Anniversary 2026 Friday, 24 July 2026
Today offers a variety of programme items, including some from the specialist departments. The morning will focus on the topic of mentoring, and a glittering celebration awaits you in the evening.
The programme overview is continuously updated. To make sure you don't miss any additions and changes, please check back from time to time. If you have any questions about the anniversary, please contact us by email: jubilaeum@alumni.uni-heidelberg.de
Please note: Events marked with * have a limited number of participants
Welcome & Registration
From 9:00 AM – Old Town
Registration and welcome at the HAI office
Please come to the HAI office at Marstallstraße 6 for registration and a welcome. There you will receive all the important information about the celebrations and have the opportunity to clarify all kinds of organisational matters. The HAI office will be open daily during the anniversary celebrations and the HAI team will be on hand to offer advice and assistance. Further useful information can be found in the event app.
A Lasting Impact – How Mentoring Changes Careers
10:00 am-12:00 pm – Location TBA
Breakfast with ideas: For current and future mentors
Mentoring means more than just passing on experience or giving career advice. Often, it is a conversation at the right time, honest feedback or an encouraging question that gives students guidance and has a lasting impact on their future path.
In this event, we invite you to take a closer look at your role as a mentor and to consciously recognise the impact of your commitment. You can look forward to an inspiring exchange with other mentors, brief insights from practice and space for reflection: Which encounters have remained particularly memorable? What makes mentoring truly effective? And how can you best support students without making decisions for them?
The event is intended as an opportunity for reflection and mutual inspiration. At the same time, we would like to thank you for your commitment – because it is your dedication that gives students guidance, encourages them and opens up new paths.
We look forward to working with you to highlight the importance of mentoring and provide new impetus.
Please note: A workshop for interested students/young alumni is happening simultaneously, the attendants of which you can meet at the event Mentor Match afterwards.
10:00 am-12:00 pm – Location TBA
Preparation workshop: For students and graduates in the career search phase
This workshop functions as a preparation for the upcoming event Mentor Match. Interested students and young alumni will receive topic suggestions or networking tips and prepare sample questions to be well prepared for the conversations with the mentors.
Please note: Students and young alumni who only attend the mentoring workshop and the mentor match do not need to be registered for “30 Years HAI”. Information regarding workshop registration will follow.
12:30-2:00 pm – Location TBA
Mentor Match: Speed mentoring & match making with mentors
At the Mentor Match, well prepared students and young alumni will meet experienced alumni who want to participate in the HAI-network as mentors. In a short amount of time, the event will give valuable insights into career paths, occupational fields as well as personal development and give the opportunity for meeting mentors. In multiple short conversation rounds, participants will be able to ask specific questions, exchange experiences and gain different practical perspectives. Thanks to the direct exchange, students and alumni can find out which mentor fits them best and lay the foundation for a possible mentoring relationship.
The goal of this event is to provide orientation, strengthen the direct exchange between university and career, build networks and give students or alumni the chance to meet their future mentor.
Great Minds Behind Great Achievements
* 10:30 Am-12:00 Pm – Im Neuenheimer Feld
Guided tour “Heidelberg's Nobel Prize Laureates of Medicine”
The excellent reputation of the Heidelberg University is based not least on its Nobel Prize laureates from the areas of physiology or medicine: Albrecht Kossel, Otto Meyerhof, Bert Sakmann, Harald zur Hausen. Learn about the scientific achievements, but also the special circumstances of the discoveries and the scientists’ own personalities on a tour of the laureates’ worksites. Discover just how exciting research can be.
HAUS General Assembly 2026
10:30 Am-12:30 PM – Old Town
HAUS National Meeting
The HAUS 18th National Meeting will take place on Friday, July 24, from 10:30 - 12:30 at the Heidelberg Center for American Studies (HCA). The meeting will offer HAUS members a great opportunity to connect further with alumni, students and researchers while attending the HAI anniversary. A brunch buffet will be provided. A brief programme will follow, to include short presentations by some current students. Subsequently, participants will have the opportunity to attend mayor Prof. Dr Eckart Würzner’s reception in the town hall.
Modernity in Traditional Guise
* 11:00 am-12:00 pm – Old Town
Guided tour of the new concert hall “Stadthalle Heidelberg”
The Stadthalle has been at the heart of Heidelberg's cultural life since 1903. After six years of closure, the house on the Neckar has reopened, and with it a place that means a great deal to many people in this city. Restored to its historic grandeur, the concert hall now features a glazed portico with views across the Neckar towards the Philosophers' Walk. Join us on a guided tour to explore what makes this venue so special and what lies ahead for it. The Stadthalle team looks forward to welcoming you
The City of Heidelberg invites to the Town Hall
* 1:00-2:30 PM – Old Town
Reception by Mayor Prof. Dr Eckart Würzner
We are delighted that Heidelberg Mayor, Prof. Dr Würzner, warmly welcomes guests of “30 Years HAI” at the Heidelberg City Hall. In his keynote, he presents Heidelberg as Germany’s knowledge pearl and highlights the city’s exceptional connection between science and business, which makes it an international centre for innovation and research. During the reception, participants have the opportunity to engage in personal conversations, deepen connections, and further expand the international alumni network.
