors".

Prof. Dr. Susanne Esslinger is a scientist who studies the health of our planet. The planet is like a living organism. The earth can therefore also be sick like a living being. But what can we do to make the earth healthy again? Answers can be found in the lecture "Sick earth - sick people: let's act together!".

Select two of four lectures

The KinderUni at Coburg University of Applied Sciences has space for 260 children. The participation fee is two euros (including lunch). The children have to choose two of the four lectures. The event starts at 10.30 a.m., everyone receives a student ID for the day and then it's off to the lecture hall, where the professors report exciting facts from their subject area and answer questions.

Everything else about registration, visiting the canteen and the timetable can be found at www.hs-coburg.de/kinderuni

Fear of crime and harassment are the main reasons why people on public transport do not find automated buses as safe as traditional buses with a driver - at least according to a study from Texas. The concerns were mainly expressed by women, particularly with regard to night-time travel. However, a study in Pennsylvania found that there is greater concern about technical defects. The scientific contributions on the feeling of safety in automated vehicles are not yet clear and usually have a serious disadvantage: the perception of users is purely hypothetical. They have never sat in such a vehicle. This is where a new study by Coburg University of Applied Sciences differs from previous studies: How safe passengers feel was determined in Upper Franconia on the basis of an actual journey in an autonomous shuttle bus.

Upper Franconia is a leading region in research into autonomous driving. Coburg University of Applied Sciences is not only represented at the Kronach study location with the Master of Autonomous Driving (Master of Engineering), but is also involved in the Shuttle Model Region Upper Franconia (SMO) project, which is funded by the Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport Affairs. Here, various application scenarios for automated shuttle buses are being investigated in model municipalities. Coburg University of Applied Sciences is focusing on aspects such as citizen participation and safety. At the end of last year, 25 members of the public took part in a test drive on the company premises of Valeo in Kronach-Neuses, the consortium leader of the SMO project. The shuttle bus was fully automated, without any accompanying personnel who could have intervened. Everyday traffic situations were simulated, such as heavy braking at a crosswalk and a scooter driver crossing the road.  

Good experience: test drive alleviates fears

The test subjects were interviewed before and after the ride. "A test drive often has the effect of reducing most reservations about the shuttle," says Prof. Dr. Mathias Wilde from theFaculty of Mechanical and Automotive Engineering at Coburg University of Applied Sciences. "The direct experience alleviates fears and strengthens confidence in the technology," explains the Professor of Networked Mobility. In fact, most of the test subjects in Kronach stated that the driving experience had improved their sense of safety. The speed of eight kilometers per hour, the strict regulations in Germany and testing bodies such as TÜV also conveyed a sense of security. "The test subjects value transparency and want to understand what processes take place and the reasons behind the shuttle's actions," says Wilde. "This knowledge gives them the feeling of being actively involved and informed."

However, unsettling factors were also identified, such as the jerky starting and heavy braking of the shuttles and the lack of head restraints, and external factors were also mentioned: Driving alone or unpleasant passengers, darkness, poor weather conditions, complex traffic environments such as larger cities and rush hour traffic.

Test subjects do not want to feel that they are at the mercy of the technology

Together with his team, Wilde developed suggestions for improvement in a workshop with the test subjects. The focus was on both technical and social factors. Overall, the test ride showed that the test subjects did not want to feel that they were left alone or at the mercy of the technology. The test subjects stated that they would need an emergency stop button, a defined and tested route and remote monitoring from the control center to ensure a high level of safety when driving without an attendant. "Many people want fast and reliable communication with a human being," says Wilde. "Video transmission to the control center is ideal. Such a solution would increase the feeling of safety and reduce the feeling of helplessness."

The traditional winter retreat of Hochschule Bayern e.V. took place this year on 20. and February 21 in Karlstadt am Main. On the second day of the winter retreat, Prof. Dr. Walter Schober, Chairman of Hochschule Bayern e.V., welcomed the Bavarian Minister of State for Science and the Arts Markus Blume and Head of Office Dr. Rolf-Dieter Jungk to the circle of 19 presidents of Bavarian universities of applied sciences (HAW/TH). The members of Hochschule Bayern took the opportunity to reflect together with the Minister on the development of the universities (HAW/TH) in recent years and to take a look at future opportunities and challenges.

Increase in the number of students and first-year students at HAWs/THs

Contrary to the nationwide trend of falling student numbers, Bavarian universities of applied sciences and technical universities have once again succeeded in increasing their student numbers to more than 123,700 in the winter semester 2023/24. In the area of first-year students, the increase compared to the previous year's figure was even more significant, with an increase of almost eight percent. At Coburg University of Applied Sciences, this figure is nine percent. "This development is evidence of the high attractiveness of the diverse and practice-oriented courses on offer at our Bavarian UASs - also in an international environment," summarizes Schober. In particular, the number of international students and first-year students has increased significantly at the universities (HAW/TH), which is of great importance in view of the demographic development and the increasing shortage of skilled workers, but also requires more resources due to the higher level of support required for international students. In this context, the Bavarian UASs not only train the urgently needed highly qualified specialists of tomorrow, but also support the transition of international students into the Bavarian labor market through close partnerships with regional companies as well as language and integration services.

