In January 2019, during the New Year’s reception hosted by the Chamber of Industry and Commerce (IHK), the Chamber of Crafts (HWK), and the Zittau University of Applied Sciences (HSZG), short interview clips were shown in which several residents of Zittau were given the opportunity to share a brief statement about the University. While some people were very good at keeping information, others openly admitted that they didn’t know much about the University.

That’s where the HSZG’s collaboration with the local Dreiländereck Adult Education Center (VHS) on the Saxony⁵ project comes in at just the right time! This should make it possible to reach new, potentially interested segments of the population and get them excited about the University’s many great research projects.

Together with Matthias Weber and Rene Seidel from the VHS, the idea was conceived to invite citizens to the University as part of a free course — funded by project grants. In an almost private setting limited to ten participants — with light refreshments to enjoy during the discussions afterward—the researcher will be able to explain in an approachable way what they do on a daily basis and how science actually works. This allows for open discussion—far removed from the comment sections on social media—about how research findings are arrived at, fostering greater mutual understanding. Ultimately, the goal is to increase everyone’s willingness to engage with science.

Over the course of two morning and two evening sessions, we showed our guests the Zittau Power Plant Laboratory and the LaNDER³ Hall. The audience—which was, in some cases, truly diverse, representing all walks of life (former graduates, former power plant employees, interested metalworkers, teachers, technicians, retirees, children, and more)—was good at receiving the opportunity to learn about the University’s research in a relaxed and accessible way. We will therefore be offering the event again this year.

The next dates for “Citizens Meet Science” are:

The express purpose of these events is to welcome members of the public who are interested in the University but might otherwise feel hesitant to visit HSZG. So if you work at the University or visit here often, please feel free to recommend these events to relatives or acquaintances who aren’t yet very good at knowing the University and its research.

We’d like to take this opportunity to extend a special thank you to the researchers who embraced this format and, in doing so, brought their research to life.

Text: Martin Kunack, Kristin Sprechert