Editorial by Prof. Roswitha Böhm, Vice-Rector University Culture

University culture at TUD didn’t just come into being with the establishment of the Vice-Rectorate of the same name in August 2020 - the first ever at a German university. The "Dresden Spirit" has a long tradition and is a distinctive feature of our university. This spirit has always been so pronounced that even international reviewers could sense it during the University of Excellence inspection and made special mention of it in their evaluation of TU Dresden. The idea of taking joint responsibility for the overall goal already contains much of what we strive to develop.

This is precisely how we see the role of the Vice-Rectorate University Culture: We provide impulses and pave the way, we shape the general conditions and promote values that create a cosmopolitan and appreciative atmosphere. This way, we strive to enable you, as the members of our university, to contribute your curiosity and skills in an optimal way to studies, teaching, research, technology and administration.

We open up opportunities for participation and shift perspectives, we encourage diversity and responsibility, and we create opportunities for cultural and social commitment. In doing so and if all goes well, we will continue building a solid foundation for a vibrant university culture. For culture refers not only to cultural artifacts, but to "the totality of ways of life and forms of behavior and action of people, to their social and cultural practice" (Oexle 2000:14). Consequently, our university culture is based on the attitudes of each and every one of us and our interactions with one another. All of us together are shaping and representing our university culture.

In more specific terms: The numerous offers of our Occupational Health Services assist you in mastering the often stressful everyday life of studies and work, e.g. through mindfulness training, the new Teaching Center for Physical Therapy, or through the work of our conflict mediators. Our Unit Diversity Management is dedicated to ensuring that people with different talents, abilities and commitments can work together in an environment of equal opportunities. We offer advice on the topics of equal opportunities, family friendliness and caring for dependents, and organize numerous measures and support programs for inclusion as well as the Diversity Days. We spend a good portion of our time on the TUD campus (provided that on-site activities are possible). We should enjoy spending time on campus and be able to contribute our own ideas in a multifaceted way. This includes artistic forms of expression as well as a sustainable use of the earth's resources. Our Unit Campus Life is dedicated to this objective, being also home to TUD's Green Office and the head office for the University Executive Board's Environment Commission. Our colleagues from the Unit University and Society create spaces for interaction and exchange between the world of science and society: through activities such as lecture series, in which the expertise of our researchers on current topics is made visible both within and outside of the university; through formats such as the Children's University or the Junior Doctor, where research fascinates even the youngest children; or through cultural and charity events on campus, which enable interaction among TUD members as well as with local residents.

I would like to cordially invite you to familiarize yourself with the various aspects of university culture. Not only in this magazine, but each and every day. Do not hesitate to contribute your ideas, come and speak to us, and give us feedback on how we can collaborate to improve our university culture.