Top performance in research, development and transfer

Bavarian universities of applied sciences and technical universities were also able to present impressive figures in the area of research and transfer to Minister Blume during the joint exchange. For example, the volume of third-party funding from UASs/UTs in the STEM sector increased by almost 50 percent in 2022 compared to 2018. The number of spin-offs, scholarships acquired, publications and ongoing doctoral projects also increased significantly. In addition, over 300 professors were newly appointed. "The funding of the HAWs/THs as part of the Hightech Agenda Bayern, together with the innovations of the Bavarian Higher Education Innovation Act, has opened up new scope for action for the universities - this is now paying off," says Prof.  Schober. With a view to the future of the universities (HAW/TH), he continues: "To ensure that the HAWs/THs can continue to fulfill their social mission to this extent and at the same time maintain the competitiveness of Bavaria as a science and business location, adequate funding for the HAWs/THs is an investment in Bavaria's future, especially in times of tighter budgets."

Minister of State Markus Blume was impressed by the excellent development of the universities (HAW/TH) and particularly emphasized the importance of this type of university for Bavaria as a science and business location: "Our universities of applied sciences and technical universities are talent incubators and drivers of innovation. They are THE game changer against the shortage of skilled workers - they make optimum use of the opportunities offered by our High-Tech Agenda Bavaria."

At the closed meeting, the presidents also adopted the "University 2030" position paper drawn up at the end of last year , which outlines the necessary development of HAWs/THs in the coming years.

How can new citizens be well integrated into local life? Do they even want to? Is it their own fault if it doesn't work, is it the fault of the long-established residents or perhaps both? In recent years, it has become more difficult to fill honorary positions in Marktrodach and to find newcomers for club work. Like everywhere else. But why is that - and above all, what can be done about it? Andreas Buckreus and Katja Wich from the Marktrodach administration turned to the Master's degree course in Future Design at the Lucas Cranach Campus (LCC) in Kronach to find out how civic engagement and cohesion can be improved. The central question was the relationship between long-time residents and newcomers. In the project "From resident to active citizen", half a dozen students accompanied Marktrodach on its way to becoming a lively, participatory community.

Creative solutions for regional development

"FutureDesign - Innovation.Entrepreneurship.Design" is a part-time Master's degree program in which students with different Bachelor's degrees learn together in practical projects. In small groups, they look at the topic with their different perspectives and backgrounds, define the direction and develop creative solutions - each semester anew in a project team. "The diversity is what makes it so appealing," explains course director Prof. Dr. Christian Zagel. "We've had 120 projects so far. Students can immerse themselves in worlds that they wouldn't normally have access to." This opens the mind - and in practice, students learn, among other things, innovation methods that they can also transfer to their professional environment. The course also serves regional development: collaborations such as the one with Marktrodach keep the region fit for the future.

Goal: Activate citizens

In the summer semester of 2023, the students tackled the topic using scientific methods. With the help of surveys, they found out that the situation in Marktrodach is a little different than initially assumed. The municipality in the Franconian Forest Nature Park has around 3,700 inhabitants, beautiful natural surroundings and can look back on a long and exciting history of rafting and the timber industry, which is also reflected in the magnificent raft lords' houses. The district town of Kronach is only a few kilometers away. "Our village is really super beautiful and I love living here," explained Tim Schmierer, the fire department's youth officer, to the students. People like living here - both the long-established residents and the newcomers. The feared divide was not identified. This shifted the focus of the project. The new objective was to find out how citizens could be more actively integrated into the community. The key question here was where important points of contact between citizens and their municipality exist in their lives - and how these can be improved. "For the market town, this external view of our community life and community interaction is a great treasure," says Katja Wich, head of the Marktrodach market town office.

Participatory community of the future

ZD student Jasmin Block reports on how the project developed and how topics were then prioritized: What felt like thousands of sticky notes, intensive exchanges with the project partner and lots of laughter. ZukunftsDesign is simply fun. "I'm studying this because I want to develop myself further: professionally, but also personally." The top priorities resulted in the new position of Marktroda Feelgood Manager, which was filled by Paula Smettane. She had previously supported the project as a trainee in the administration department. The group from the Future Design course also presented the municipality with a "colorful potpourri of other ideas and approaches to keep its citizens active". And that's when things really got going. The first three campaigns will start in 2024 under the leadership of the new Feelgood Manager Paula Smettane. There are plans for cinema events for young people, an informal get-together at a breakfast for entrepreneurs and a scavenger hunt involving clubs and other organizations. All citizens are invited. Marktrodach is entering the future as a participatory community.

