Opening Week

All livestreams can be found in our media library

To the results of the project groups

Can a new social contract reply to the major problems of these days? The pandemic and its scars have intensified multiple crises and ask for innovative ideas about the future. In the 1930ies, US president Franklin D. Roosevelt implemented the NEW DEAL as a response to the severe problems of those days: large-scale social and economic reforms helped to endure the economic crisis. Does the post corona era call for a new social contract? An arrangement that focuses on social justice, on sustainable development; one that indicates the challenges of data society and the future of democracy. Who would discuss and decide about this NEW DEAL? Governments or Citizens?  

The Opening Week 2021 entitled „NEW DEAL” focuses on this area of tension. You as first-semester students are cordially invited to take a close look at the world society of tomorrow. More than 30 project topics will be analysed: How can we deal with climate change in a democratic way? What social problems and potentials emerge from the increasing availability of data? How can we support a better sharing of care work? Which role do social movements play in context of a NEW DEAL? Can the Green Deal of the European Union stand future problems?

Information on the project topics of the Opening Week can be found here.

A detailed overview of the programme can be found here.

The Opening Weekly newspaper appears during the opening week from Monday to Friday as a supplement in the Lüneburg "Landeszeitung". It reports on guests and events of the Opening Week and brings further articles on the topic of this year's Opening Week "New Deal". The Opening Week newspaper is created by students as part of a seminar in complementary studies.

Here you can find the newspaper editions for download:

Edition of Monday, 11 October

Edition of Tuesday, 12 October

Edition of Wednesday, 13 October

Edition of Thursday, 14 October

Edition of Friday, 15 October

Anna Böhme shares inspiration about life in Lüneburg and reports on (social) projects on her blog whatslueneburg. For the Opening Week 2021, Anna publishes a daily blog post on the Opening Week website to give first semester students tips and tricks for arriving in Lüneburg. 

To the blog

The Opening Week will be framed by special guest speakers and initiators. A modular program enables you to engage in exchange with international guests from politics, science and social practice and to work in student project groups at the same time - on site on campus.

You can find more information about the guests here.