TU Braunschweig on the way to its vision University Development Days: Impressions and Insights

At the end of June 2023, the University Development Days took place for the second time at the TU Braunschweig. You can find a short report on the course of the event on the new website of the University Development 2030 Initiative (Initiative Hochschulentwicklung 2030). For the TU Braunschweig magazine, we asked the organizers and participants of the University Development Days for their impressions: Why is the Initiative Hochschulentwicklung 2030 important for their work, and which impulses did they take away from the discussions at the Development Days? Here we give you a few insights into the experiences of our interviewees. Enjoy the reading!

University Development Days, June 2030: Dr. Phillip Hahn. Copyright: Kristina Rottig/TUBraunschweig

Dr. Phillip Hahn, Head of Strategic University Development

For us, the University Devlopment 2030 Initiative is the central instrument for jointly identifying and implementing the university’s strategic development goals. As the Strategic University Development Office, we develop suitable formats for the Executive Board, outline concepts and bring together all those involved so that implementation can be successful.

It was great to see how participants from all status groups contributed their ideas and skills to the further development of the university at the Univresity Development Days this year. If we keep up this momentum, we will continue to be one of the best places to think, learn and work in our region.

University Development Days, June 2023. Prof. Dr. Manfred Krafczyk. Copyright: Kristina Rottig/TU Braunschweig

Prof. Dr. Manfred Krafczyk, designated Vice President for Digitalisation and Sustainability

The University Development 2030 Initiative provides the framework for strategy development in all performance and cross-sectional dimensions of TU Braunschweig. Since resources are always limited, it is important to coordinate the prioritisation and acceptance of ideas and measures within the overall process in the university public and with the committees. Involving many stakeholders in the process ensures that the most pressing concerns and creative ideas are taken on board and that potentially unintended consequences of measures are identified. In short: participation at work…

The instrument of the University Development Days seems to me to have been very well received. I was also surprised and pleased that, despite the heterogeneity of the participants, a very coherent and exciting picture emerged from the discussion of what a sustainable TU Braunschweig could and should look like. This picture will be used as a valuable suggestion in the strategy process for sustainability.

University Development Days, June 2023: Prof. Dr. Jens Friedrichs. Copyright: Kristina Rottig/TU Braunschweig

Prof. Dr. Jens Friedrichs, Speaker of the Core Research Area Mobility

The University Development 2030 Intiative shows me very well the diversity of our university with its different faculties and research areas. This allows me to better assess the ideas, initiatives and problems of others in comparison to the situation in my own faculty and to take them into account when coordinating with colleagues. This applies to new research approaches as well as to the important KPIs and setting the course for the next Excellence Initiative.

I will take several ideas from the University Development Days with me: The most important is that we should use the strengths of the faculties and disciplines very individually in terms of our KPIs for the next Excellence Initiative. In addition, we should dare to set clear focuses and priorities in the sense of defining the path to excellence in order to be able to act in a targeted manner.

University Development Days, June 2023. Ulrike Wrobel (right). Copyright: Kristina Rottig/TU Braunschweig

Ulrike Wrobel, Head of the Equal Opportunities Office, Central Equal Opportunities Officer

For the strategic development of the over-arching issue of Equality & Diversity, I very much appreciate the external view that the Critical Friends offer us. The combination of this with our expert perspective provides me with important impulses for our work. We are also asking ourselves which discourses will be crucial in 2030 and what opportunities equality and diversity will offer.

One thought that I took with me from the University Development Days was: TU Braunschweig is a driver of innovation in many areas and of course also in society. We can appeal to prospective students, especially women, if we tackle application-oriented projects with social relevance in the region – for example, together with the numerous non-university research institutions. This design orientation is attractive and inspiring!

University Development Days, June 2023. Copyright: Kristina Rottig/TU Braunschweig

Anna Lena Scheider, Student 4th semester Master in Civil Engineering

The development of our university affects all status groups at TU Braunschweig. It is a process in which everyone has to “pull together” in order to achieve the goals set and to constantly develop as a university. That’s why I think it’s important for me as a student to be involved in this process and to have my opinion heard.

Especially through my participation in the working group “Student Recruitment at the TU Braunschweig” at the University Dvelopment Days this year I think that we have to present ourselves even more proactively in order to be perceived as an attractive and efficient university. To do this, it will be necessary to involve current students as well.