Annual Conference of the Chancellors of German Universities at the Bauhaus-Universität Weimar
Once a year, the chancellors of Germany’s universities convene for their annual conference in order to address current professional challenges within their areas of responsibility. This year’s conference is scheduled for 19 to 21 September at the Bauhaus-Universität Weimar and is dedicated to the keynote topic of »University Construction Despite/in Defiance of Crises«. Some 100 participants from across Germany are expected to attend the conference, which will focus on pioneering university construction initiatives and the concept of the »campus of the future«.
The wide-ranging and ambitious program will feature lectures from architects and engineers, who will share best-practice examples and innovative visions for university construction and campus development. Following their presentations, the lecturers will engage in discussions with the other participants. Climate protection and sustainability are crucial considerations in this context, along with the question of how construction projects can be successfully executed amid financial constraints, scarce resources in the construction sector and changing delivery conditions. Additionally, the exchange will emphasise subjects such as perspectives on (digital) processes, models of collaboration between universities, sustainability in infrastructure, strategies for bolstering essential governance structures and the role of executive university administration in an era of significant challenges. The conference also aims to foster networking and cooperation among chancellors.
»Universities are in a position to provide scientifically sound answers to questions about future-oriented and resource-efficient construction practices. Meeting this standard for our own university buildings and thus resolving the glaring refurbishment backlog is a challenge that can only be overcome through collaboration among universities, the federal states and the federal government.
This year’s conference at the Bauhaus-Universität Weimar provides a platform for key stakeholders to engage on this topic«, says Dr Horst Henrici, Chancellor of the Bauhaus-Universität Weimar, underscoring the theme of the conference.
Carsten Feller, State Secretary of the Thuringian Ministry of Economic Affairs, Science and Digital Society (Ministerium für Wirtschaft, Wissenschaft und Digitale Gesellschaft, TMWWDG), will deliver a welcoming address on behalf of the state government at the opening. He will be joined by Dieter Kaufmann, Spokesperson for the Association of Chancellors, Prof. Peter Benz, President of the Bauhaus-Universität Weimar, and Dr Horst Henrici, Chancellor of the Bauhaus-Universität Weimar. In addition to the professional and collegial exchange, attendees will have the opportunity to enjoy a reception hosted by Peter Kleine, the Lord Mayor of the City of Weimar, at the town hall, as well as a student-led tour of the UNESCO World Heritage buildings at the Bauhaus-Universität Weimar.
The conference is hosted by the Bauhaus Further Education Academy (Bauhaus Weiterbildungsakademie Weimar e.V., WBA), which is an affiliated institute of the Bauhaus-Universität Weimar.
Further information can be found on the conference website: https://www.uni-weimar.de/de/kanzlerjahrestagung-2024/programm
and on the website of the Association of Chancellors of German Universities: https://www.uni-kanzler.de/
Media representatives are welcome to request interviews or background discussions. To do so, please contact Press Officer Claudia Weinreich by telephone at + 49 (0) 36 43 / 58 11 71 or by e-mail at presse[at]uni-weimar.de.