We all learned a lot!
"Between pleasure and frustration - studying during the pandemic" was the motto of the third CoronaDialog.
SUMMER at last, beer gardens finally open, low infection rates, and a European Championship soccer match between the German national team and France… ironically, we couldn’t have picked a better date for our final virtual “Corona Dialogue” event. Despite everything, about 40 participants—students, faculty, and interested members of the public—came together. We were able to welcome the following guests to our Corona Dialogue: Romy Reinicke (Psychosocial Counseling Center, 'Studentenwerk' (student union), Dresden), Franziska Schubert (Member of the State Parliament, Chair of the Green Party caucus), Octavian Ursu (Mayor of Görlitz), and Prof. Dr. Alexander Kratzsch (Rector of HSZG). Cornelius Baier, himself a student at our university, served as the good moderator—with plenty of insight and humor. Following Prof. Kratzsch’s keynote address, “Together Through Pandemic Times,” the first discussion took place in small groups in breakout rooms. Afterward, the discussion continued in the main room, focusing on the most important questions raised in the breakout rooms.
The Psychosocial Perspective
With regard to digital learning, many participants reported changes, shifts, and the need for self-organization. It seemed to us that the students who had regularly met in virtual learning groups and maintained regular interaction had done well during this difficult time. The HSZG’s digital offerings improved over time, but direct interaction was lacking. Part-time jobs disappeared, existential fears arose, and depressive moods became increasingly noticeable—Ms. Reinicke shared her experiences from telephone and online counseling sessions. On a positive note, the dropout rate at HSZG has not risen so far.
Lectures at Lake Berzdorf…?
How the situation will develop going forward, how digitization at HSZG will proceed, and the future feasibility of hybrid events remain pressing questions on students’ minds. And “could you attend a lecture from Lake Berzdorf”?
Despite now having well-organized online instruction, HSZG wants to maintain the benefits of the good student-faculty ratio that is experienced in person. If everything were to take place digitally, the personal character of the university would be lost. Rector Kratzsch also explained that digital final examinations remain a delicate and difficult issue due to legal hurdles. There is a strong longing for social life; a return to normal university life is more than welcome by most, and the goal is to have as much in-person instruction as possible. However , it will be “a major undertaking to return to a normal university routine.”
What else could “politicians” have done, in the view of Mr. Ursu and Ms. Schubert?
…was the question. On the part of policymakers, Franziska Schubert advocated for simple and understandable communication. Furthermore, she emphasized the importance of continuing to pursue a science-based approach. Ms. Schubert also spoke in favor of addressing the insights gained from the pandemic experience to date.
Octavian Ursu is convinced that “we have all learned a great deal” and thanked the students for their exemplary behavior, urging everyone to encourage their fellow citizens to get vaccinated.
Critical Voices
… looking back on the pandemic year, we missed each other. Certainly, there are students who weren’t able to make the best of the situation, who don’t want to hear anything more about the pandemic, and who couldn’t cope with social isolation. We received some feedback on this in the run-up to the event. The general mood among the student body seems divided. Depending on each person’s individual situation over the past year: between existential fears and available support, between successful online learning formats and seminars with room for improvement, and ultimately between enthusiasm and frustration…
The CoronaDialog format also met with broad approval at this event. Saxony's Minister President Michael Kretschmer also welcomed the ongoing dialog with students during the pandemic and commented on the HSZG's efforts and plans in the video.
Whether in person or digitally: the organization team plans to offer another event this year and engage in conversation with citizens.
The event was organized as part of the Saxony5 transfer project in cooperation with the Student Council (StuRa). The project team would like to thank all participants and especially Victoria Otto, who initiated and actively helped to organize this event.
