The administrative scientist and emeritus professor Dr Klaus Lenk has been awarded the Federal Cross of Merit First Class for his commitment to sustainable public administration. Federal Minister of the Interior Dr Hans-Peter Friedrich presented him with the decoration awarded by the Federal…

"Liberation from Abundance" is the title of the recently published book by Oldenburg economist Niko Paech. In it, he calls for consistent climate protection - which is only possible without the ballast of prosperity. Paech in an interview about his model of a "post-growth economy".

In future, young academics at Emden/Leer University of Applied Sciences will be able to take part in the interdisciplinary qualification programmes offered by the University of Oldenburg's Graduate Academy.

"'Stroke' - New paths in rehabilitative care research" is the title of the interdisciplinary symposium organised by the Outpatient Clinic for ReHabilitation on Friday, 13 July (Library Hall, Haarentor Campus).

The University Senate has confirmed the three Vice Presidents in office: Prof Dr Katharina Al-Shamery, Vice President for Research, Prof Dr Gunilla Budde, Vice President for Studies and Teaching, and Prof Dr Bernd Siebenhüner, Vice President for Early Career Academics and Quality Management.

Physicists in Geneva have probably proven the existence of the much-vaunted "God particle". But what does this mean for physics and our view of the world? Oldenburg physicist Christoph Lienau explains why the discovery is so groundbreaking - and raises new questions.

"Peer Gynt" by Henrik Ibsen (1828-1906) is on the programme of an interdisciplinary theatre project by School III - School of Linguistics and Cultural Studies. The premiere is on Thursday, 12 July, 8.00 pm, in the auditorium (Building A 11, Haarentor campus).

The future of football is over once again: What conclusions can be drawn from the 2012 European Football Championship? Thomas Alkemeyer and Nikolaus Buschmann talk about crazy player types, unbounded playing philosophies and the technical perfection that arises from the moment.

The larvae of coral fish in the ocean are millimetre-sized. And yet they find their way over kilometres back to their native reef. Oldenburg biologist Gabriele Gerlach has investigated how this is possible on Australia's Great Barrier Reef.

The aim of the "Service Learning" module is to promote voluntary work by students and link it with university learning. Ana Kea König and Benjamin Kreß also took part in the first round of the programme in Oldenburg. Here they describe their experiences.

"Globalisation is challenging clearly definable national identities and creating new, cross-border concepts of identity," explains Prof. Dr Martin Butler. The Americanist founded the DIVERSITAS research network.

Hearing loss, including deafness, is the most common impairment of the human senses. Around one in 1,000 newborns is born with hearing loss. In half of these children, genetic mutations are the cause.

The university's Graduate Academy is opening up to young academics from the Jade University of Applied Sciences. This is regulated by a cooperation agreement that was signed today.

The Centre for Migration, Education and Cultural Studies (CMC) continues the work of the Interdisciplinary Centre for Education and Communication in Migration Processes (IBKM) with a new focus. It researches current migration processes.

Topping-out ceremony on the Wechloy campus: the shell of the "NeSSy" research building is complete. In a few months, the University of Oldenburg's Research Centres Neurosensory Science and Safety Critical Systems will be able to move in here.

How can biogas be utilised locally as a source of energy and income for businesses and households? Bioenergy as a building block for the sustainable development of coastal regions - this is the topic addressed by the EU project enercoast, led by the University of Oldenburg.

The University of Oldenburg is one of the winners of the Excellence Initiative of the German federal and state governments: the "Hearing4all" Cluster of Excellence application will be funded for five years. Funding totalling 34 million euros was applied for.

The German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) has honoured the University of Oldenburg with the "E-Quality" seal of quality. With this award, the DAAD recognises special merits and achievements in the ERASMUS programme.

A new initiative at the University of Oldenburg is aimed at pupils from non-academic families - to encourage them to study. The project is being funded by the Lower Saxony Ministry of Science (MWK) with 45,000 euros.

What do Oldenburg students like about their university? That's exactly what we asked ourselves and walked around the campus with our camera. The result: there are many reasons to like the university - you can see the answers from nine students here in a short video.