Responsibly shaping structural change
Two computer science master's students from HSZG were honored at the 2025 Lausitz Lignite Award for their outstanding achievements and dedication.
Jenny Zeuler and Jonathan Zopf, two master’s students in computer science at HSZG, were honored at the 2025 Lausitz Lignite Award for their outstanding achievements and dedication. The university was prominently represented at the awards ceremony in Cottbus—which was attended, among others, by Minister of State Elisabeth Kaiser.
Lausitz is a region in transition—and this transition needs people who will actively help shape it. With the newly created Lausitz Lignite Award, the Lausitz Lignite Foundation is honoring, for the first time this year, projects and initiatives that do exactly that: create opportunities, strengthen the community, and demonstrate that a future in Lausitz is possible—and will remain so.
On October 24, 2025, the awards ceremony took place in the Barbara Hall at LEAG in Cottbus. A total of seven grants, worth nearly 22,000 euros, were awarded to projects that promote education, civic engagement, and quality of life in the region, and seven scholarship recipients were honored.
Elisabeth Kaiser, Minister of State and Federal Government Officer for Eastern Germany at the Federal Ministry of Finance, also attended the event and recognized the importance of actively supporting the next generation for structural change in Lausitz.
Proud to be part of this change
The Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences was represented at this special event as a key partner and driving force in regional development. Acting Professor Daniel Fiß attended the ceremony on behalf of the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science.
It fills me with pride to represent our faculty and our university at an event that showcases the tremendous innovative spirit, dedication, and optimism for the future that exists in the Lausitz region. We see ourselves as an active part of this transformation—in research, teaching, and training.
”Two HSZG students honored
Particularly encouraging: Two students from the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science were awarded an honorarium—for their outstanding academic achievements and exceptional social commitment.
Jonathan Zopf —a master’s student in computer science
With an entrepreneurial spirit and having already developed a successful financial simulation at the age of 18, Jonathan impressed the jury with his initiative and innovative spirit. His bachelor thesis is titled “Empirical Comparison of the User-Friendliness of Two Employee Management Systems” and was supervised by Prof. Dr. Matthias Längrich.
Jenny Zeuler – Master’s student in computer science
In addition to her studies, she conducts research at the Fraunhofer Institute in Görlitz in the field of quantum computing and is actively involved in the scientific advancement of this key technology. Her bachelor thesis is titled “Comparison of Different Models of Quantum Computing and Their Computational Universality” and was supervised by Prof. Dr. Jörg Lässig.
Both examples impressively demonstrate how our students not only excel academically but also take on responsibility and actively help shape structural change.
Shaping the future together
The awards ceremony was accompanied by musical performances and insights into the foundation’s other projects—including scholarship programs for young people from Lausitz and the early childhood STEM project “Wikilino,” which supports 15 daycare centers in the region.
The event made it clear: Lausitz not only has a strong past but also a vibrant future—driven by young people who want to make a difference with their ideas, knowledge, and drive.
The Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences is proud to be part of this network and to actively help shape change through education, research, and innovation.
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