Hi@HSZG - Live and in color

Phew, that’s done. Cornelius Baier and Carolin Renner hand their headsets to the sound engineer in the studio. The hosting duo has just completed two hours and 35 minutes of live hosting; they were up early on July 15 for the first virtual college information evening hosted by the Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences.

“We hopped on the train to Zittau early in the morning so we could prepare our presentation in peace once we got there and even post some impressions of the production preparations on Instagram,” said Cornelius.

The culture and management student, along with his fellow student and roommate Carolin Renner, had big plans for the evening. Once preparations were complete shortly before the live broadcast kicked off at 6:30 p.m., their adrenaline levels skyrocketed. “This is actually the first time we’ve hosted such a large event together—one that’s also so significant for the university,” explains the host, quickly popping a forkful of fruit salad into her mouth for a quick boost.

Then the starting signal—or rather, the virtual clapperboard—drops. The hosting team takes their seats on the green HSZG sofa and skillfully and professionally guides the audience through the entire evening.

The event kicks off with the Vice President for Education and International Affairs, Prof. Dr. Sophia Keil, who explains in a pre-recorded video and during a live discussion why the HSZG is the right choice for studying during the COVID-19 pandemic. In the interview, the Vice President focuses in particular on how the upcoming winter semester will unfold at HSZG as a so-called “hybrid semester,” based on the experiences with the COVID-19 pandemic this summer.

Prof. Dr. Sophia Keil explains:

In her remarks, the Vice President for Academic Affairs particularly emphasizes that the close integration of research and teaching is strongly upheld here. “New teaching methods, such as project-based learning, also ensure that students here aren’t writing short academic papers just to file them away—instead, they get hands-on experience with new Industry 4.0 technologies directly within the project.”

“From Application to Enrollment” is the topic addressed next by Dr. Stefan Kühne from the Student Services & International Affairs division. He provides a detailed overview of the application process at Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences.

Afterward, it’s up to the faculty members and students themselves to convince the audience of the merits of their degree programmes. In 60-second video clips, representatives from the various faculties explain what their respective degree programmes are all about and what the future might hold for alumni. Following each clip, there will be a short live discussion about the respective degree programme. What makes this special is that audience questions can be asked either directly in the live chat taking place simultaneously or later in the virtual consultation rooms.

In the subsequent live discussion on campus life, anyone interested will learn about the activities and recreational opportunities available at the Zittau/Görlitz dual-campus location, beyond the academic programs themselves.

Finally, Rector Prof. Dr.-Ing. Alexander Kratzsch will speak in the studio. Among other things, he will comment on the changes he has observed at the university:

A long evening is coming to an end.

“Time flew by incredibly fast. We had a blast representing the university to the outside world and giving prospective students a comprehensive look at campus life,” said Carolin Renner. And what’s the takeaway from her co-host? “The range of degree programs in Zittau and Görlitz is incredibly valuable for the region, so it was important to us to highlight their diversity and uniqueness. We’re glad we were able to do that.”

“Successful” is the right word. Everyone involved in the production was pleased with the good response. Even during the live broadcast, nearly 200 viewers followed the livestream on YouTube and Facebook. Antje Pfitzner, Head of Public Relations and leader of the organizational team for the virtual college information evening, notes: “The recording of the virtual college information evening, made available on YouTube following the live broadcast, had already been viewed over 1,200 times by the next morning. On Facebook, it was viewed 3,000 times. A fantastic result that has almost exceeded our expectations.”

The virtual university information evening—a new format that has proven successful in the eyes of all those involved. “We’ll see each other again,” Cornelius Baier is certain.