This year, the Oldenburg University Society (UGO) celebrated its 50th anniversary. In this interview, Chairman Werner Brinker talks about milestones, future tasks and new events.
The UGO has turned 50 this year. How have its aims and responsibilities changed since it was founded?
The tasks during the founding phase were completely different from those today, when we are talking about an established, medium-sized university. During the development phase, strong political support was needed to make it clear to the authorities in Hanover just how important it was to have our own university here in the north-west. That is why it was incredibly important to provide massive support for this initiative from within the region and from the business community. Today, the focus is on maintaining the bridge between the university and the region.
Which key figures have shaped the history of the UGO?
During the founding phase, Hans-Arnold Simon provided the university with strong support in securing the necessary funding. Later, Gerhard Wachsmann, as Chair of the UGO, was also deeply involved politically in helping the fledgling University of Oldenburg grow into a mature institution. Peter Waskönig later ensured that the UGO raised its profile amongst the general public through ambassadors active throughout the Weser-Ems region. Of course, there are other figures who have shown great commitment. But I believe the key moments lie within the first 20 to 25 years.
What have been the most important milestones of your term in office so far?
I’ve been in office for just under six years, which isn’t that long, really. A good idea was born as early as my first meeting with the former university president, Hans Michael Piper, which ultimately led to the creation of the AUFTAKT event. It was very important to me to present the UGO Awards for excellent research and for outstanding doctoral theses as part of a larger event, in order to highlight the significance that excellent research holds in our society. At first, there were doubts as to whether we’d be able to fill the Audimax, but then it was fully booked within a week. The event is a huge success, a real highlight.
What are the UGO’s future tasks?
The most important question is: how do we manage to attract younger people to join the UGO and get involved? After all, the UGO thrives on voluntary commitment. At the moment, our average age is quite high. That’s why it’s incredibly important to attract people with high-quality events.
Which formats are aimed primarily at younger people?
Above all, ‘Sound of Science’ and the ‘Oldenburg Climate Symposium’, which took place for the first time this year. With this event, we celebrated a double anniversary: 50 years of the UGO and 40 years since the foundation stone of the Energy Laboratory was laid. The idea is to use this as the starting point for a regular series of events that will then be aimed more strongly at the younger generation.
And ‘Sound of Science’?
It’s a moderated panel discussion, accompanied by live music from students at our university. The discussions focus on current topics, such as sustainability, nutrition or, most recently, the energy crisis. We deliberately chose the Oldenburg co-working space Core as the venue because it has an atmosphere where younger people feel at home. Attendance figures have risen steadily since the first event in November 2021.
What motivates you to take on the role of UGO Chair?
That’s relatively easy to answer, though I don’t want to limit this solely to the UGO. About 50 years ago, on a field trip during my studies, my professor – who later became my supervisor – said at the end of a long discussion: ‘When you retire and look back, you must be able to say one thing: I have contributed something to society.’ For me, that became my guiding principle. After all, one has benefited from society. For me, it was a privilege to be able to study and to pay practically nothing for it. I’ve now clocked up 150 years of voluntary work, if I add up all my terms of office.
Does the UGO play a special role in this?
In fact, I have a genuine personal interest in the role of UGO Chair. It motivates me to engage more deeply with complex topics, for example when preparing for an event. A discussion with our Nobel Laureate Klaus von Klitzing about physical constants, or with Matthias Bormuth about Karl Jaspers – that requires a lot of preparation, but I really enjoy it.
Thank you very much for the interview!
This text first appeared in UNI INFO October 2022 . Interview: Ute Kehse
