To a glass of clarity with ...
The format "Fail Forward - For a glass of clarity with ..." offers inspiration and open discussions about doubts, turning points and failure.
Fail Forward - A series of events about failure (and moving on)
Doubts about studying, disorientation and the fear of failure are topics that many people are familiar with - including professors.
In the winter semester 2025/2026, the event series "Fail Forward - A glass of clarity with..." invited students, professors and academics to talk to each other on a total of five evenings. The focus was on personal turning points, upheavals and the question of what can emerge from them.
"Fail Forward " means understanding setbacks not as the end point, but as a learning moment. Failure should be de-tabooed. Seeking support, sharing unpleasant experiences with others and coming to terms with them can help to plan the next steps.
The program was primarily aimed at students in their first semesters, who are often at a turning point in their lives and grappling with questions about their studies, self-doubt, or career direction. This is precisely where dropout prevention comes into play. When doubts are addressed early on, it’s possible to strengthen students’ sense of direction, self-efficacy, and access to appropriate support before uncertainty turns into withdrawal.
The unifying element of the evenings was the non-alcoholic beverage chosen by each speaker. This ritual created a familiar atmosphere and made it easier to ask personal questions as well.
Five evenings of “Fail Forward – A Glass of Clarity with …”
Prof. Dr. phil. Małgorzata Maćkowiak:
“Failed, but Wiser”
The event series kicked off on October 28, 2025, in Zittau. Professor Małgorzata Maćkowiak (Vice President for Education and Sustainability) kicked off the series with her keynote address, “Failed, but wiser.”
In addition to a personal, biographical look at her own career path and a lively discussion that followed, all guests were treated to a cup of hot jasmine tea.
The 'Fail Forward' event showed how much we need to draw strength from others and learn from them how to overcome fear and doubt.
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Julia Ochmann, M.Res.
“…somewhere between educational mobility and the glass ceiling”
With the opening line, “Welcome to the winding life story of a statistical outlier!” Julia Ochmann, a researcher at TRAWOS —the Institute for Transformation, Housing, and Social Spatial Development—were treated to an unvarnished and authentic look at power structures and how academic systems can hold back groups facing multiple forms of marginalization and first-generation college students.
Over a glass of non-alcoholic Aperol, an intense discussion ensued about class consciousness, factors for success, as well as fears and concerns. This created a space—especially for first-semester students—to talk about their own doubts.
The evening made it clear how much “failure” can also have structural causes and how important it is to be able to name these experiences rather than attributing them solely to the individual.
After the second event, it was already clear that this honest and open exchange was needed. Students who didn't attend the evenings themselves got talking to us and the initiators. This showed me once again how important such formats are. They create networking and understanding.
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Dr. rer. nat. habil. Thomas Fester:
“From Science Graphics to the DRL_School_Lab”
On December 3, 2025, the DLR_School_Lab opened its doors for “Fail Forward—Here’s to a Glass of Clarity…”. At this unique venue, Dr. Fester (Project Manager for the DLR_School_Lab at Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences, ZukLOS) was able not only to describe his scientific passions but also to bring them to life for the audience.
After gaining insight into his professional career, all guests at the event were treated to a detailed tour of the facilities at this extracurricular learning center. Over a refreshing blackcurrant spritzer, the guests exchanged ideas in a relaxed atmosphere.
At the DLR_School_Lab at the Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences, high school students, apprentices, and college students delve into scientific questions—using real experiments, modern technology, and plenty of space to conduct their own research.
Working in small groups, they conduct experiments on energy, materials, and the environment—topics closely linked to current research priorities at Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences (HSZG) and the German Aerospace Center (DLR).
Prof. Dr. rer. nat. Karin Fester:
“From Rue to Tobacco”
On December 17, 2025, Karin Fester, Professor of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology at the Faculty of Natural and Environmental Sciences, took guests on a journey from Europe to North America and Asia in her keynote address titled “From Rue to Tobacco.” Tracing her career path, the biotechnologist spoke not only about the professional milestones she’d reached but also about the challenges, obstacles, and decisions she’d faced.
In a pre-Christmas atmosphere, with rhubarb juice spritzers and gingerbread, conversations about cultural differences, copyright, and life choices filled the rooms of the Makerspace Zittau.
The Makerspace on the Zittau campus is an open workspace and learning environment for creative ideas, hands-on projects, and innovative technologies.
Together, we aim to further develop the Makerspace into a vibrant space for exchange, innovation, and hands-on creativity. All high school students, teachers, parents, college students, and staff at Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences, as well as regional educational partners, are therefore cordially invited to get actively involved.
Prof. Dr. phil. Michel Constantin Hille:
“It’s everyone’s turn eventually”
Professor Michel Constantin Hille (tenured professor of social work sciences, intervention approaches, and educational foundations in the Faculty of Social Sciences) on January 20, 2026, with a keynote address on hospice care and the inevitability of death. With humor, plenty of informative content, and a non-alcoholic shandy, the evening explored this often-feared and taboo subject.
In the discussion that followed, participants discussed not only biographical challenges but also perspectives on failure.
The “Fail Forward – A Glass of Clarity with…” series will continue in the summer semester of 2026. Professor Maćkowiak, Vice President for Education and Sustainability, will once again kick off the series.
Save the Date! – On April 15, 2026, the second cycle of the “Fail Forward – A Glass of Clarity with…” event series will begin in Görlitz.
The goal remains to strengthen the exchange between faculty and students and to break down barriers. This also helps ensure that students find their way and prevents them from dropping out “quietly” due to feeling overwhelmed or uncertain.
Faculty and staff at Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences are cordially invited to participate and perhaps even become facilitators themselves. Please contact the project team at studienerfolg@saxHAW!
The event series was conceived, organized, and carried out by the team behind the collaborative project “studienerfolg@saxHAW.”
The idea for the format arose from two student engagement events that the project had organized in December 2024 and January 2025: “Pasta & Project Ideas” and “Campus Café.”
The initiative is strongly promoted and supported by the Student Council at Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences.
The collaborative project “studienerfolg@saxHAW” brings together initiatives designed to enhance academic success at HSZG and reduce the number of students who drop out early.
In addition to the redesign of the “Studium Fundamentale” and the implementation of a Foundation course, this includes events that provide motivation, information, and alternative courses of action.
Regular meetings were held in collaboration with the five Saxon universities of applied sciences. In January 2026, representatives from all of the universities visited Zittau.
You can get a glimpse of the project work and the network meeting here.
Sincere thanks
The Vice President for Education and Sustainability, Prof. Dr. phil. Małgorzata Maćkowiak, would like to thank the initiators for their contributions, as well as Aline Schulz and the entire team at studienerfolg@saxHAW for the planning and organization. Special thanks go to the Student Council of Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences, which provided dedicated support for the implementation of these initiatives.
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