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Political engagement at universities: yesterday and today in focus!
Event on political engagement on June 12, 2025 at the University of Osnabrück discusses historical and current challenges.
Political engagement at universities: yesterday and today in focus!
On Thursday, June 12, 2025, the University of Osnabrück is hosting an important meeting on the topic of political engagement in studies and at universities. This event is part of the exhibition “#ChallengingDemocracy – From Helmut Schmidt to Today” and will begin at 7 p.m. in the University Library at Westerberg, Nelson-Mandela-Platz 1. The conversation will be moderated by Lisa Querner from the Federal Chancellor Helmut Schmidt Foundation (BKHS). This evening, current students, Gloria Sherif and Frederik Göcke, will conduct an intergenerational dialogue with former students from the 1970s, Heike Tennstädt and Heiko Schulze.
The oft-heard phrase “Politics? I don’t have time for that” is at the forefront of the discussion. Aspects such as pressure to perform, livelihood and committed political action should be discussed. Prof. Dr. Christoph Rass, historian and organizer of the event, emphasizes the importance of understanding the connection between the students of the 1970s and today's students. The democratization of German universities, which has been underway since the 1970s, now enables more participation and responsibility for students.
Commitment to democracy at universities
Parallel to this event, Goethe University will present an example of active engagement in democratic issues. The “Democracy and Participation” project, which is part of the Academic Welcome Program for Highly Qualified Refugees (AWP), aims to integrate students with refugee experience as well as international and national students into democratic processes. This initiative is considered particularly relevant due to the growing diversity of students at Goethe University.
The series of events starts in the winter semester of 2024/25 and includes both lectures and workshops. Here are some of the planned topic blocks:
- Demokratische Prozesse und gesellschaftlicher Zusammenhalt: Vortrag am 16. Oktober 2024 durch Michael Zimmermann-Freitag.
- Demokratische Selbstbestimmung und aktive zivilgesellschaftliche Teilhabe: Exkursion zum Amt für multikulturelle Angelegenheiten am 6. November 2024.
- Deutschland als Aufnahmeland: Vortrag zu Konzepten von Toleranz und Solidarität am 15. Januar 2025 von Prof. Dr. Rainer Forst.
The activities are open not only to AWP participants, but also to enrolled students. If implemented successfully, these offerings will continue to be expanded in the future to reach a broader audience.
The role of universities in democracy
Universities increasingly function as democratic socialization agencies by providing the framework for discussion and engagement. According to a study published in the Journal for the sociology of education and socialization was published, universities prove to be platforms where young people can discuss their political attitudes and actively contribute to university politics. These developments are crucial for strengthening democratic structures within society.
The event at the University of Osnabrück will therefore not only be a look into the past, but also a bridge to the future of political engagement at universities. For further information, interested parties can contact Prof. Dr. Contact Christoph Rass at crass@uni-osnabrueck.de.