Television report

There is now also a film about this special project on TV Oberfranken: To be seen on Wednesday, February 28, in the magazine "4you" | Kabel: 6.30 pm | FrankenPlus: 7.30 pm | or in the media library.

Register for your studies

If you would like to register for Future Design or another future-oriented degree program, click here.

Coburg University of Applied Sciences and Brose want to expand their long-standing and already very close collaboration even further. And how? Through matchmaking! The term comes from the English language and describes the process of networking the right people, for example business and cooperation partners. That's why three workshops were held at the Friedrich Streib Campus at the beginning of February. The aim was to bring together experts from the company and researchers who are working on the same topics. This was successful in 30 cases.

These are the next steps

The first workshop was about automotive, while the second workshop focused on production, Industry 4.0 and AI. Finally, the participants exchanged ideas on the key areas of electrical engineering, information technology and computer science. The topics were first presented at the workshops and then discussed jointly by the professors from the university and the experts from Brose.

The two deans, Prof. Dr. Alexander Rost from the Faculty of Mechanical and Automotive Engineering and Prof. Dr. Jochen Merhof from the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, acted as matchmakers: they moderated the workshops and helped to find the right match. The experts from Brose and the university, between whom there is a match, will explore the joint topics in greater depth and identify suitable cooperation formats.

After the discussion in the Senate Hall, the participants were given a tour of the IT and Media Center and some of the university's laboratories, including the laboratory for computer measurement technology and the laboratory for microcomputers, on the third day of the workshop. Some of the workshop participants had studied at the university themselves in the past, reminisced about good times during the tour and discovered a lot of new things.

Many common topics and points of contact

Johannes Schulz, Head of Advanced Engineering at Brose, organized the three workshops together with Verena Blume from the Transfer & Entrepreneurship department and is very satisfied with the results "I am impressed by the large number of new topics and points of contact that we have worked out together," he said. Now the aim is to go beyond networking and delve even deeper into the subject matter in order to develop a long-term collaboration.

Verena Blume, who supported the initiation of collaborations between external parties and our university and organized the workshop, also drew a positive balance: "Despite the already very good and long-standing joint contacts, we were able to identify further topics during the workshops that we can now tackle together. It's a perfect match!"

Representatives from Coburg University of Applied Sciences, Würzburg-Schweinfurt University of Applied Sciences (THWS) and Aschaffenburg University of Applied Sciences met in Würzburg to kick off the project. In the meantime, the interim management has also begun its work. With the doctoral center, the three universities are for the first time offering Master's graduates the opportunity to complete a doctorate without cooperating with a university. "We are delighted to now be able to offer the highest academic qualification level at our university. We are thus intensifying our successful cooperation with Aschaffenburg University of Applied Sciences and Coburg University of Applied Sciences in various fields of teaching and research at the doctoral center," emphasizes Prof. Dr. Robert Greber, President of THWS.

Application-oriented research

"By expanding the established cooperation between our three Franconian universities, synergies in the pressing research and future issues of sustainable systems based on intelligent methods and technologies can be used even more than before," says Prof. Dr. Martin Synold, Vice President for Research and Young Academics at Coburg University of Applied Sciences. "With the support of the Free State of Bavaria, we expect groundbreaking contributions to the transformation of society as a whole towards the careful use of existing resources."

Prof. Dr. Klaus Zindler, Vice President Research and Transfer at Aschaffenburg University of Applied Sciences, adds: "The joint doctoral center for 'Sustainable and Intelligent Systems' (NISys) will make a significant contribution to further expanding the cooperation between Würzburg-Schweinfurt University of Applied Sciences, Coburg University of Applied Sciences and Aschaffenburg University of Applied Sciences in the field of application-oriented research. It offers doctoral students a scientific environment characterized by high-quality research, consistent application orientation and close supervision, which will appeal to a large number of internal and external graduates."

Interim management starts

At the kick-off meeting, the decisive groundwork was laid for the early launch of the promotion center. Firstly, the key points for successful cooperation were agreed and secondly, operational processes were coordinated. Until the first general meeting, the doctoral center will be managed by an interim director. Prof. Dr. Jürgen Hartmann from the THWS will take on this role together with Prof. Dr.-Ing. Christiane Thielemann from the Technical University of Aschaffenburg and Prof. Dr. Christian Weindl from the Coburg University of Applied Sciences.

At the interdisciplinary doctoral center NISys, young researchers can work on their doctoral topics in one of the three fields of application: Energy and infrastructure systems, mobility, production and materials.

The intended degree is a doctorate in engineering (Dr.-Ing.). The doctoral students can be based at one of the three participating universities and be supervised there. They undergo a qualification program in four modules: Inter-university extra-disciplinary qualification, specialist qualification in the fields of application of the doctoral center, networking within and outside the doctoral center, and also internationalization.

