Providing guidance in times of change

Freiburg, 22/10/2025

The University of Freiburg opened the 2025/2026 academic year in Freiburg’s Paulussaal on 22 October 2025 under the motto “Strategic Guidance for Universities in the 21st Century”. In her welcoming address, Rector Prof. Dr Kerstin Krieglstein spoke about the evolving role of universities in a changing world, their successes to date, and the next steps in the competition for the Excellence Strategy. Numerous awards presented during the ceremony also highlighted what shapes the University’s strategic orientation: a culture of commitment, openness and responsibility on campus, in the city and far beyond.

A woman with grey hair stands at a podium.

Rector Prof. Dr. Kerstin Krieglstein opens the 2025/2026 academic year and focuses on the role of universities against the backdrop of societal challenges and their capacity for renewal. Photo: Jürgen Gocke / University of Freiburg

Today’s universities face profound challenges that range from societal upheaval, climate change, digital transformation, geopolitical conflicts to growing hostility towards democracy and science. According to Rector Kerstin Krieglstein, the key question is how universities can align research, teaching and knowledge transfer in such a way that they actively shape developments in society and the economy and contribute to solutions through scientific findings.

This guiding principle shapes the university-wide development plan “Vision 2040” as well as the University of Freiburg’s participation in the federal and state government’s Excellence Strategy competition. Having been successful in the first funding line with the CIBSS and Future Forests clusters, the University is now setting its sights on the second funding line with “far greater courage and confidence.” “We are the only university in Baden-Württemberg that is eligible to submit a new application,” Krieglstein emphasised. “We have seized this opportunity with great conviction and commitment.” The application will be submitted on 12 November 2025. It is embedded in “Vision 2040”, a 15-year overall strategy with which the University of Freiburg is pursuing its goal of further developing itself as a research-strong, networked and responsible institution and redefining its self-image in the 21st century.

University of Freiburg receives two clusters of excellence and aims for status as a university of excellence

Overall strategy

“Change must be part of our DNA, our entire governance; supported by a culture that embraces openness and promotes empowerment – not within the confines of our own disciplines, but beyond the horizon. Helping to shape the future of our society is part of the essence and essential tasks of universities.”

Prof. Dr Kerstin Krieglstein

Rector, University of Freiburg

Change as a part of our DNA

“Universities are finding themselves in a dual role,” emphasised Krieglstein. “Like society, they are directly affected by upheaval, but they are also increasingly being questioned by parts of society and at the same time called upon to make a significant contribution to overcoming multiple crises.” The political and global situation shows that academic freedom is no longer a given today. According to the Rector, this is precisely why the ability to renew oneself is one of the central tasks of universities and one of the most important responses to the challenges they face. “Change must be part of our DNA, our entire governance; supported by a culture that embraces openness and promotes empowerment – not within the confines of our own disciplines, but beyond the horizon. Helping to shape the future of our society is part of the essence and essential tasks of universities. The University of Freiburg has everything it needs to play a central role and be a strong voice in the European research landscape, contributing to a more resilient future.”

Keynote speech, insights from cutting-edge research and a panel discussion

The keynote speech also took up the central theme of the festive opening. Prof. Dr Linda Doyle, President of Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland, spoke on the topic of “Forests and Signals: Strategic Guidance for Universities in the 21st Century,” discussing how universities can re-evaluate their responsibilities in the interplay between research, society and politics.

Prof. Dr Jürgen Kleine-Vehn (Cluster of Excellence CIBSS – Centre for Integrative Biological Signalling Studies) and Prof. Dr Marc Hanewinkel (Cluster of Excellence Future Forests) provided insights from cutting-edge research. Both Clusters of Excellence represent the research approach that characterises the University of Freiburg: addressing complex issues in collaboration and exchange across disciplinary boundaries with findings that are both scientifically excellent and socially relevant. In the concluding panel discussion, Freiburg’s Lord Mayor Martin Horn discussed the topic of “Shaping the future together” with two student representatives from University College Freiburg (UCF).

CIBSS

Future Forests

A woman with grey hair is giving a speech.

Guest speaker Prof. Dr. Linda Doyle, President of Trinity College Dublin, gave a keynote speech entitled „Forests and Signals. Strategic Orientations for Universities in the 21st Century”. Photo: Jürgen Gocke / University of Freiburg

Awards

A large group of people are standing on a stage with a document in their hands.

The award winners at the opening of the 2025/2026 academic year. Photo: Jürgen Gocke / University of Freiburg

Following the ceremony, individual members of the University were recognised for their special commitment to teaching, their outstanding student engagement and their positive work in administration, service and technology. In addition, numerous prizes were awarded to scientists in the early stages of their careers. “Excellence does not arise in a vacuum; it grows out of a vibrant community that is connected,” emphasised Kerstin Krieglstein. The awards highlighted the strengths of the University of Freiburg. “People who are passionate about teaching, research, engagement and responsibility in science as well as in everyday campus life and the wider social environment. They all shape the culture of our University, which is based on openness and a shared desire to shape the future.”

