Future of the KU: Innovative projects and strong international networking!

Future of the KU: Innovative projects and strong international networking!

On June 5, 2025, the Catholic University (KU) Ingolstadt presented under the leadership of President Prof. Dr. Gabriele Gien sees a continued dynamic development in the university landscape, which is characterized by curiosity, encounters, movement and dialogue. In a comprehensive exchange with the state and church, a financing agreement was reached that guarantees planning security until 2028. The appointment of Horst Seehofer as the new chairman of the board of trustees brings new impetus, while another board of trustees will be created in 2024 to strengthen the university's ties to political, church and social actors. This underlines the KU's strategic orientation towards the relevant challenges of the future.

Gien highlights the university's development in terms of content. The diversity of perspectives and the courage to take responsibility are at the heart of our commitment. Key research projects include the European Teachers' Academy and an EU project on floodplain wetland restoration in five European countries. The KU is also participating in the international Uniservitate project, which includes a network of over 30 Catholic universities from 26 countries, and is taking over the coordination of the Central and Eastern Europe hub for the next ten years.

Service learning and social responsibility

Representatives from Catholic universities from all over the world met at the Uniservitate conference, which opened on February 27, 2025 in Ingolstadt. The topic was: “Service-Learning Meets Business Education: Strategies for Effective Integration and Competency Development.” The social responsibility of universities was discussed in the so-called “Third Mission”. Gien emphasized the role of knowledge transfer and the combination of academic learning with community-oriented commitment. Experts like Prof. Dr. André Habisch and Eva Wack discussed the need for an entrepreneurial mindset and central skills for the education of the future.

The global Uniservitate symposium, which will be held at KU in November 2025, is another step in expanding the principles of service-learning. The KU acts as one of seven global network partners in the area of ​​service learning, which further underlines the university's international ambitions.

Interdisciplinarity and ethics in research

The KU also positions itself as an interface between science and society. A recent panel discussion discussed research at the intersection of data science, artificial intelligence and digital methods. Professors with tenure-track professorships, supported by the BMBF federal state program and the High-Tech Agenda Bavaria, placed particular emphasis on the interdisciplinarity and ethical aspects of artificial intelligence in research and teaching.

Cardinal Reinhard Marx emphasized the relevance of teacher training for democracy. Markus Blume, State Minister for Science and Art, described the KU as a “perfect place for the future”. These views reflect not only the demands of modern higher education, but also the need to adapt to the challenges of a rapidly changing world.

In the context of global education trends, as discussed by UNESCO at its world university conferences, the KU is increasingly perceived as an innovative player. Topics such as sustainable development, social responsibility and international cooperation are also the focus of the UNESCO Education 2030 Agenda.

With its approach, KU sets standards in higher education and actively contributes to the debate about the future of learning and academic responsibility, making it clear that the Catholic University is a place where tradition and innovation meet ethical responsibility.