Dr. Christian Lengl, Head of the Applied Research Campus at THWS, says: "At THWS, the Doctoral Center will be closely linked to our services for young researchers as a whole under the umbrella of the THWS Graduate Center." This could also stimulate interdisciplinary exchange with cooperative doctoral candidates.

Further information on the specific start date of the doctoral center and the requirements for admission of members will be announced on the information page of the doctoral center: www.thws.de/promotionszentrum-nisys

Further information on doctoral studies at Coburg University of Applied Sciences can be found here: Paths to a doctorate :: Coburg University of Applied Sciences (hs-coburg.de)

"Yoga has been proven to reduce the feeling of stress when practiced regularly," explains Prof. Dr. Karin Meißner from the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Health at Coburg University of Applied Sciences. She is leading the study, which starts on Thursday, February 29. Yoga brings relief from the symptoms mentioned and at the same time increases well-being and quality of life.

Meditation and mindfulness exercises

The university offers participants in the study a free eight-week yoga course with weekly exercise sessions in Coburg. Exercises are taught that can also be practiced independently at home after the course. The yoga courses are led by Cornelia Antwerpen, a doctor in a gynecological oncology practice in Coburg and certified yoga teacher. "The courses are not about sporty yoga with handstands in open space," explains the doctor, rather the focus is on relaxed practice. This includes meditation and mindfulness exercises as well as combining physical movement with your own breath, "in order to develop a healthy body awareness and confidence again."

Yoga in a group and at home

The study is open to women aged 18 and over who were first diagnosed with non-metastatic breast cancer no more than five years ago. Unfortunately, women who already regularly practise yoga or similar relaxation techniques cannot take part. Regular course attendance over a period of eight weeks is required for the study. This includes a weekly 90-minute guided yoga practice in a group, exercises for self-practice at home and the completion of questionnaires, which takes around 30 minutes. Similar studies are underway at Immanuel Hospital Berlin and Essen University Hospital.

Further information and registration with Lilli Iser, Integrative Health Promotion student, lilli.iser@stud.hs-coburg.de

Coburg University of Applied Sciences has received one of two independent doctoral centers at Bavarian universities, the Bavarian Minister of Science Markus Blume has just visited the new Cooperative Technology Transfer Center (TTZ) Upper Franconia Digital Intelligence and the Center for Responsible Artificial Intelligence (CRAI) will open in Coburg this year - and these are just three examples of diverse and exciting developments. As one of the most modern educational institutions in northern Bavaria, the university offers academics in particular forward-looking opportunities for a career in science and science-supporting fields.

Information about the university as an employer will be presented at the practical day: On Thursday, March 7, the university invites you to an informative day on the Friedrich Streib campus in Coburg. There will be insights into projects and modern teaching. Employees from the fields of electrical engineering/mechanical engineering/mechatronics, economics, architecture and civil engineering are looking forward to exciting encounters. Post-docs with professional experience can consider a career as a W2 professor at Coburg University of Applied Sciences.

A shuttle service will then also take participants to Campus Design. Among other things, a tour of the Institute for Sensor and Actuator Technology - ISAT is offered here.

The university requests registration by Friday, February 23: by e-mail to impetus@hs-coburg.de (subject: Praxistag 2024 - 07.03.24). Please provide contact details. Matthias Diekmeyer, Personnel Marketing Officer, is also available to answer questions by telephone at  09561- 317 299.

Coburg University of Applied Sciences is concerned to observe openly anti-democratic tendencies in our society. As a university committed to shaping the future and playing a formative role in the region, we live diversity, liberal democracy and the rule of law every day in our teaching, research and transfer. We see it as our social responsibility to strengthen these fundamental principles and are committed to doing so together with our local, regional and international partners.

We are a member of the Alliance against Right-Wing Extremism in the Nuremberg Metropolitan Region and invite you to join us at the central rally of this alliance on Saturday, February 3, at 4 p.m. in Nuremberg (Kornmarkt / Straße der Menschenrechte) to set an example under the motto "Never again is now! Democrats against right-wing arsonists".

Coburg University of Applied Sciences is thus reaffirming its commitment to humanity, plurality and freedom. They are the foundation of our society and essential for science. We fully support the clear statement of the German Rectors' Conference (HRK) "Science needs liberal democracy and the rule of law" (below).

The university management
______________________

Statement by the Executive Board of the German Rectors' Conference (HRK):

Science needs liberal democracy and the rule of law

Against the backdrop of increasingly blatant anti-democratic efforts and the associated contempt for humanity, we emphasize clearly and unequivocally: liberal democracy and the rule of law are the immovable pillars of our country and its institutions. They are also essential prerequisites for the existence of a competitive and internationally compatible German higher education system.

The comprehensive legal protection of academic freedom, as provided for in our Basic Law, is the basis for the success of our science. Scientists must be able to freely choose and work on research topics. Research and teaching must not be instrumentalized for political purposes. Only in this way can science develop its full potential for the economy and society.

