The Unibund Forum will open on Thursday, 19 March at 10.30 am with a discussion on the role of Central German universities in the debates surrounding current transformation processes. The following people will discuss this topic: Prof. Dr Eva Inés Obergfell, Rector of Leipzig University; Alfred Funk, Chancellor of Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg; and Prof. Dr B?rbel Kracke, Vice-President for University Community and Engagement at Friedrich Schiller University Jena.

This year’s Unibund Forum programme will focus on joint research activities between the universities. At the Research Institute Social Cohesion (RISC), for example, researchers from all three institutions of higher education are working together on key issues relating to civil society engagement and will share insights into their research work at two book fair events.

On Thursday, 19 March at 12 pm, Dr Holger Backhaus-Maul, Lina Hehl (both Martin Luther University and RISC), Prof. Dr Oliver Decker and Hannah Hoffmann (both Leipzig University) will be discussing ??ber organisiertes Engagement und zarte Ans?tze einer Zivilgesellschaft in Sachsen? (Organized engagement and the delicate beginnings of a civil society in Saxony). Also on 19 March at 1 pm, Linda von Faber (University of Jena), Dr Jakob Hartl and Dr Nils Teichler (both RISC) will be talking to the audience about ?Organized engagement and the delicate beginnings of a civil society in Saxony? (Crises, climate, cohesion—together towards a just future: insights into the connection between climate protection and social security)—an event in cooperation with the Climate Book Fair.

• Theologian Dr Barbara Beyer will speak on gender, sexualities and forms of relationship in the New Testament in the lecture ?In aller Vielfalt? (In all diversity) on Friday, 20 March at 1 pm.
• On the following Saturday at 12 pm, visitors can learn exciting things about the power of touch in the lecture ?Touch Me? by psychologist Prof. Ilona Croy.
• Afterwards, at 1 pm, the historians Prof. Anja Lauk?tter and Prof. Kim Siebenhüner will discuss European practices of dominance in ?R?umen und Zeiten des Kolonialen? (Spaces and Times of the Colonial).
• Also on Saturday at 2 pm, biology education expert Dr Karl Porges will talk about the current state of research into Nazi eugenics crimes and their consequences. He will also present pedagogical ideas for teaching the topic.
• At 4 pm, Prof. Ralf Koerrenz and Christoph Schr?der will introduce the basic ideas of the two books ?Semitismus –? eine Theorie und Kultur? (Semitism—a theory and culture) and ?Semitismus ?– eine Kultur der Praxis? (Semitism—a culture of practice) with a keynote speech on the topic of ?Das Semitische als Grundlage der Europ?ischen Demokratie? (Semitism as the basis of European democracy).

Anyone interested in studying at one of the three universities will have the opportunity to ask individual questions and find out about study options at the book fair.

The entire programme of the Forum Unibund and the ?Leipzig reads? events can be found hereExternal link (German only).