Jena, 01.04.2026. The Friedrich Schiller University invites you to the first “EngagementARENA” on May 13, 2026. The kick-off event is aimed at university members who wish to actively shape and further develop the dialogue between science and society.
- What: 1st EngagementARENA (Kick-off and networking event)
- When: Wednesday, May 13, 2026, 4:00 PM – 5:30 PM
- Where: Senatssaal in the Universitätshauptgebäude, Fürstengraben 1, 07743 Jena
- Access: Only after prior registration, low-barrier (not public)
- Contact: Stabsstelle Netzwerk- und Kooperationsmanagement, community@uni-jena.de
Becoming Socially Effective Together
Under the term “Public Engagement,” the university summarizes the diverse interaction between the academic world and civil society. The newly established EngagementARENA is intended to provide a central space for this. The focus of the kick-off event on May 13 is inner-university and interdisciplinary exchange. Employees involved in research, teaching, or direct dialogue with citizens will have the opportunity for targeted networking.
The aim of the afternoon is to discuss central key questions: What does Public Engagement specifically mean for the Jena university location? Which formats of science communication – also known as outreach – have already proven successful, and how can these be made more visible and effective in the future?
The Program in Detail
The event, declared as an action day, starts at 4:00 PM with a welcome by Prof. Dr. Bärbel Kracke, Vice President for University Community and Engagement. Subsequently, Dr. Dana Strauß from the Stabsstelle für Netzwerk- und Kooperationsmanagement will outline the ideas and perspectives of the EngagementARENA and the Center for Research and Societal Impact (CRSi).
From 4:30 PM, practical insights into ongoing projects in research, teaching, and transfer will be provided. Presentations include participatory research using the example of the Netzwerk Jugend by Prof. Dr. Julia Asbrand, the teaching format Universitas@FSU, and the MitmachFORUM, which is anchored in the city. From 5:00 PM, a joint outlook on future cooperation will conclude the program.
Background: Bridging the Gap to Urban Society
The venue, the historic Universitätshauptgebäude on Fürstengraben, is the symbolic center of the Alma Mater Jenensis. While the EngagementARENA itself is designed as a pure networking meeting for university members, the concepts discussed there aim strongly at the university’s external impact. Systematic knowledge transfer – often referred to as the “Third Mission” of a modern university alongside research and teaching – is intended to make scientific findings tangible for the population. Established formats such as the MitmachFORUM are explicitly designed to involve citizens in scientific discourse, reduce inhibitions, and feed impulses from society back into research.
Source:
Invitation to the 1st EngagementARENA
Transparency note: This article was created automatically, editorially reviewed, and expanded with AI support.