Opening Week

"Intelligence" is not a single, and not at all a simple concept. Individuals, groups, machines, designs, decisions, solutions, systems and even buildings can be intelligent. What makes someone – or something – intelligent? Is the intelligence of a group the sum of its individuals' intelligence? Would both levels result in the same intelligent decision? What is the common thread running through various notions of intelligence - if there is any - and what are the differences? Can objects or non-human beings be intelligent without an "intelligent" valuation of humans? In the Opening Week, we will explore the concepts of "intelligence" in the realms of Nature, Machines, Society and Humans. Are they interconnected or even depend on each other, do they benefit or rather limit each other? Finally, what are the limitations of intelligence and is there an intelligence of nature or machines going beyond human intelligence?

The Opening Week 2024 takes place from 1 October until 11 October. Under the motto INTELLIGENCE, we invite you to work in projects and to focus on one of the four focal themes: 

1. Machine
2. Nature
3. Human
4. Society

During the Opening Week that marks the very beginning of the semester, your ideas will be essential. Together with around 1400 first-semester students, you will create a digital collage comprising both visionary videos and journalistic commentaries. We will collect and save your ideas during the semester up until the conference week, the final of the semester.

Renowned guests and keynote speakers will take part in the Opening Week. Through a modular programme, you can exchange your ideas with international experts from different fields of social relevance such as politics and science. At the same time, you will work within your project groups – all events take place on the campus.

We look forward to generating the Opening Week 2024 together with you.