"Teaching alone is not the recipe for success!"

Teaching alone is not the recipe for success! At the official ceremony to mark the 25th anniversary of the HSZG last Friday, 23 June, the speakers agreed that it is above all the practical relevance and intensive research activities that make up the Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences, which is why it will also successfully master future challenges.

In his opening remarks, Rector Prof. Friedrich Albrecht first welcomed the guests, some of whom had traveled a long way to attend the official ceremony at the Peter-Dierich-Haus in Zittau, before quoting Wilhelm von Humboldt and referring to the past quarter of a century of the Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences, pointing out that it is the task of the state to help people gain an education. The university stands for this motto not only locally, but also in the form of its more than 100 partnerships around the world. With regard to the Senate and University Council meeting that preceded the ceremony, the Rector expressed his thanks for the fruitful cooperation both internally and externally and looked forward to continuing it 

Afterwards, Hermann Jaekel from the Saxon State Ministry of Science and the Arts not only conveyed warm greetings from State Minister Eva-Maria Stange, the head of department also indulged in personal memories dating back to the university's founding period. Twenty-five years ago, he made his first trips to Zittau and Görlitz and, contrary to expectations, encountered flourishing landscapes there. What was based on topographical features was now to be translated into future work in the region. "These outstanding landscapes should be an incentive to adapt to the natural orientation of the region and to orient human creativity towards it," emphasized Jaekel with regard to the future development of the study location in Upper Lusatia. 

25 years later, the Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences has grown to become the "engine of the region" as an institution that recognizes the signs of innovation and successfully implements them, for example in the form of cooperation with Fraunhofer, the construction of the power plant laboratory on the premises of Zittauer Stadtwerke and the acquisition of important third-party funding for research projects such as LaNDER³. With regard to industry, he urged companies to make even greater use of this experienced partner in future. 

 Sylvia Rohr emphasized in her speech that the university has always presented itself as an innovative and cooperative partner that is active beyond the region and has an international network and meets the demand for skilled workers in the region with very well-trained graduates. The aim is now to constantly improve in view of the growing digitalization and the resulting requirements in global competition. "The more future graduates have digital skills and have prepared themselves for the highly dynamic nature of professional qualifications, the better equipped they will be for this change," the Chairwoman of the University Council is convinced and believes that Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences has the potential to continue to achieve extraordinary things in the future.

The university's close connection to the district of Görlitz was then emphasized by Martina Weber in her speech. The 2.Deputy District Administrator of the district of Görlitz also referred to the new cooperation agreement, which holds out the prospect of even more intensive and lively collaboration. "The uncomplicated exchange between theory and practice is very valuable for us," said the head of department. After all, it is not only the many students at the university who complete an internship in the district of Görlitz who benefit from intensive practical experience. Above all, it is their scientific preparation of important issues that supports the district in coping with structural change. It would now be important for the graduates to remain in Upper Lusatia after graduation. The university's start-up academy makes a significant contribution to this.

The subsequent ceremonial address was given by Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Böhmer, former Minister President of Saxony-Anhalt. With regard to the university, he emphasized the growing importance of intensifying its role as a service provider for the regional economy in order to be successful in globalized competition. According to Böhmer, this development can be driven forward above all through continuous practical relevance. At the end of his speech, he emphasized: "Upper Lusatia is the region in Germany that I have known the longest. I remember it as the easternmost corner of the valley of the unsuspecting in eastern Saxony, where people led a quiet life. Today, there is a vibrant life here, not least due to isolated, smaller commercial areas with a lot of development potential." Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences plays a key role in this with its innovative capacity and strong practical relevance in teaching.

The mayors of the large district towns of Zittau and Görlitz agreed on the great importance of the Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences for their respective towns. Mayor Thomas Zenker emphasized in his speech the important role of the university within the transformation processes that the town of Zittau is undergoing. Whether as a cooperation partner for joint events, as the birthplace of the IHI or as a pole of attraction for the young people who are so important to Zittau, the university has achieved a great deal in the city. This impression can also be confirmed by Mayor Siegfried Deinege for Görlitz, who particularly emphasized the wealth of ideas of the Görlitz students with regard to the cooperation with the city of Görlitz based on study projects. From theory to practice, many a theoretical construct was adopted and put into practice by the city of Görlitz after intensive student work. Deinege is convinced: "Teaching alone is not the recipe for success!" and hopes to continue finding the right ways to shape the future together.

"The Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences is a stroke of luck for Upper Lusatia!" This is the conviction of Prof. Reinhardt Hassa. The Chairman of the Friends of the Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences e.V. was delighted that the Friends will continue to accompany the university on its journey.

The ceremonial closing words were given by the Chancellor of Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences. In very personal words, Dipl.-Jur. Karin Hollstein described her personal professional development at the Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences. She said she was proud to be able to talk about 'her' university with pleasure when following media reports. After so many years, it is still important for her to be able to successfully implement joint projects with good employees on a daily basis. With this in mind, she is looking forward to the future.

The saxophone quartet provided the musical backdrop to the ceremony, entertaining the audience with jazz numbers from George Gershwin to Irving Berlin.

At the subsequent summer party, which took place on the square in front of the Peter-Dierich-Haus under the motto "The HSZG in the world", Rector Prof. Friedrich Albrecht, together with Ms. Menzel from the Staff Council and Ms. Lehman from the Student Council, welcomed all the staff and students present, as well as their families and friends and supporters of the university. 

Czech brass music marked the start of the 'world tour' and put the audience in the mood for a varied and diverse program, before the young Polish dancer Ariana Grzechnik from the "Ametyst" dance school in Luban took to the stage with her dance performance. Semjon Butyrin from Russia then presented accordion music from Hungary. The Asian continent was represented by the young Iranian Masoud Talebi Charmchi, who played popular music from his country on his guitar. Berenice then brought a good mood and pure summer feeling to the stage with her singing to well-known salsa and merengue songs, enchanting the audience with her voice and the hot rhythms of Latin America. 

The show continued across the Atlantic to Africa, more precisely to Cameroon and a jerk dance number by Wilde Dilane Tougnia Tchomgui and Fardin Ramezani Hashjin. As there is no place like home, the journey through the world finally stopped off in Upper Lusatia, where KURTL concluded the short musical world tour with his own songs from Upper Lusatia and his covers of world hits. 

During the breaks, there was world music from DJ Riccardo and one or two short stories about the international relations and projects of our university. The program was moderated by Rector Prof. Friedrich Albrecht. Numerous employees, students, friends and supporters of the Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences enjoyed the summer weather, cool drinks and a hearty barbecue. Many took the opportunity to introduce their families to life on the Zittau campus. The younger guests conquered the bouncy castle, transformed themselves into pirates, vampires or princesses with face painting and - not always intentionally - released one or two university balloons into the air. There were plenty of supplies.

The Rectorate would like to thank all those involved in the creation and realization of the festival, in particular Hella Trillenberg, the Public Relations Office and the University's Graphics Service. Many thanks also go to the staff of the Department of Technology and Facility Management for their support on site, as well as to the Förderverein der Hochschule Zittau/Görlitz e.V. and supporters.

Text: Cornelia Rothe, M. A.