Summer and winter semester 24/25
An extremely busy election year awaits the Free State of Saxony. The people of Saxony will be asked to vote three times. In this time of social change and global challenges, the topic of "social cohesion" is moving more than ever into the focus of public debate.

This is the starting point for this year's series of TUD ^Lectures+, which is being conceived in collaboration with the Office for Academic Heritage Scientific and Art Collections of the TUD and the format YOU ASK we explain of the Dresden Faculty of Medicine, the Dresden Project Space Galerie Ursula Walter. Together, several events are to take place in Dresden, as well as in Saxony, which will focus on topics such as science, dignity, pride, virtue, honor, truth, climate, homeland, migration, demography, identity, gender and world politics and encourage discussion. Some events take place open air in busy squares, others in locations such as farm stores, theaters or canteens. Thanks to the cooperation with the "YOU ASK we explain" format, podcasts will be produced of numerous lectures in order to reach interested listeners beyond regional borders. The project is supported musically by the Banda Comunale in Dresden and the jazz duo consisting of Patrick Neumann and Jo Aldinger.

What holds the world together on the inside - the pillars of society

A functioning democracy helps to promote and protect social cohesion. In times when these values are challenged, the resilience of democracy is an essential pillar for strengthening social cohesion. At the same time, democracy is dependent on broad participation in order to remain alive and develop its full potential. But how does this work?
Prof. Dominic Steiger, Chair of International Law, European Law and Public Law and Prof. Florian Bruns, Chair of Ethics and History of Medicine want to address these aspects in the TUD Lectures PLUS event "What holds the world together inside - The pillars of society" and answer the questions of interested listeners.

The event is open to all interested parties and emphasizes the principle of the podcast series "You ask we explain". It is organized in cooperation with the Directorate University Culture, the Faculty of Medicine and the Office for Academic Heritage, Scientific and Art Collections of TU Dresden to enable an open and interactive dialogue and can also be listened to on popular streaming channels.

• May 2, 2024, 6:00 pm, Pirna farm store, Kirchgasse 1, 01796 Pirna

Advisors: Prof. Dominik Steiger, Chair of International Law, European Law and Public Law and Prof. Florian Bruns, Chair of Ethics and History of Medicine
Moderation: Natalie Labitzke and Stephan Wiegand
Further information on the topic, as well as the opportunity to submit your questions, can be found at YOU ASK we explain

What role do ethical decisions play in a functioning society?

Is there a right or wrong way to act? What social values and principles of our behavior guide us in voting decisions, and why are certain actions considered morally good or bad? How do these decisions influence us in our political thoughts and actions? In politics, we often talk about the "Christian West" when it comes to values and affiliations. Are we really still a Christian Western community of values? And if so, who, how - and where are the boundaries?" What influence does the increasing digitalization of our private and social lives have on ethical and moral decisions? How can ethics shed light on discussions about current topics such as immigration, war and social justice?

Together with the Advisors, we will explore the principles that guide us as a community and how we can work together to shape a just and cohesive society. Do religious values and education play a role in strengthening a social fabric, do ethical challenges in medicine have an impact on trust and justice, and which moral decisions influence our attitude towards justice and security in extreme situations? The event will be musically supported by the Banda Comunale , which will play after the panel discussion.

The event is a joint project of the Directorate University Culture, the Dresden University of Fine Arts (HFBK Dresden), the podcast format YOU ASK we explain of the TU Dresden Faculty of Medicine and the Galerie Ursula Walter and is supported by the Dresden University of Fine Arts.

• May 30, 2024, 6:00 pm, Ursula Walter Gallery, Neustädter Markt 10
• Advisor: Dr. med. habil. Hermann Theilen, specialist in anaesthesiology, intensive care and emergency medicine, deputy chairman of the ethics committee at TU Dresden since 2003
  Dr. Lisa Hecht is a researcher at the Institute of Philosophy and works on applied ethics, normative ethics and political philosophy.
  Prof. Birte Platow is Chair of Religious Education (Protestant Education and Practical Theology) and, among other things, a member of the AI Competence Center ScaDS.AI

© pexels

Climate change as a challenge and opportunity for social cohesion

Climate change has long been scientifically proven and is on many national agendas, and yet there are sceptics - voices that deny it or instrumentalize it politically. Recently, groups have been using the issue to push their agenda and create a mood on the streets. They are defiant and even hateful towards people who are campaigning for a rethink. Climate change can be seen as one of the biggest challenges for social cohesion and at the same time as the unifying element, as we are all affected by the effects of climate change.

