Quench your thirst for knowledge, gain new insights and lay the foundations for an academic career - there are many reasons to do a doctorate. Two doctoral candidates from Computing Science show how it's done.

Enabling people in rural areas to be more mobile: That was the goal of the "NEMo" research project. The central result is a mobility app that the researchers led by business IT specialist Jorge Marx Gómez have now presented.

In a seminar paper, two students set out on the trail of an unusual plant collection at the State Museum of Nature and Man - and published their first scientific paper.

We think of the cornea as a windscreen for the eye. But this transparent layer of tissue is far more complex than a simple protective covering. Stefan Schrader and Sonja Mertsch are pursuing new approaches to treating diseases of the ocular surface.

Axel Fries, master of percussion in the north-west, has been introducing university students to rhythm and percussion for 15 years. He has given countless concerts with his ensembles and successfully participated in competitions.

The 25th anniversary of the university's A Cappella Evening will take place on 1 and 2 February - with workshops, concerts and, above all, many encounters.

Language plays a central role in schools as a medium for communication and education. Oldenburg researchers are examining how to train teachers in being sensitive about language.

At the cutting edge of science: Oldenburg psychiatrist René Hurlemann is researching how new types of medication and procedures can help people with severe depression.

Many surface waters in Lower Saxony are heavily polluted with nitrate. Citizens can now find out for themselves how high the levels are - knee-deep in the nearest stream or from home with the "nitrogen box".

The University and the University Society (UGO) celebrated their New Year's reception with five honours and classical opera music. Around 550 guests, including Lower Saxony's Science Minister Björn Thümler, enjoyed an atmospheric evening.

Digital tools or "serious games": seven projects at the university are being funded in the "Innovation plus" programme. 330,000 euros will be available over the next two semesters to further improve teaching in the long term.

The activity of nerve cells in the brain generates extremely weak magnetic fields. Oldenburg psychologists are using sophisticated techniques to measure these brainwaves and gain further insights into the workings of the brain.

Wind conditions influence water circulation and CO2 concentrations in the Southern Ocean, a study by geochemist Torben Struve and colleagues shows. The crucial clue came from fossil corals from the depths of the Drake Passage south of Chile.

It surrounds us, is indispensable for our lives - and is far too often destroyed by us. Five Oldenburg scientists describe what nature actually is, who it belongs to and how we relate to it.

An international team of scientists including Bernd Blasius has completed the longest known predator-prey time series. In the journal Nature, the researchers report on the ecological mechanisms behind the regular flutcuations.

The University Senate has confirmed special education teacher Annett Thiele as the new Vice President for Early Career Researchers and Gender equality. This sets the final course for the management of the university from 2020.

"My Song" - under this heading, art students are exhibiting their music-related works in the Lecture Hall Centre until 9 January. The artistic diversity reflects a musical spectrum ranging from Bach to flamenco to Madonna.

A collection of Karl Jaspers’ letters – published on the fiftieth anniversary of the great thinker’s death – guides the reader through Jaspers’ life and work, shining a light on philosophical ideas of the twentieth century.

For decades, school absenteeism was a taboo topic in Germany. Now views have changed, many schools are facing the problem. Heinrich Ricking of the Department of Special Needs Education and Rehabilitation has played a key role in this process.

The University of Oldenburg receives funding as an Exist-Entrepreneur University from the German Federal Ministry of Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi). A regional start-up network will help to expand the entrepreneurial support scheme.