Medicine, biology, teacher training, Computing Science, hearing research: her most recent visit to Oldenburg on Tuesday gave Federal Research Minister Johanna Wanka further insights into the university's diverse activities.
How do German and Dutch students experience the model degree programme in human medicine at the European Medical School Oldenburg-Groningen (EMS)? What are children researching in the university's Botanical Garden? How could Computing Science research at the affiliated OFFIS Institute shape the "smart" city of the future? Federal Research Minister Prof. Dr Johanna Wanka found out about a wide range of topics at the university before honouring the achievements of hearing researcher Prof. Dr Dr Birger Kollmeier at the "Oldenburg Bull" award ceremony.
Bright sunshine greeted the Minister during her external visit to the university's Botanical Garden. Director Prof Dr Dirk Albach was delighted with the "attention and special appreciation" for the 3.5 hectare garden, which is home to a wide variety of plants as well as numerous animals - only Stuttgart's "Wilhelma" has more in Germany.
The reigning Oldenburg "Cabbage Queen" Wanka stopped by the kale patch, where Albach presented the different varieties and talked about the vegetable's cancer-preventing effects. Biology didactics expert Prof Dr Corinna Hößle presented the work of the "Green School". Every year, around 2,000 children of all school types and ages use this extracurricular learning centre - under the guidance of students - as part of teaching units or special activities. Wanka looked over the shoulders of some of the pupils as they investigated the discolouration of plant material when the pH value was changed.
The Minister had previously come into contact with the next generation of doctors at the hospital. Students from Groningen and Oldenburg reported on their practical experience of cross-border training. "I was pleased to see how satisfied the students were," said Wanka, who discussed the development of School V - School of Medicine and Health Sciences with Acting Dean Prof Dr Martina Kadmon.
"I was delighted to see how things have progressed," said Wanka, who had witnessed the founding of the Oldenburg School in 2012 as Lower Saxony's Science Minister. Now the first cohorts of graduates will soon be arriving, "and now it is important to step up research and make the necessary investments," said the Minister. "I believe that what we have achieved so far is a good basis for this." University President Prof Dr Dr Hans Michael Piper described the discussion with Wanka about the EMS as "encouraging".
Wanka honoured a scientist from School VI, hearing researcher Prof. Dr Dr Birger Kollmeier, with a laudatory speech at the "Oldenburger Bulle" business award ceremony. She described the spokesperson for the Hearing4all cluster of excellence as "a luminary in the field of hearing research". The list of his honours and prizes is long. "He has put Oldenburg on the map of Germany as a centre of excellence," said the Research Minister.
As another facet of research at the university, Wanka learnt about smart city technologies at OFFIS. The city of Oldenburg would like to utilise the opportunities offered by the targeted use of information technology and its networking even more for its own development - for example in the energy and transport sectors. Energy computer scientist Prof Dr Sebastian Lehnhoff presented the Oldenburg model project "Smart City Living Lab Fliegerhorst" to the Minister, which is intended to help test "smart" city structures of the future.
