The University Society's (UGO) "Impulse Forum" is intended to serve as a door opener to the university for young managers from business, culture and administration. Conversely, it is an opportunity for young academics to network in the region.
She is fascinated by the research - and the researchers - at the university. At the same time, she is amazed that aspiring young people in the regional economy, cultural scene and administration often only have a sketchy knowledge of what is going on at the university. "What a shame that is!" thought Swea von Mende, owner of an Oldenburg marketing agency and Vice Chair of the UGO. The "Impulse Forum" she initiated is intended to bring together up-and-coming and young managers from the region with academia in future - for the first time on 5 March.
In a personal conversation, Swea von Mende finds it easy to let the spark of her fascination fly. It just bubbles out of her, "what great people work at the university, what impressive and important projects are going on there - a huge enrichment!" However, when she tells others about this, she is sometimes asked: "Oh, the university is also working on this topic?" Her impression: Those who are well integrated in the region but did not study in Oldenburg themselves often lack a direct point of reference to the university and therefore also a closer insight.
The "Impulse Forum", an evening of lectures and discussions with a speaker from Oldenburg and an external speaker, followed by refreshments and a get-together, aims to change this. On 5 March from 6 p.m. in the Audimax and foyer of the lecture hall centre, the topic will be "Necessities and limits of economic growth" with the environmental economist and growth critic Prof. Dr Niko Paech and the Director of the Hamburg Institute of International Economics, Dr Christian Growitsch.
Von Mendes' vision is for this platform to become an annual "must-attend event", so to speak, for young academics and junior staff outside the university. She wants to do everything she can to ensure "that people say, I have to go once a year - the topic is exciting, the speakers are excellent, and afterwards you can get to know each other, exchange ideas, perhaps even explore a collaboration, or simply have a nice evening together".
For her, the event format is also based on the observation that "the executive floor is constantly being invited everywhere". She has noticed that she always encounters the same faces - whereas employees at the lower level hardly ever receive such invitations. Networking is particularly important for up-and-coming young new Oldenburgers to gain a foothold in the city. Von Mende himself has brought employees from Cologne, Düsseldorf or Berlin to Oldenburg - but it is often more difficult to keep good people. "The impulse forum even touches on this dimension."
Von Mende has already been able to convince a number of companies to take part in the new UGO format. They register their employees and pay a membership fee of 60 euros each for two years. This gives them access to all the programmes offered by one of the largest university societies in Germany - and also gives it a little rejuvenation treatment. "A company has just signed up 18 people," says von Mende and smiles: "The head of HR can come along too." Participation in the impulse forum is free of charge for young academics at the university.