The legal protection against discrimination in any form enshrined in the German Basic Law is also a pillar of our scientific performance. The diversity of international perspectives and backgrounds makes our science strong and contributes significantly to its progress. We are proud of and expressly support the fact that people from all over the world and from the most diverse backgrounds study and work at our universities. The member universities of the HRK have declared and affirmed this many times in their long-standing campaign "Universities open to the world": Only a university that thinks and acts internationally is fit for the future and competitive. An open and international campus and the international mobility of teaching staff and students are essential foundations for high-quality teaching, learning and research.

The increasing tendency in the public and political sphere to change the content and tone of social discourse in order to normalize hostility towards science, restrictions on academic freedom, racism, intolerance and ideas and enemy stereotypes based on exclusion, to disintegrate cohesion in society and to undermine trust in liberal democracy is highly alarming. As the HRK Executive Board, we clearly oppose this. Every single member of our universities is called upon to stand up for the fundamental values of our constitution.

The first General Assembly met for two hours and voted with clear results. Between cups of tea and coffee, there was concentrated discussion, clarification and voting. Prof. Dr. Karin Meißner from the Faculty of Applied Sciences and Health was elected Scientific Director. Following confirmation by the university management, she will now work with her elected colleague Prof. Dr. Gerd-Uwe Flechsig (also from the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Health) and the Operational Director Dr. Renate Lucke to ensure that the right to award doctorates is exercised, conduct business and implement decisions. "I'm really looking forward to working with my colleagues and can hardly wait to get the center up and running. I see this as a great opportunity for Coburg to further develop academically," said Meißner.

The management is supported by the doctoral committee, which was also elected and consists of Prof. Dr. Stefan Kalkhof, Prof. Dr. Jasmin Walk and Prof. Dr. Thomas Wieland, who will be responsible for accepting doctoral candidates and appointing the supervising doctoral parents, among other things. All positions are elected for three years. In the coming months, the elected committees will work together with the members of the Doctoral Center and the newly formed working group consisting of Prof. Dr. Susanne Esslinger, Prof. Dr. Jochen Leidner, Prof. Dr. Matthias Noll, Prof. Dr. Christian Eckert, Prof. Dr. Tilo Strutz, Prof. Dr. Kolja Kühnlenz and Prof. Dr. Klaus Stefan Drese to define the basis for quality criteria, for example.

Other members are Prof. Dr. Susanne Aileen Funke, Prof. Dr. Jens Grubert, Prof. Dr. Niko Kohls, Prof. Dr. Dieter Landes and Prof. Dr. Thorsten Uphues. The interdisciplinary team combines expertise from the Faculty of Applied Sciences and Health, the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science and the Faculty of Business Administration and Economics.

One of two locations in Bavaria

On January 1, 2024, the "Analytics4Health" doctoral center was established as a central scientific institution of Coburg University of Applied Sciences and has the independent right to award doctorates - this only exists at two university locations in Bavaria. The founding meeting was organized by the Research and Transfer Center Dr. Renate Lucke and FTC Director Jakob Hanke. At the "Analytics4Health" center, the first doctoral students will soon be able to research pioneering topics in the trans- and interdisciplinary fields of bioanalytics, health and data sciences. Almost 20 candidates are already in the starting blocks for a doctorate. The doctorate at the "Analytics4Health" doctoral center leads to the respective titles Dr. rer. nat. or Dr.-Ing. In addition to this doctoral center, Coburg participates in another doctoral center in the network: "Sustainable and intelligent systems" with the TH Würzburg-Schweinfurt and the TH Aschaffenburg is currently being founded.

Now that these important positions have been filled, "Analytics4Health" can begin its work. Prof. Dr. Martin Synold, Vice President for Research and Junior Academics, is also pleased about this: "We will continue to have the usual models such as cooperative doctorates with universities," explains Synold. "But the fact that an independent right to award doctorates is now possible at universities in Bavaria means a great deal of freedom combined with the highest academic quality. And that's just great." Synold thanked the founding members for their great commitment, which has made Coburg University of Applied Sciences' success in this area possible. The enthusiasm for this extraordinary opportunity was clearly evident in the room: at the end of the meeting, discussions and organization continued apace. Now we can get started.

Around 20 exhibitors exchanged ideas with Campus Design students and presented job and career opportunities. And this was gratefully received: Initial contacts were made in a relaxed atmosphere, informal discussions were held and the students' own networks were expanded.

Quite often, however, old acquaintances also met up. When the joy of reunion overcame lecturers and former fellow students, the job and career event was a bit like a class reunion for a moment. Rarely is the search for your dream job or ideal employee so much fun.

The university is delighted with the high level of participation and would like to thank the companies for taking the opportunity to showcase the numerous and exciting career options in the region at Campus Design.

For all degree programs and industries that were not represented at the event, a job and career event will take place on  Tuesday, May 14, at the Friedrich Streib Campus .