What can we do to stop climate change? How will my own life and health be affected by climate change? Can we still do something about climate change? What forms of climate change denial are there and how are far-right actors increasingly mobilizing against climate policy? Is the current debate even an opportunity to come together? How can this succeed?

We want to explore these and many other questions as part of the TUD Lectures PLUS "Social Cohesion". Dr. Manès Weisskircher, Head of the BMBF junior research group REXKLIMA, Prof. Matthias Mauder, Chair of Meteorology, and Dr. rer. medic. Alice Freiberg, Head of the Occupational, Social and Environmental Epidemiology Research Unit at the Institute and Polyclinic for Occupational and Social Medicine, will answer questions from the audience. The event will be moderated by Prof. Moritz Ingwersen, Junior Professor of North American Literature with a focus on future studies.

• June 18, 2024, 6:00 p.m., Fritz-Foerster-Bau courtyard at TU Dresden, Mommsenstraße 6 and on July 4, 2024 in Bautzen (tba)
• Advisors: Prof. Matthias Mauder, Chair of Meteorology, Dr. Manès Weisskircher is head of the BMBF junior research group REXKLIMA (Right-wing extremism versus climate action?) at the Institute of Political Science, TU Dresden and Dr. rer. medic. Alice Freiberg, head of the research area of occupational/social/environmental epidemiology. She works at the Institute and Polyclinic for Occupational and Social Medicine at TU Dresden.
  Moderation: Junior Professorship Dr. Moritz Ingwersen, Junior Professorship in North American Literature with a Focus on Future Studies

© Vivian Weidner

Colorful diversity - How can we do justice to diversity in our society, science and research?

"Dresden remains colorful" - this is the motto of numerous posters that can be seen at demonstrations. But do we really live this colorful diversity and is it also reflected in areas such as language, technology design or medicine? Does research and development take into account the diversity of our modern society and consider the needs of people in all their diversity?

Only since 2022 has there been a dummy in the well-known car crash test that takes into account the special features of the female physique. This shows that even supposed majorities such as women are often neglected in technology design. Not to mention other social groups, such as older people, people with disabilities or with different cultural experiences, to name just a few examples.

In the TUD Lectures + "Colorful Diversity" you can ask your questions to the Advisors Sandra Buchmüller, Visiting Researcher for Feminist Science and Technology Studies, and Alexander Lasch, Chair of German Linguistics and Language History. The event will be moderated by Nicole Vögele, Professor of Moving Image at the Dresden University of Fine Arts (HFBK Dresden).

The event will be accompanied by music from the Banda Comunale.

• 18.07. 2024, 18:00, Neustädter Mark (open air)

• Advisors: Sandra Buchmüller, guest researcher for feminist science and technology studies
  Prof. Alexander Lasch, Chair of German Linguistics and Language History Moderation: Prof. Nicole Vögele from the HfBK Dresden

Uncertain global political situation

• 01.08.2024, 18:00, Pirna
• Advisors: Prof. Marianne Kneuer, Chair of Political Systems and Comparative Politics and others

Identity, homeland and culture

• 15.08.2024, 6 p.m., Neustädter Markt
• Advisor: Dr. Johannes Schütz, Chair of Modern and Contemporary History
  Banda Comunalen and more

migration

• 29.08.2024, 18:00, Neustädter Markt
• Advisors: Hanaa Hakiki, from the European Court of Human Rights, Prof. Sabine Müller Mall, Legal and Constitutional Theories
  Moderation: Prof. Nicole Vögele from the HfBK

Further information and events will follow shortly.

Registration and participation

It is not necessary to register for the individual events. Each event stands thematically on its own. You do not have to attend the entire series of events in order to participate.

Background to the series of events

In 2021, the Directorate University Culture launched the TUD Lectures event series, in which experts from various disciplines at TU Dresden take a close look at current topics. In lectures lasting up to 1½ hours, the experts present their knowledge in a clear and understandable way. The TUD Lectures are aimed at the TUD community and all interested parties.

Photo note

Photographs and videos will be taken during this event. The photos will be used for the press and public relations work of the TUD and the other participants. If necessary, photos will also be passed on to third parties for reporting purposes. By participating in the event, you agree that photos of you may be used for publications in print and online media, including social media.

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