Einblicke 70 Issue 2025/26 2 MB

Editorial

The number: 183.176 - A treasure trove of data

Marine research: The ocean in equations Geoscientist Sinikka Lennartz translates microscopic biological and chemical processes in the marine environment into mathematical equations – and incorporates them into global Earth System Models. The German Research Foundation has now awarded her its prestigious Heinz Maier-Leibnitz Prize.

Outlooks: How will religion be tuaght in schools in the future? Prof. Dr Joachim Willems,Religious Education

Research in brief

Outlooks: When will AI make your diagnosis? Prof. Dr Nils Strodthoff, AI4Health Division

Energy informatics: Putting smart agents through their paces Our power grids could soon be operated by smart and explainable AI systems. A junior research group led by Eric Veith and funded by the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space is investigating how to provide the best possible training to ensure an optimal response in critical situations.

Outlooks: Who creates the future? Prof. Dr Martin Butler, Director of the research centre "Genealogy of the Present"

Medicine: 1.000 days that are crucial Complications during pregnancy or birth can cause lasting damage to a child’s brain function. In the quest to identify risk factors and new treatments, basic research at the university and everyday clinical practice in the neonatal intensive care unit at the Oldenburg University Clinic for Paediatric and Adolescent Medicine are growing ever closer.

Outlooks: How can we save coral reefs? Prof. Dr Iliana Baums, Marine Conservation

Excellent research: Three times Excellence Three major research projects at the University of Oldenburg will receive funding as Clusters of Excellence over the next seven years. The NaviSense project is the only one in Lower Saxony to have gained Cluster status in the latest round of approvals, and aims to create a deep, interdisciplinary understanding of the senses, mechanisms and behaviours that animals use for navigation. The hearing researchers of the Hearing4all Cluster cel-ebrated their third success in the Excellence Strategy competition. In the field of marine research, the University of Bremen and the University of Oldenburg scored a joint victory with the Ocean Floor Cluster of Excellence. We take a closer look at the projects.

Special needs education: Making participation a reality Germany wants to become an inclusive society, but progress has been rather slow when it comes to increasing the participation of people with disabilities. In this interview, Teresa Sansour, an expert in the field of special needs education, explains which groups need more attention and how her research can help to boost participation.

Art history: Securities of art When speculative bubbles burst or the economy falters for other reasons, artists through the centuries have responded by making work that addresses the instruments of the financial world. Art historian Tobias Vogt examines what this reveals about the relationship between art and capital.

The university society of Oldenburg Every year, the Universitätsgesellschaft Oldenburg e.V. (UGO) presents several awards for outstanding academic achievements. This year the two Awards for Excellent Research, each endowed with 5,000 euros in prize money, went to psychologist Mandy Roheger and art educator Michaela Kaiser. The Outstanding Doctoral Thesis Award, which includes a cash prize of 2,000 euros, went to Antonia Wallbraun from the Didactics of Chemistry group. Biologist Maren Striebel received the Award for Outstanding Doctoral supervision (2,000 euros).

Conservation: Between land and sea Geographer Thorsten Balke and his team are on a mission to protect intertidal zones and their dynamic ecosystems. The researchers have developed their own measuring devices to identify which areas are best suited as habitats for specific biotic communities. A visit to this unique landscape.

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