Opening Week 2023
Collecting – Gathering the future
2023-10-02 Autographs and records, paintings and holy bones, memories, votes or data: What don't we collect? Around 1,300 young people will begin their studies at Leuphana University Lüneburg from 5 to 13 October with the traditional Start Week. This year they are shining a light on the phenomenon of collecting - in art and economics, politics, ecology and in close relationships.
In 90 project groups, the students will deal with the future of museums, resource consumption, artificial intelligence, social trust and the question of power in democratic societies. Renowned guests from academia and social practice will support the students as guest speakers and sources of inspiration. Barbara Plankensteiner, museum director (MARKK) and co-spokesperson of the renowned Benin Dialogue Group, will open the starting week on Thursday, 5 October, in Leuphana's Libeskind Auditorium. The ethnologist has set herself the task of coming to terms with colonial entanglements and reorienting the former Ethnological Museum at Rothenbaum in Hamburg. The chamber orchestra "ensemble reflektor" will provide the musical prelude.
Guest speakers at the launch week include Johannes Vogel, Director General of the Museum für Naturkunde Berlin, Sabine Fischer, an expert on Russian foreign and security policy, and Maike Scholz, the Telekom representative for digital ethics.
Interested people from the region are also welcome to attend the launch week. On Monday, 9 October, at 6:30 p.m., the writer and journalist Özge Inan will read from her novel "Of course You Can't Live Here" in the cafeteria of the central building "Klippo".
The new director of Leuphana College Michaela Wieandt is especially looking forward to the atmosphere of the Opening Week: "The first-semester students own the campus during the start week. From the very first moment, we combine academic intensity with interpersonal encounters."
Note for the editorial offices
Thursday, 5 October, 10:15 a.m. - Opening in the Libeskind Auditorium at Leuphana University Lüneburg.
We would be very pleased if you report on the launch week 2023. If you need photos and further material or would like to arrange interviews with the participants, please let us know.
Further information on the event can be found at: www.leuphana.de/startwoche.
You can find the complete programme in English here: www.leuphana.de/openingweek.
Contact
Leuphana University of Lüneburg
University avenue 1
21335 Lüneburg
04131.677-2000
openingweek@leuphana.de
www.leuphana.de/startwoche