University Teaching Award

The University of Freiburg honours outstanding achievements in teaching with its University Teaching Award. This year, two scientists from the Faculty of Engineering and the Faculty of Philosophy received the award. The prize money amounted to 5,000 euros each.

Prof. Dr Anke Weidlich, Faculty of Engineering, Institute for Sustainable Systems Engineering (INATECH), received the award for her overall teaching activities. Her courses consistently receive high ratings and also spark students’ interest and enthusiasm for complex topics in the field of energy and sustainability systems. From the students’ point of view, her passion and ability to convey difficult content in an understandable and inspiring way is particularly noteworthy. The interaction and engagement she encourages during her courses create a motivating learning environment for students.

Prof. Dr Anna Schreurs-Morét, Faculty of Arts, Institute of Art History, was also honoured for her project “Art History on the Move”. It consists of a digital guide and a printed booklet on the choir chapels of Freiburg Minster and sets new standards for hybrid cultural education in the city with its appeal and carefully selected innovative teaching approaches from museum didactics. The project involves regional stakeholders and enables students to gain valuable practical and career-oriented experience.

Special Prize for Outstanding Student Involvement

The Special Prize for Outstanding Student Involvement, worth a total of €1,000, recognises exemplary projects by students that directly benefit other students or society. Two students were honoured in 2025.

Bianca Alexandra Kern, B.Sc. Molecular Medicine, received the award for her overall commitment. Among other things, she is active in school politics, food rescue, the Hans Böckler Foundation and various University committees. Her work combines ecological responsibility, social justice and University involvement.

Representing the Theology Student Council, theology student Svenja Mantz also received an award. Her initiative “Queer Theology Students” is an outstanding example of commitment, inclusion and solidarity.

Theology student Svenja Mantz is also being honoured on behalf of the Theology Student Council. Her initiative “Queer Theology Students” is an outstanding example of commitment, inclusion and solidarity in an academic environment that is often characterised by tensions between personal identities and traditional religious beliefs. The project offers queer theology students a safe space where they can meet without fear of discrimination or exclusion. In its efforts to create a non-discriminatory university culture, the initiative makes an indispensable contribution to shaping an open, respectful and diverse campus culture.

Administration Prize

In order to recognise outstanding achievements in administration, service and technology, the University of Freiburg has been awarding the Administration Prize once a year since 2024. It is awarded in the categories of process optimisation/quality management, customer service and teamwork/collaboration. In 2025, 22 individuals and teams were nominated for the prize. The total prize money amounted to 2,500 euros.

Christian Kny and Nadine Phuvichit from the IQ – Innovation and Quality in Teaching department were honoured for their excellent customer service as part of the 4D – 4 Dimensions of Digital and Didactic Development project. The nomination particularly highlighted the quality of their advice and support as well as their structurally anchored understanding of service. They support and empower teachers to develop and implement innovative new formats.

In the team/collaboration category, the caretakers from the institute district were honoured, namely Christoph Bok, Kerim Günes, Dimitrios Karsonidis, Torsten Schlemmer, Peter Seidel, Andreas Hunn, Marcel Dufner, Matthias Gute, Joscha Jerg and Nicolas Seitz. They received the award for their exemplary friendliness and helpfulness, among other things. As “rescuers in times of need,” they are always available and contribute significantly to a feeling of safety in the workplace.

The third award winner is Manuel McAllister from the Infrastructure Building Management Department. He successfully organises the University of Freiburg’s participation in the “B2Brun” company run. Through his clear communication, his great personal commitment and the involvement of all participants, he significantly promotes networking and a sense of togetherness among university members from a wide variety of fields.

Prize for Excellent Doctoral Supervision

With the Prize for Excellent Doctoral Supervision, the University of Freiburg honours the outstanding commitment of supervisors. It was awarded for the second time in 2025 and is endowed with 2,000 euros each. The award winners are cultural sociologist Prof. Dr Ulrich Bröckling, Institute of Sociology, and Dr Ulrich Parzefall from the Institute of Physics (senior research associate in experimental particle physics).

Bertha Ottenstein Prize

The Bertha Ottenstein Prize is awarded annually to innovative projects and structural measures in the field of gender equality, as well as outstanding achievements in gender and diversity research.

The 2025 Bertha Ottenstein Prize, worth 5,000 euros, was awarded to Prof. Dr Tanja Mölders for her master’s module “Gender Planning”’. The module focuses on the question of what it means, in both theoretical and practical terms, to incorporate gender and diversity aspects into spatial planning. The module strengthens the gender competence of the participating students and encourages them to engage in gender and diversity-related awareness-raising processes. In addition, it makes an important contribution to interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary understanding.

Freiburg prizes for the promotion of young talents

Each year, the University awards numerous sponsorship prizes to early-career researchers on the recommendation of the respective faculties. The prize money is provided by donors. This year, 41 different sponsorship prizes for early-career researchers with a total value of €95,500 were awarded to 56 prize winners.

All sponsorship awards and award winners can be found here:

https://uni-freiburg.de/en/university/outstanding-achievements/freiburg-prizes-for-the-promotion-of-young-talents/

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