Communications and Marketing
H-BRS welcomes its new students
President Marion Halfmann welcomed the new students as they began their studies. “It’s lovely to have you here,” she said. “We’re doing everything we can to ensure you have a good time here and leave our university with a degree.” The H-BRS is a regional university, well-equipped and focusing on socially relevant topics in teaching and research. “We want to prepare you for the job market, but above all for your future,” said the President.
Halfmann: Your time at university is your own
At the same time, she emphasised: “Your time at university is your own.” She gave the new students three pieces of advice to take with them: to attend lectures and form study groups, to get involved in student self-governance and student bodies, and, above all, to make friends with their fellow students quickly. “But for now, I’d like to wish you all a great start with us. Enjoy your first day, look forward to your time at university, and then – in a few years’ time at the latest – we’ll see you again at your graduation ceremony,” said Halfmann.
The Vice President Teaching and Learning, Professor Peter Muck, also extended a warm welcome to the new students and wished them every success as they began their studies – both in person and as the AI avatar Peter Muck. In a dialogue with an AI avatar, the Vice-Chancellor’s avatar made it clear that studying is more than just learning. It means discovering who you want to become.
Muck: Have the courage to develop yourselves
“Have the courage to develop yourselves. Today you are not just starting a degree; you are embarking on a journey,” the Vice-President told the students. They would acquire knowledge and develop skills, but they would also meet people who would change their view of the world. “You will experience successes, you will experience setbacks, and you will sometimes have doubts,” said Muck. “And that is exactly part of it. A degree course is not a time for you to prove that you can already do everything; it is a time for you to discover what you are truly capable of.” He made it clear that only humans can do this – not artificial intelligence with its algorithms.
Student Jonathan Schmitt moderated
During the event, moderated by Jonathan Schmitt, a student in the Department of Engineering and Communication (IWK), the new students also received very practical information for their time at the H-BRS. In panel discussions, representatives from the General Students’ Committee (AStA), the Students’ Parliament, student councils, student initiatives, the student union and university bodies provided information on available services and opportunities for student involvement. In addition, a number of newly appointed professors introduced themselves.
Awards for the best gender-related final-year projects
The new students are just embarking on their academic careers. Franziska Aron, Ellen Kopischke and Emily Stübben, on the other hand, have recently graduated from the H-BRS. During the welcome event in the Audimax, they were honoured for the best gender-related final-year dissertations. The equal opportunity commissioner, Barbara Hillen-Haas, and Vivien Matheis, a student member of the Equal Opportunities Commission, paid tribute to the award winners. “Gender equality is not an issue that concerns only women,” emphasised Hillen-Haas, who would have liked to see more applications for the prize from people of all genders. “The three theses we are honouring today demonstrate this in very different ways.”
The award-winning theses deal with topics as diverse as prostitution, sexual harassment and menstruation. “And yet they have something in common: they shed light on realities of life that are socially relevant but do not always receive the attention they deserve,” said Matheis. Franziska Aron was honoured for her bachelor's thesis entitled ‘Prostitution from the Perspective of Those Affected’, and Ellen Kopischke for her bachelor's thesis entitled ‘Intervene or Look Away’. Emily Stübben received the prize for her master's thesis entitled ‘Menstruation and the Reality of Work’. The prizes are each worth 1,000 euros.
Market of Opportunities
Following the official part of the event, the freshers then had the opportunity to get an overview of the various opportunities available to them during their studies. At the ‘Market of Opportunities’ in the main building, the student motorsport team BRS Motorsport, the Game Dev Team, the Finance Club and several student councils were among those presenting their activities. In addition, key support services for everyday student life provided information about their services, including the language centre and the ‘Healthy University’ initiative.
H-BRS in figures
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Daniela Greulich
Deputy Head of executive department Communications and Marketing/Press and Public Relations, Press Officer
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