Oldenburg's future: University and city start groundbreaking cooperation!

Oldenburg's future: University and city start groundbreaking cooperation!

On Monday, April 1, 2025, the 12th annual meeting took place between the Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg and the city administration. Mayor Jürgen Krogmann and university president Professor Dr. Ralph Bruder led the dialogue, which took place in the Oldenburg Technology and Startup Center (TGO). The focus of the meeting was on a joint work program for the coming years, which is structured in five core areas: climate neutrality, further development of the university, Oldenburg campus, start-up culture and internationalization. Both new projects and existing initiatives will be pursued on these topics in order to promote sustainable developments in the Oldenburg region.

Particularly in the area of ​​climate neutrality, the focus is on measures such as improving cycle path infrastructure, creating urban green spaces and adapting to climate change. In addition, projects in social and health-related areas as well as medical innovations and start-ups are planned for the further development of the university. This also includes the “age friendly cities” cooperation and “student housing” initiatives. The two partners emphasized the need to intensify exchanges in the areas of culture and sport.

New cooperation agreement

The collaboration between the city of Oldenburg and the Carl von Ossietzky University is seen as a success story. A new strategic cooperation agreement was signed on November 29, 2023, just before the university's 50th anniversary. This agreement, which replaces the previous one from 2002, was unanimously approved by the City Council and also includes the creation of key areas to be evaluated in annual work programs. This signing took place between Jürgen Krogmann and Dr. Ralph Bruder, while the University Senate took note of the strategy paper in September 2023.

The new work program also includes projects such as the inner-city start-up project “Start-up Finds City” and the application for the “hoi startup factory” at the universities of Oldenburg and Bremen. The challenges of providing adequate housing for international students and visiting researchers were also highlighted, as was the increasing need for support for these groups.

Internationalization and global trends

Internationalization at universities plays a central role in the current strategy of the University of Oldenburg. A report by the International Association of Universities (IAU), published on April 2, 2024, shows that the added value of internationalization in Germany lies primarily in strengthening international and intercultural competencies. These aspects are of great importance not only for the universities themselves, but also for the students, as they contribute to improving the institutional reputation.

Despite the positive developments, there are also challenges that need to be addressed. These include the increased workload of staff and the ecological footprint caused by the international mobility of students and researchers. Difficulties such as recognition and visa issues, insufficient financial resources and language barriers represent major hurdles for further internationalization.

In conclusion, it can be said that the University of Oldenburg, together with the city of Oldenburg, continues to proactively address the challenges and opportunities of globalization. The next steps in the collaboration are planned for a meeting in autumn 2025, where further progress and measures will be discussed.