Growing with the social demands

The Faculty of Social Sciences celebrated its 30th anniversary with a ceremony on November 23, 2022, at which the faculty’s founding dean, Prof. Dr. rer. soc. Hermann Heitkamp, was warmly welcomed.

The Faculty of Social Sciences enrolled its first students in the winter semester of 1992–93. Today, the faculty has the largest student body at Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences and maintains a broad network of industry partners in the region and beyond.

Prorector for Research Prof. Dr. phil. habil. Kollmorgen welcomed the participants and recognized the faculty’s contribution to securing a skilled workforce in the region. In his remarks, Rector Prof. Dr.-Ing. Kratzsch also emphasized that the degree programmes’ focus on people and society is indispensable for the university’s development.

Under the theme “Degree Programs in the Faculty of Social Sciences and Their Contribution to Professional Development,” the program coordinators for the bachelor’s and Master's degree programmes examined the history of each program’s development and discussed the specific contribution that academic training here in Görlitz makes to the development of a professional identity, as well as how students are prepared for professional practice in social contexts.

The subsequent panel discussion between the founding dean, Prof. Dr. rer. soc. Hermann Heitkamp; former professor Dr. phil. Brigitte Pyerin; the dean, Prof.‘Dr. phil. habil. Andrea G. Eckhardt, and the Associate Dean, Prof. Dr. phil. Torsten Linke—moderated by Prof. Dr. rer. nat. Matthias Schmidt—highlighted both historical milestones and the faculty’s potential for future development. In their concluding remarks, Prof. Heitkamp and Prof. Pyerin acknowledged the progress the faculty has made to date and expressed their good wishes for success and strength in addressing current challenges and in the strategic development of the degree programmes and the faculty as a whole.

The Faculty of Social Sciences thanks the Friends of Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences for their financial support of the event.