The University and the University Society celebrated their New Year's reception with a musical and scenic evening at the Oldenburg State Theatre.
"The University of Oldenburg impresses with its internationally visible top-level research", with these words the State Secretary of the Lower Saxony Ministry of Science, Prof Dr Joachim Schachtner, welcomed around 550 guests to the traditional New Year's reception of the University and University Society of Oldenburg e.V. (UGO).
The New Year's reception has brought the university and the region together at the Oldenburg State Theatre every year since 1995. This year, a varied programme from the opera, drama, ballet and orchestra sections ensured a lively evening. To kick off the programme, the Orchestra Academy played Terry Riley's "In C". Interspersed with short talks and speeches, excerpts from "Antigone" and "Pride and Prejudice* (*or so)", from the ballet "White Swallow" and the opera "The Fireworks" were then shown.
In addition to State Secretary Schachtner, Oldenburg's Lord Mayor Jürgen Krogmann was also among the guests on stage. In conversation with the two hosts, University President Prof Dr Ralph Bruder and UGO Chairwoman Wiebke Schneidewind, he said: "The city and the University of Oldenburg have long been strong cooperation partners. Just how effective this solidarity is - also together with the entire region - became clear last year when the state pledged funding for the expansion of University Medicine Oldenburg. This historic step is thanks to the commitment of all those involved - which we will of course continue together in the future."
University President Bruder emphasised the importance of regional, national and international networks for the university in front of a sold-out audience: "This is the only way we can continue to develop the great potential we have in research, studies and transfer." The university will continue to help shape the major transformations of the 21st century. Its excellent and interdisciplinary research will play a decisive role in this: "In May, we will know whether our three proposals for clusters of excellence were successful and whether we can apply for the title of University of Excellence together with the University of Bremen." However, the recently jointly founded "Northwest Alliance" is also of great importance. "Together with the University of Groningen, our two reform universities are launching a new regional and international network in a European border region. With a coherent research and transfer area and many partners, we want to set important impulses in the north-west - both in scientific as well as economic and cultural terms," said Bruder.
The New Year's reception traditionally ended with a "chat afterwards". As in previous years, guests supported the university's "Deutschlandstipendium" scholarship programme, which supports particularly talented and committed students, with the purchase of their admission ticket.
