Review of the Faculty Day of Environmental Sciences - That was "Let's get together 2024"

"...only positive things...", "...keep it up...", "...really successful..." - the third Faculty Day on June 5, 2024 for the Dies Academicus in the idyllically situated Judeich Building in Tharandt received a lot of praise afterwards. This praise and thanks go to everyone who helped make the event a success before, during and after! Let's take a brief look back as a reminder...

The event kicked off with a short piece by the hunting horn players and a starting signal for the event. A festive sight and sound that is not presented to the audience every day. The welcome was given by the Dean, Prof. Peter Krebs, together with Prof. Norbert Weber, Chairperson of the Department of Forest Sciences. They had two important messages for the guests: firstly, times are not getting easier, but more complex, and secondly, we are shaping the future of the next generations today - hence the call: "Let's continue to grow together for a common strength!"

The opening was followed by the pointed and entertaining inaugural lecture by Prof. Sebastian Seibold, who spoke on the topic of "Biodiversity change - patterns, drivers and consequences". He presented exciting perspectives in forest zoology. Prof. Bernhard Schuldt (Chair of Forest Botany) gave an impressive account of his career to date and captivated the audience with his research focus on "Forests in the Anthropocene - linking tree physiology with drought survival". Both received a warm and official welcome from the faculty.

With the new format "One Slide one Minute", the early-career researchers from all three Departments were put to the test: Is it possible to present a research topic to the point within one minute with one slide? Yes, it is! The audience shared in the excitement of the speakers, who were "chased" by a countdown on a screen. Many thanks to all participants for their contribution!

Word Cloud - One Minute One Slide — Themen der Vorstellungen aus „One slide - one minute"

The fact that the Faculty's degree programs arouse interest worldwide was demonstrated to the audience in a session by international students. Under the heading "From the Faculty of Environmental Sciences to the World", Konstantina Fotiadi (from the Faculty Student Council Forest Sciences) interviewed international students from Ghana, Cameroon, Colombia, Brazil, Nepal and North America and explored their backgrounds, motives and goals for studying at our Faculty. We are the world! That is the conclusion of this lively round. Each story showed the different paths to studying, the stories of everyday life in a new, foreign environment, of friendships and a previously unknown culture. In addition to a pinch of thoughtfulness, it was above all a mixture of courage, openness, curiosity, humor, mutual respect and tolerance that promises good things for the future, for the generations to come.

The topic of artificial intelligence (AI) in science and in everyday life has "arrived" and is slowly being used almost as a matter of course. Prof. Matthias Forkel and M.Sc. Lucas Kugler took up the fact that a critical and reflective approach is still required in a role play and illustrated it with a lot of humor and ambiguity.
The day was garnished with an unusual poster exhibition of forest sciences on unusual research topics and fields of application, which particularly appealed to the audience during the coffee breaks. The afternoon was filled with very well-attended workshops on the new doctoral regulations (with Mandy Arndt from the Doctoral Examinations Office) and on peer review procedures (with Prof. Matthias Mauder, Chair of Meteorology). Unfortunately, a Graduate Academy workshop on funding opportunities for postdocs had to be canceled at short notice due to illness.

The day ended in good weather at the Bahnwärterhäuschen. The catering team waited with drinks and a small snack for the exhausted participants of the Faculty Day, who gratefully accepted the offer. There was a long period of evaluation, philosophizing, visioning and exchanging views on everyday university topics.

What is the conclusion? The Department of Forest Sciences and the Dean's Office have succeeded in organizing a varied and inspiring programme. There is not much time to rest, because after the Faculty Day is before the Faculty Day... Next year in 2025, the Department of Geosciences will host the celebration. The challenge here will be to find suitable rooms in good time, as extensive construction work is planned in the Hülsse Building. We will inform you as soon as the date and rooms have been confirmed.

The organization team wishes you a wonderful summer! See you next year!