In his presentation, Prof. Dr. Mirko Kraft addressed the effects of the changing EU insurance supervision (Solvency II Review) on international insurance groups. He also moderated a session on aspects of insurance theory, including the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in teaching. Kraft has been a professor of insurance management and basic economics at the Faculty of Economics at Coburg University of Applied Sciences since 2012. He is head of the part-time Bachelor's degree course in Insurance Management and is the contact person for the   Insurance Management specialization in the Master's degree course in Business Administration. He currently holds a research professorship and deals with questions of insurance and AI regulation.

Kraft takes over scientific management of the Mexico 2025 conference

Next year, the conference will take place in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. Prof. Kraft will take on the role of program chair there. He was already elected to the WRIA Board last year and is now taking over the role of scientific director, which this year was still held by Prof. Brenda Powell Wells, Ph.D., East Carolina University (ECU). This includes the evaluation of the lecture proposals received and also the selection of award winners.

At this year's conference, many US insurance professors were joined by participants from other parts of the world in the desert state of Arizona, for example from Taiwan. The topics were also diverse: from tontines, a historical form of insurance, to insurance company insolvencies and AI methods for modeling the cancellation of insurance contracts.

Also an opportunity for young scientists

Kraft sees the friendly discussion culture that prevails at the conferences as particularly noteworthy, from which everyone can benefit, especially doctoral students. In addition, the  conference is also known for its practical recommendations, for example on data protection in telematics tariffs. "I would be delighted if more (young) scientists from Europe were to present their research approaches again next year," emphasizes Kraft. There are various funding options for presentations abroad, such as travel grants.

The conference took place for the 58th time. The locations change each time in the Western American region: in 2023, it took place in Oceanside, CA - in southern California between Los Angeles and San Diego. Every five years, the conference is held in Hawaii (most recently in 2022). The 2025 conference location for the 59th conference in Mexico is secure; the 2020 conference was already held there without any security problems.

Kraft knows the important conferences and meetings in insurance science. He is also a board member of the German Association for Insurance Science (DVfVW) and organized its annual conference in 2023 locally at Coburg University of Applied Sciences. When asked why he considers the WRIA conference to be very suitable, the Coburg scientist says: "This conference is a good start, especially for doctoral students, to gain experience with English-language specialist presentations in front of an international audience, as well as bringing together co-authors and forming international research networks." The WRIA also publishes an insurance journal(Journal of Insurance Issues, JII), in which articles based on the conference presentations can be published.

The Upper Franconian universities are start-up engines for the region: The start-up hub is being funded by the Bavarian State Ministry of Science and the Arts (StMWK) for an initial period of five years as part of the "Hightech Transfer Bayern" initiative with two permanent positions and around 500,000 euros - after which it is planned to make it permanent.

Universities as nuclei for start-ups

In addition to the numerous medium-sized companies in the region, which play a central role in a thriving economy in Upper Franconia, a lively start-up scene has developed in recent years. With two universities and two universities of applied sciences, the scientific landscape in Upper Franconia is an important resource for both established SMEs and young founders - whether for knowledge and technology transfer, as a training ground for the next generation of academic specialists or as a nucleus for start-ups.

"Together, the universities and colleges in Upper Franconia have been shaping the regional innovation ecosystem for more than 15 years, working in partnership on current challenges and helping to shape the future of Upper Franconia," says Prof. Dr. Kai Fischbach, President of the University of Bamberg. "With the Upper Franconia start-up hub - GO! - we want to take another step forward over the next five years."

"The merger to form the Upper Franconia Start-up Hub will further strengthen the partnership between universities and colleges, which we have already been living through the Technology Alliance Upper Franconia (TAO) for more than ten years," adds Bayreuth University President Prof. Dr. Stefan Leible. "With our Institute for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, we are happy to be the driving force behind this new network."

Prof. Dr. Stefan Gast, President of Coburg University of Applied Sciences, says: "We are delighted to be part of the Gründungshub-Oberfranken - GO - and to help shape the regional start-up ecosystem over the next five years. This will enable us to tap into new start-up potential and promote entrepreneurship and start-up culture. A great opportunity for the Coburg-Kronach-Lichtenfels innovation triangle!"

Prof. Dr. Jürgen Lehmann, President of Hof University of Applied Sciences, adds: "The GO should give further impetus to economic development throughout Upper Franconia."

Practice-oriented qualification and networking program

Building on the existing start-up and innovation infrastructures at all four universities as well as the existing collaborations with each other and other partners in the region, a closely interlinked support program adapted to the target group will be developed as part of the project. Together, the universities want to create a practice-oriented qualification and networking offer in the field of entrepreneurship and innovation for talented students and employees with an affinity for start-ups. The participants go through several phases, which serve to create a common basis, enable close cooperation and networking and ensure optimal start-up support even after the program has been completed.

