With the Excellence Measure “TUD in Dialogue”, the university would like to expand the exchange of knowledge with society and allow a more active participation in creating knowledge. As part of a university-wide call for proposals, funding applications supporting these projects can initially be submitted until 2025. Ten applications were submitted in 2022, five of which were selected for funding.

The reviewers approved these projects since they take novel and innovative approaches to science communication, while addressing societal needs or topics for different target groups. This enables exchange and dialogue between science and society, outside of the academic ivory tower:

• The project “Wissen schafft Raum” [Science creates space] will make research results from different disciplines accessible in the public space and encourage discussion. Based on a common theme and specific questions, scientists and artists will develop subject-specific and interdisciplinary approaches in four sub-projects that will lead to a collaboratively designed experience space that inspires dialogue. The project will be coordinated by the Institute of Buildings and Design (Faculty of Architecture).
• “Triff die Koryphäe unter der Konifere” (“Meet the Luminary under the Conifer”) is a series of events organized by the Botanical Garden of TUD. The series enables citizens and scientists to spark up conversation with one another in the informal atmosphere of the Botanical Garden. The focus is on the questions and impulses of the guests, so that an open conversation can develop between the visitors and researchers.
• “Society in Dialogue” was launched in 2020 – at that time, it was still known under the title “Diversity in Dialogue”. It will be continued in 2022. Next year, the series of events will continue to follow the basic idea of the previous funding years, but with a different thematic focus. The long-term goal of the series is to build a Saxony-wide network between universities, institutes of applied science, political education providers and local actors in order to establish scientifically sound projects on fundamental democratic issues. This will be coordinated by the Center for Integration Studies.
• With the event series “Human Animal Relations – Interdisciplinary Perspectives”, the Chair of Systematic Theology, the Research Group on Human Animal Relations of the Faculty of Education and the Lectureship for Wildlife Ecology and Management want to shed light on the complex and ambivalent relationship between humans and animals. The events will debate the various aspects of this relationship, such as the economization and use of animals, as well as the question of society’s appreciation of non-human life.
• With the series of workshops “Science for Society”, the Center for Continuing Education will offer academic staff at TUD a continuing education program in the field of science communication. The aim of the workshops is to enable scientists to expand their repertoire for science communication and to present their research results to a non-scientific audience in an exciting, creative, understandable and appropriate way. Exciting and comprehensible presentations can build bridges between science and society, which in turn contributes to a reduction of mistrust in science.

For anyone planning projects that promote dialogue between the university and society – as well as within the TUD – and does not need more than 1,000 euros from “TUD in Dialog” to do so, can apply three times a year for funding line 2 (June 1, October 1, and December 1). For larger projects requiring more than 1,000 euros in financial support, an application can be submitted once a year for funding line 1. The next deadline for this is June 30, 2022. You can find all the information on how to apply for financial support here: https://tu-dresden.de/exzellenz/tud-im-dialog/ausschreibung