University of Oldenburg is celebrating a celebratory start to the new academic year!

University of Oldenburg is celebrating a celebratory start to the new academic year!

The ceremonial start of the new academic year took place on October 10, 2025 in the auditorium of the Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg. The event, organized by the university and the University Society of Oldenburg (UGO), welcomed around 500 guests from various areas, including science, politics, business, administration and culture. Among the guests of honor were Lower Saxony's Science Minister Falko Mohrs and Mayor Jürgen Krogmann.

Keynote speaker Prof. Manuel Hartung, Chairman of the ZEIT STIFTUNG BUCERIUS, gave an impressive lecture on the role of universities in democratic society and called for an active dialogue between science and society. University President Prof. Dr. Ralph Bruder highlighted the combination of social responsibility and research excellence at the university. He emphasized the university's ambition to be recognized as a network of excellence in collaboration with the University of Bremen.

Excellence strategy and successes of the university

The connection between the event and the Excellence Strategy was underlined by Minister Mohrs' statements. He praised the university's achievements in the key areas of hearing research, marine research and animal navigation. These positive developments are part of the Excellence Strategy (ExStra), which aims to promote top academic performance at German universities. This program includes the financing of clusters of excellence, which have been funded at 34 universities in Germany since 2019, as well as the support of universities of excellence.

The Excellence Strategy currently has an annual funding budget of 533 million euros. An increase to 687 million euros is planned from 2026. These measures are designed to make the university and its research institutions internationally competitive.

Awards for outstanding achievements

Prizes for excellent research were also awarded during the ceremony. Wiebkeschneidewind, chairwoman of the UGO, presented the UGO prizes of 5,000 euros each to Prof. Dr. Mandy Roheger and Prof. Dr. Michaela Kaiser for her outstanding scientific achievements. In addition, the doctoral prize, worth 2,000 euros, went to Dr. Antonia Wallbraun. Dr. Maren Striebel was honored for her excellent doctoral supervision.

The musical accompaniment to the celebration was provided by the ensemble “Schlagwerk Ossietzky” as well as students from the University of Oldenburg and alumni from the Bremen University of the Arts. Nils Prior, a graduate of the university, moderated the event and gave the evening a special touch.

The Excellence Strategy plays a centrally important role in promoting research and teaching at German universities. This program, which is led by the German Research Foundation (DFG) and the Science Council, not only strengthens the individual profile of universities, but also improves Germany as a whole as a science location. Further information is available on the Excellence Strategy website.

In view of the numerous successes of the Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg, it can be said that the combination of excellent research and active social involvement forms a promising basis for the future development of the higher education landscape in Germany.

For detailed information about the Excellence Strategy, visit the website DFG, Science Council and University of Oldenburg.