In preparatory modules, participants first acquire basic knowledge about entrepreneurship and innovation: How can innovations be brought about effectively in different contexts? How can trends be analyzed and used as a basis for developing innovative products, services, business models and processes? And how can experiments be carried out efficiently in order to develop projects quickly and cost-effectively and test key assumptions of business models? The program then offers participants the opportunity to get to know each other better and work together on specific innovation and start-up projects. There is also the opportunity to take courses in which participants can create a business plan or a trend report on a specific industry. The universities will also organize numerous networking events. The program is subject to continuous evaluation. A soft launch is initially planned for the first year, after which the program concept will be revised and fully rolled out from summer semester 2024.

• marcapo GmbH
• PVA SPA Software Entwicklungs GmbH
• e.solutions GmbH
• Strobel advertising agency
• Coburg kebab house
• CREAPOLIS
• Carl Baetjer (Arcade machine construction - senior lecturer in interior design)
• Pascal Förtsch (Arcade machine configuration - research assistant in computer science)
• Katharina Bork (Design Sticker - Visual Computing student)

Whether you are a doctor, lawyer, pharmacist, notary or tax consultant, you are self-employed but do not run a business. Such freelancers are organized in chambers. Only when they are registered with the Chamber of Architects are interior designers allowed to use the title, and they also have more freedom in practicing their profession and better protection at the same time. In most federal states, this requires a four-year course of study - and the Bachelor's degree course in Interior Design in Coburg meets this requirement by switching to eight semesters. Prof. Dr. Michael Heinrich, Dean of Studies at the Faculty of Design, and Verena Fritsch, project coordinator for the course, have drawn up the new study and examination regulations on the basis of a specially developed specialist qualifications framework for interior design. After the first semester had been put into practice, students, lecturers and external experts discussed the subject at the first "Interior Architecture Education Day". The idea was introduced by course director Katharina Bonhag-De Rosa.

Experience from interior design

"The result was an informative transfer in both directions, which can help to focus the content in the subjects of our now eight-semester course," Bonhag-De Rosa sums up. Around 90 students were there live; 30 joined in online. According to Prof. Dr. Heinrich, it was particularly interesting for them to see their degree course from the outside. The university's new module plan was well received and the external guests talked about their experiences in national and international professional practice. The Association of German Interior Architects (bdia) was represented by several representatives, including the Bavarian board member Daniela Scheibe. On behalf of the European Council of Interior Architects (ECIA), René Pier reported on the Charter of European Interior Architects. This is based on the guidelines of the Union Internationale des Architectes (French for International Union of Architects, abbreviated to UIA) - and these in turn are comparable to those of the Chamber of Architects.

A special degree program

With the usual six or seven semester Bachelor's degree, students have to add a Master's degree if they want to become self-employed as an interior designer - or stay in Bavaria forever, as six semesters are currently sufficient for registration with the Chamber in Bavaria. In most other federal states and other European countries, eight semesters are required. "This is almost unheard of for Bachelor's degrees," explains Verena Fritsch. "Although you can also work as an employee with a B.A. in interior design, if you are registered with the chamber, you still have advantages such as the 'small' building design license." This can be used to submit an application to the building authority for a dormer or an extension, for example. Such practical questions were discussed, but the students were also interested, for example, in how the institutions and associations help to organize work in a family-friendly way. The new orientation of the degree course also enables a more intensive examination of research topics. "The exchange was inspiring, a very intensive event," says Verena Fritsch.

"The afternoon was actively used as a platform to discuss the students' needs and wishes," explains Bonhag-De Rosa. In the "World Café", current topics in interior design were discussed in five alternating groups: for example, the responsibility for what is planned and designed, the psychological effect of rooms and the question of whether interior design is art - or science. "All groups came to the same conclusion: both!"

"The risk profile of a company like Microsoft," Melkamu Taye points to the orange  graph on one of the two 86-inch monitors on the wall, "is very low." There are many ways to come to this conclusion, but Taye is not talking about Microsoft. He wants to use the example to demonstrate how the financial market can be analyzed mathematically with the help of real-time data. "We are comparing live data on the return on Microsoft shares with the S&P 500, one of the most widely followed stock indices in the world." And the return on both the share and the index is around a factor of 1. "This is a large company that is part of the index. It's different for a company that is not connected to the market," explains Taye. "So students learn to compare the relationship between risk and return. As a tutor on the international Master's course in Financial Management, Taye uses the "Bloomberg Lab", which was set up in the winter semester with the International Common Room (ICR) in Room 10 of Building 9.