GFL in Conversation – Experiences, Developments and New Teaching Methods
2:00-4:00 PM – Location TBA
Exchange of experiences GFL
With this event, we invite you to an open exchange on key developments in the didactics of teaching German as a Foreign Language (GFL). What has changed in the GFL classroom? What fundamental developments have we seen, how are they proving themselves, and what adjustments would be desirable?
Anyone who works (or has worked) in the field of German as a Foreign Language, has personal experience as a learner or even as a former participant in the Heidelberg International Summer Course for German Language and Culture, or is simply curious about how our German courses have changed compared to the past, is warmly invited to attend. Curiosity and openness to current perspectives are the focus of this event. Nostalgic reflections are nevertheless welcome.
Ask your Univeristy Pharmacist About any Health Risks and Possible Side Effects
* 3:00-4:30 PM – Im Neuenheimer Feld
Guided tour of the University Hospital Pharmacy (GER)
The hospital pharmacy at Heidelberg University Hospital is one of the largest hospital pharmacies in Germany, supplying nearly 2,600 hospital beds, with a purchasing volume of almost €160 million and more than 160 employees. In contrast to community pharmacies, it is worth mentioning the strong focus on the manufacture of individual drug preparations and investigational medicinal products, as well as drug information.
Senior researcher and former pharmacy manager Dr Torsten Hoppe-Tichy, a specialist pharmacist in clinical pharmacy and pharmaceutical analysis, will provide us with expert insight into pills, drops, risks, and side effects.
Wavehouse Campbell Heidelberg – Europe's Largest 3D-printed Building
* 3:00-5:00 PM – Südstadt
Guided tour of the Wavehouse Campbell (GER)
Regional data centres are extremely important for a science city like Heidelberg and for an innovative business location like the Rhine-Neckar metropolitan region. After all, demanding applications in research and medicine, state-of-the-art IoT applications, and complex AI models only run when the data journey is short. Heidelberg iT operates a server hotel in the Wavehouse, Europe's largest 3D-printed building made from 100% recyclable material. Join this tour to learn about cutting-edge construction and forward-thinking entrepreneurship in Heidelberg.
International Alumni Routes – Careers in Germany
4:00-5:30 PM – Location TBA
Reading & discussion
For international students, successfully entering the German job market is usually the most important prerequisite for gaining a foothold in Germany. To encourage young people to take this difficult step and to provide them with concrete guidance, the heiSKILLS Career Service, with the support of the DAAD and international alumni who have remained in Germany, has designed the booklet ‘International Alumni Routes – Careers in Germany’. Short readings from the booklet will give you personal insights into starting a career in Germany and teach you more about topics such as dos and don'ts, specific challenges, and tips for job interviews. The contributions provide inspiration and invite questions and discussion afterwards.
Between the Castle and the Old Bridge way, gaps in learning fade away
* Time TBA – Old town
Students guide visitors around the Old Town (GER)
Want to get a taste of university life today? Would you like to experience something new or different about the university and student life today first-hand? On a 1.5-hour campus tour, you will stroll through the Old Town campus. You will explore university buildings, soak up the atmosphere and get to know the hot spots for students. A tour led by current students exclusively for former students.
HAI members in Focus
Time TBA – Old Town
Photo shoot at the HAI office
People from all over the world are the driving force and soul of the HAI network. We are delighted and proud to show this: in our publications (alumni magazine, newsletter, flyers, etc.) and on our websites, HAI members of the HAIsociety already present a diverse face. This is as varied and interesting as the community it represents.
Join in and have your photo taken! With a photo in classic HAI style, you will not only receive a wonderful portrait, but also a souvenir of the alumni anniversary.
Time TBA – Old Town
Short video portraits: STEM Careers – Encouraging Outlooks
Did you always know what you wanted to do for a living? Or did you ask yourself after graduating: What can I actually do with my degree? And how did I get to where I am now?
If you have asked yourself these questions and now even have answers to them, then we would like to get to know you.
Share your experiences with us and the next generation of students and show how diverse the paths after a (STEM) degree can be. Our two phänoMINTal! reporters will ask you a few questions about your experiences, your path and your current working life and create a short video portrait that offers the next generation possible perspectives, individual paths and valuable insights.
Ruperto Carola Summer Party
6:00 PM – Old Town
University summer party
Friday evening begins with a champagne reception: we welcome you to the Marstallhof and get in the mood for the evening together. Against the backdrop of the Marstallhof, we will enjoy a summer evening with lively live music in a relaxed atmosphere. A celebration not only for the HAI network, but for the entire university. Look forward to the opportunity to exchange ideas with students, staff, and scientists, and take advantage of the chance to make new acquaintances and enjoy the atmosphere of summer in Heidelberg.
Events organized by departments and institutes
This year, departments and institutes are once again planning to offer activities. These will be added soon.
Overview of the entire programme
A list with all the “30 Years HAI” events can be found here:
