HSZG celebrates equal opportunities and diversity in studying and teaching
In the Academic Year of Equal Opportunities, the HSCG looks back on Equal Opportunities Week and Teaching Day at the HSCG and announces next steps.
Equal opportunity is a cornerstone of our university community. To ensure this core value is given the recognition it deserves in everyday university life, the Office of the President has designated the 2023–24 academic year as the “Year of Equal Opportunity.” Through a variety of events, such as workshops, lectures, and discussion panels, spaces for exchange and collaboration are created to identify and understand the needs of the university community and, based on this, to develop actions to address challenges. A standout highlight of the academic year was Equal Opportunity Week, culminating in Teaching Day.
“How can we truly embody equity and diversity in our studies and teaching?” – With this central question, Professor Sophia Keil, Vice President for Education and International Affairs, opened Equal Opportunity Week at Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences (HSZG), which took place from May 13 to 17, 2024.
Opening Ceremony and Discussions on Equal Opportunity
The week began with a public working session led by the Vice President for Education and International Affairs, Professor Sophia Keil, who, together with the deans of studies as well as other university staff and experts such as Prof. Dr. Janina M. Vernal Schmidt (West Saxon University of Applied Sciences Zwickau), Diana Hillebrand-Ludin and Dr. Stefanie Dreiack (directors of the Saxony Equal Opportunity Coordination Office). This opening session set the tone for the days that followed, which were marked by lively exchanges and in-depth discussions. Among the key outcomes of the consultation was the recommendation to organize further events on specific topics within the broad field of equal opportunity.
Equal Opportunity Talk
A particular highlight was the “Opportunity Talk” held over lunch at the Kraatschn student canteen in Zittau, where students, professors, and staff were able to exchange views on equal opportunity in academic studies and teaching in a relaxed atmosphere. These informal conversations fostered a good understanding of each other’s needs. Among other things, it was emphasized that equity could be promoted by actively pursuing the “students-as-partners” approach. Students can serve as mentors for their fellow students, thereby promoting academic and social integration. The desire was expressed that initiatives such as “Students Advise Students” should be further strengthened.
Equal Opportunity Week, which focused on studying and teaching at HSZG, was good at illustrating to us the multifaceted nature of this topic and the challenges associated with it. The discussion of the ideas presented inspired us to work toward achieving equal opportunity at the university. From an equality perspective, it is important that we continue to engage in an ongoing dialogue on the topic of equal opportunity at the university. A heartfelt thank you to the organizers!
”Teaching Day
The Teaching Day on May 15, 2024 in Görlitz was the central event of the week. The opening by Professor Sophia Keil set the mood for a day full of inspiring lectures and discussions. In her opening speech, Professor Keil highlighted the importance of equal opportunities and diversity and emphasized that these topics are close to her heart and core values of the HSZG.
Miriam Meyer and Annika Thomas from the HSZG Student Council provided insights into the student perspective on equal opportunities and diversity at the HSZG and emphasized the importance of active student participation.
Particularly noteworthy was the presentation by Prof. Dr. rer. nat. habil. Gerhard Weber (TU Dresden), who spoke about accessibility and diversity in teaching materials. Dr. Monique Ritter and Sophie Ulbrich from the HSZG provided insights into gender- and diversity-sensitive teaching.
Ceremonial Presentation of the Teaching Award to Prof. Dr.-Ing. Wolfgang Kästner
Another highlight was the ceremonial presentation of the Teaching Award by the Friends of the Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences. The Vice President expressed her enthusiasm that 13 faculty members had been nominated for the award by the students. She noted that this was impressive proof of the outstanding quality of the classes / courses and also an indicator of the students’ high level of satisfaction, as they had expressed their appreciation through these nominations. On behalf of the Rector’s Office, the Vice President thanked the nominees for their outstanding work in teaching and for submitting their impressive teaching concepts.
- Erich Cella, M.A.
- Dr.-Ing. Sebastian Herrmann,
- Diplom-Chemiker (FH) Matthias Jeschke
- Prof. Dr.-Ing. Wolfgang Kästner
- Solvig Langschwager, with a Diplom in Business Administration
- Prof. Dr. phil. Torsten Linke
- Prof. Dr.-Ing. Jens Meinert
- Dr.-Ing. Jana Reinhold
- Dr. Dominik Scheder
- Prof. Dr. rer. medic. Sonja Schellhammer
- Sabine Thierbach, Diplom Special Education Teacher (FH)
- Dr.-Ing. Liane Vogel
- Prof. Dr. rer. nat. habil. Thomas Wiegert
The Teaching Award is being presented to Prof. Dr.-Ing. Wolfgang Kästner. “This recognizes his extraordinary dedication and outstanding achievements in teaching, ” said the Vice President. The Teaching Award, which is presented every three years and comes with a prize of 2,000 euros, honors Kästner’s exceptional teaching approach and his consistently well-coordinated course materials. Students emphasized that his approach and his willingness to listen to their questions motivate and support them.
Wolfgang Kästner, a professor in the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, came to Zittau in 1983 to pursue his studies. In addition to his excellent teaching, he is committed to the internationalization of the university and, as a visiting lecturer, supports the Sino-German University of Applied Sciences at Tongji University in Shanghai. His research activities include, among other things, nuclear safety research and condition monitoring.
Modernized teaching award regulations
The Teaching Award 2024 ceremony also marked the first implementation of the modernized Te aching Award Regulations by the Vice President. Following extensive discussions with the deans of studies, the faculties and the Student Council, significant changes were made to the nomination process and the composition of the selection committee. Following the modernization, only students are entitled to submit nominations. In addition, the student members have the majority of votes in the selection committee.
As Vice President for Education and International Affairs, it is very important to me that our students are at the center of our university’s processes. I am very pleased that, with the amendment to the Teaching Award Regulations, the sole right to nominate candidates for the Teaching Award now lies in their hands. The majority vote in the selection committee also reflects our strong commitment to ensuring that students are at the heart of our university community and that their voices carry significant weight.
”Would you like to learn more about Equal Opportunity Week at HSZG?
Here you can access the event presentations:
StuRa – Our Perspective on Equal Opportunity and Diversity at HSZG
Annika Thomas and Miriam Meyer
Accessibility and Diversity in Teaching Materials: A Bridge to Equal Opportunity
Prof. Dr. Gerhard Weber
Gender- and Diversity-Sensitive Teaching: An Insight
Dr. Monique Ritter and Sophie Ulbrich
ChanGe University—Equal Opportunity Through Diversity-Sensitive Teaching?
Janna Burr and Jule Lochner
Assessment of the Current Situation Regarding Equal Opportunity, Diversity, and Protection Against Discrimination
Dr. Stefanie Dreiack and Diana Hillebrand-Ludin (Equal Opportunity Coordination Office)
Diversity in Dialogue: Fundamentals of Intercultural Communication and Diversity Sensitivity
Prof. Dr. Janina M. Vernal Schmidt
Other Events This Week
On Thursday, a workshop on diversity-sensitive teaching took place, followed by a good-attended lecture series on the topic “Shaping Fragile Futures—Are Feminist Perspectives or Policies the Answer?!”
The week concluded with an online workshop on intercultural competence in higher education, led by Dr. Steffi Nothnagel, and a discussion on digital teaching, which focused on promoting participation through digital tools.
Conclusion and Outlook
Equal Opportunity Week at Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences provided a good opportunity to actively engage in important discussions, learn from one another, and shape the future of teaching together. The wide range of events and the record number of visitors demonstrated just how central the topics of equal opportunity and diversity are to the HSZG university community. The Rector’s Office will organize further events on specific topics related to equal opportunity. To lay a good foundation for strengthening equal opportunity and developing concrete actions, the Vice President intends to initiate a survey on equal opportunity and a diversity monitoring program. Furthermore, the results of the week are currently being consolidated and analyzed alongside those from the Senate workshop held in April. Finally, all members of the university community are encouraged to share their ideas and identify areas where action is needed to promote equal opportunity and diversity in academic studies and teaching, and to submit suggestions directly and informally to the Office of the Vice Rector for Education and International Affairs or to the Rector’s Office as a whole.
Many thanks to the lecturers Miriam Meyer and Annika Thomas, Prof. Dr. rer. nat. habil. Gerhard Weber, Dr. Monique Ritter, Sophie Ulbrich, Prof. Dr. Janina M. Vernal Schmidt, Diana Hillebrand-Ludin and Dr. Stefanie Dreiack, Janna Burr and Julia Lochner, deputy professor Dr. Julia Gabler, Dr. Steffi Nothnagel and Robert Viertel for their important technical contributions.
Vice President, Professor Keil, thanks her entire organizational team around Daniel Winkler, Robert Viertel, Nikola Owad and Celina Adolph. Also Carolin Renner for the moderation, Jens Freudenberg for the photography and Andi Zgraja for the video documentation.
Finally, we would like to say a special thank you to all participants in the Week of Equal Opportunities and look forward to a further lively exchange on these topics.
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