Education in focus: University lectures on ideals and challenges!

Education in focus: University lectures on ideals and challenges!

The University of Münster invites you to an exciting lecture series on “educational ideals”. The events begin on October 21, 2025 and take place every Tuesday at 6:15 p.m. in lecture hall S1 in the castle. The series, organized by the Vice-Rector for Studies and Teaching and the Department of Historical Educational Research, offers students and interested parties various insights into today's educational discussion. The first lecture will be by Prof. Dr. Jürgen Overhoff and is entitled “We of Today and Wilhelm von Humboldt: Educational-Historical Perspectives”. There is also a lecture by Dr. Josef Joffe on October 28th with the topic “The good university. A view from outside”.

A central concern of the lecture is the discussion of current topics such as the transfer of knowledge in medical studies and the detection of “fake news”. These aspects have become increasingly important in today's educational landscape. The series of events is entitled “The educational ideal of the university – the perspectives of the various disciplines” and is supplemented by further lectures. On December 2nd, Prof. Dr. Benjamin Risse will speak about “The educational ideal between humans and algorithms – a sober perspective on artificial intelligence”, followed by Prof. Dr. Regina Grundmann, who will speak on January 20th about the contribution of Jewish studies to university education.

Focus on misanthropy

An accompanying event will focus on the topic of “group-based misanthropy”. Stefan Querl, who works as a representative against anti-Semitism, and Ruppe Koselleck, a conceptual artist from the University of Potsdam, will appear as speakers. This discussion particularly highlights the forms of anti-Semitism, anti-Romaism and racism that pose specific challenges for Nazi memorial sites and professionals in the education sector.

During the event, Querl will stimulate debate with questions, while Koselleck will present aesthetic positions and memorial conflict landscapes. An example of this theme is the “Excursion to Auschwitz”, which begins at a quarry in Krakow, leads through a historically charged film set and ends at the SS canteen. Fundamental questions about the dignity of remembrance and the limits of good taste are also addressed.

Education and anti-Semitism

The field of criticism of anti-Semitism is increasingly being addressed in the educational and research landscape. This new approach, inspired by criticism of racism, focuses on the experiences of those affected. The focus here is on structural and institutional mechanisms of anti-Semitism. Educational work dedicated to this topic enables an examination of anti-Semitism as a current relationship of violence and discrimination.

The topic is of central importance for human rights education. Investigating inequality and discrimination is essential, although anti-Semitism is often rarely taken into account. Important questions arise at the interfaces between human rights education and anti-Semitism education: What challenges and interdependencies between racism and anti-Semitism should be considered? Who are the target groups that should be reached? How can human rights approaches promote discussion and debate?

These and many other aspects are dealt with in the various events, which not only encourage reflection, but also provide a space for critical discussion.

Further information is available at University of Münster, the City of Münster as well as at Institute for Human Rights to find.