Graduate School 2025 Opening Days: „Connecting Perspectives“

‘These Opening Days mark the beginning of a new chapter and the start of truly important partnerships,’ said Prof. Dr. Simone Abels, Vice President of the Graduate School, welcoming the new students to the Graduate Community. She thus directed attention directly to the central theme of the Opening Days: cooperation. "Research today is no longer the work of a single person. It's about connecting with each other – and connecting perspectives," emphasised the professor of science education.

During the Opening Days, students from all disciplines actively engage with the opportunities and challenges of collaborative work and research – whether it's founding a sustainable start-up, organising an inclusive festival or improving water management in Lüneburg.

After short pitches by master's students and doctoral candidates from various working groups, the participants engaged in conversation with each other. Together, they discussed potential opportunities such as interdisciplinary exchange and networking, as well as possible obstacles such as language barriers and conflicts of interest. ‘Especially in controversial discussions, it is important to find common ground. The current challenges are complex – with limited resources, we cannot make progress on our own,’ summarised Verena Klaus. She is starting her Master's programme in Cultural Studies: Critique of the Present this semester. After completing a Bachelor's degree in German Studies and Geography at the University of Bonn, she made a conscious decision to attend Leuphana: ‘The interdisciplinary approach convinced me. The open interaction during the Opening Days was enriching,’ she says.

The Opening Days are aimed at all new Master's students and doctoral candidates. Irish doctoral candidate Ema Stapleton is also starting a new chapter in her life: ‘Especially during my doctoral studies, I'm grateful to be part of a community. Cooperation is essential – research doesn't work in isolation,’ says the Hamburg resident and lecturer. She is doing her doctorate at the interface between sport and music.

The central highlight was the keynote speech by Dr Katja Lasch from the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD). The experienced science manager most recently headed the DAAD branch office in New Delhi and is now responsible for supra-regional scholarship programmes. In her presentation, she focused on global scientific cooperation – especially with the Global South.

She pointed out that the number of scientific publications worldwide has more than doubled in the last 20 years. Nevertheless, countries in the Global South continue to be underrepresented in many areas. ‘Old inequalities are still very much alive,’ Katja Lasch noted. Among other things, she cited unequal distribution of resources, structural deficits and a lack of research funding as causes.

She called for the decolonisation of science, critical questioning of dominant paradigms and greater recognition of indigenous knowledge. At the same time, she promoted global cooperation – including at the graduate school. She emphasised the importance of sharing data and networks, interdisciplinary cooperation and the practical application of scientific findings: ‘Science becomes more interconnected.’