Pure fascination: The Center for International Studies at the Dresden Science Night

The Center for International Studies (ZIS) took part in the Dresden Science Night at the TUD Dresden University of Technology for the first time on June 14 this year and was an immediate success.

After briefly setting up the stand and installing the "UNsolved" puzzle boxes, we were able to get started straight away: Welcome to the Dresden Science Night, the ZIS introduces itself!

The ZIS staff were highly motivated as they welcomed the guests and interested visitors, who flocked in large numbers right from the start:

Interactive puzzles: Pure enthusiasm among all guests

The interactive puzzle boxes, which were provided by the German United Nations Association (DGVN), were very popular right from the start. Under the motto "UN Solved - Puzzles for World Peace", participants were able to put their knowledge of the United Nations, international cooperation, peacekeeping and the sustainable development goals of the global community to the test. Like a magic cube, the puzzle box provided fascination and fun for young and old alike:

In addition to fun and fascination, the puzzle boxes naturally also involved tricky tasks that challenged the participants to break new ground. The educational aspect was also the focus of the Dresden Science Night. With the two "UNsolved" puzzle boxes, the ZIS reached around 400 participants, making the stand one of the most visited at the Dresden Science Night:

A small surprise awaited the participants as a reward for successfully solving the puzzles. They also received informative brochures about the work of the United Nations and information flyers about the interdisciplinary International Relations degree program, which has been offered at the Dresden location for 25 years now.

Need for discussion and interest in studying International Relations

Although the great puzzle boxes could not solve the problems of our time, they nevertheless stimulated an intensive discussion of the great challenges of our time. This also led to numerous and lively discussions between the participants and the ZIS staff.

The enthusiasm that precisely the major topics and problems of international relations can still be studied at TU Dresden was clearly noticeable. It was particularly pleasing that many prospective students now see studying International Relations at ZIS as a genuine alternative.

Successful additional offer in great cooperation

In addition to the Dresden Science Night, the ZIS organized a two-day additional programme for school classes from Dresden and the surrounding area. In addition to the "UNsolved" puzzle boxes, the ZIS offered another highlight on the two days before the Dresden Science Night together with "UN in the classroom". Dedicated students from the International Relations degree program planned a teaching unit in which the topics of the global community could be discussed in depth.

Providing such an additional offer for pupils for two days at TU Dresden was a novelty and was only possible thanks to the smooth cooperation with the DGVN and the volunteers of the "UN in the Classroom" program:

Outlook: High demand and new motivation

Both the Dresden Science Night and the previous additional program made it clear that such an offer to present highly complex topics in a playful and interactive way is needed and necessary. The feedback and extremely positive criticism from the teachers showed that there is a great need and desire to continue offering low-threshold learning opportunities in the future. Participants and interested parties at the Long Night subsequently confirmed this picture and motivated the ZIS staff to continue offering similar events at regular intervals in the future.