The real world of finance in the lecture hall

Bloomberg offers MBA students real-time prices, fundamental data, charts, financial analysis tools and statistics. Course Director Prof. Dr. Victor Randall explains with regard to the Bloomberg terminal: "We can call up global commodity and foreign exchange markets as well as fixed income and equity markets and offer our students access to the same information platform that decision-makers from the financial sector, industry and politics work with - in real time. Four core modules of the MBA program at the Faculty of Business Administration and Economics benefit directly from this." According to Randall, only five universities in Bavaria have such a Bloomberg terminal for teaching; Coburg is the first university of applied sciences to give its students practical experience in data analysis, which can also benefit research and theses. "Through regular Bloomberg training, we want to give our students a head start when they are on the job market," says Randall. Graduates with Bloomberg experience are in high demand. "Anyone studying finance needs to be very familiar with market data research," explains tutor Taye. The Ethiopian is doing his doctorate under Prof. Randall at Coburg University of Applied Sciences and FAU Erlangen-Nuremberg on agricultural commodity markets in Africa. He talks about the financial markets in English - the language in which both Financial Management and the second international degree course AIMS are taught.

Ideal for the conference with Shanghai

AIMS stands for Analytical Instruments, Measurement and Sensor Technology, is part of the Faculty of Natural Sciences and has a lot in common with Financial Management despite the different content. "We help each other and use synergies to become even more attractive for our international guests," says course director Prof. Dr. Michael Wick. "It's great that we now have a meeting room here for international students." In addition to the two large touch monitors on the wall, each of which has its own computer, the Department of Technology and Construction has also equipped the room to meet the latest multimedia requirements. Cameras and microphones in the ceiling allow people to move freely around the room during video conferences. "This is practical for our meetings with international partners." Several Coburg professors can comfortably take part in admissions interviews at partner universities in Shanghai, China, for example, at the same time.

Wick explains that the relaxed environment is also popular for student presentations. "You can work well on projects in small groups here." There are high tables, matching chairs, but also a cozy couch corner. Susanna Buchwald, Head of the Building Department, has adapted the design of the room to the various purposes. She has painted a skyline on one wall. The details are important to Wick and Randall. "The small accessories in particular have made this a great place. It's a good working atmosphere. You can exchange ideas across disciplines or just have a coffee," says Wick. And then the physicist has a chat with Taye about the development of the financial markets.

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Her idea was a perfect place for clubbers. Natascha Feulner has been a fan of 1. FC Nürnberg since she was a child. And she's from Fürth. "It's not so easy to find like-minded people." She laughs as she explains how she came up with the topic for her bachelor's thesis at Coburg University of Applied Sciences. "I wanted to design a place where everyone could meet, where events and discussions could take place or where there was space to prepare choreographies for the Nordkurve, for example." The name of this multifunctional Nuremberg fan community space was to be Franconian: das Gwerch. A term for confusion, which at Feulner stands for the fact that everyone is welcome. And because there are also clubbers outside of Nuremberg - for example in the Fürth or Coburg diaspora - there should also be opportunities for interactive, virtual fan communities. The idea was born before corona.

Then came this season, in which matches were played in empty stadiums. So that the clubs could keep their heads above water financially through TV broadcasting rights. But the heart was missing. Borussia Mönchengladbach defender Matthias Ginter put it in a nutshell in an interview with Deutschlandfunk: "It didn't really have much to do with the Bundesliga. We're all happy when there are spectators again." Cheers, sadness, tears? Nothing. No home advantage. When the fans were unable to enter the stadium, it became clear just how much the fascination of soccer is actually about them.

"The 22 on the lawn are just a means to an end," says Prof. Rudolf Schricker dryly. He is supervising Feulner on her Bachelor's thesis in interior design. He himself is, as he says, "not a frenetic fan", but is enthusiastic about soccer as a social space. "For us in Coburg, interior design is not just about constructive or aesthetic-technical principles," he explains. "It's about focusing on people and their needs. That's why we also use human science methods."

The three categories of fans

Feulner conducted a survey for her work to find out what is important to fans. There are those who are generally interested in sport. They watch matches but have nothing to do with the stadium. Ultra groups celebrate the topic in a completely different way: They are extremely attached to their club. And somewhere in between are those who Natascha Feulner calls "08/15 stadium goers". The budding interior designer also counts herself among them. All professions and ages are represented among the fans. Grandparents, schoolchildren, men, women. The question is: what do they need?

"The sense of community is important," says the student. "So I need something that triggers emotions. In principle, that's first and foremost the game. When you sit in the stadium, you also perceive the emotions of others." Fan chants. And counter-chants. "There's a stranger in the row in front of you who keeps jumping up and blocking your view: But then when a goal is scored, you cheer with him. The stadiums are designed for this communal experience. "How to convey that feeling without people being together - that's a big task," says the Bachelor student.

She designs the Gwerch as a concrete space for fans, their encounters and activities. She has also thought through various approaches to bring the live experience to the people. She talks about podcasts and vodcasts, video podcasts on topics requested by the fans. Why not stream fan chants live? "VR goggles also offer many possibilities: You can use them to sit in a virtual living room and watch Netflix in the Alps - even though you're actually in Coburg." Applied to soccer, this means: "The fans could sit in a virtual seat in the stadium and also animate the fans around them." For something like this to work, people and their needs would also have to be at the forefront in such a virtual place. Professor Schricker is convinced that the design of virtual spaces will become a major topic in the future.