University Annual Celebration at Ruperto Carola: Opening of New Academic Year

Ruperto Carola is opening the 2025/2026 Academic Year with its annual celebration, which traditionally takes place at the beginning of the lecture period. At the same time, members of the university along with friends, supporters and alumni are marking the 639th anniversary of the founding of Heidelberg University. After the Rector’s address, this year’s event will center around an academic conversation on the topic of diversity. In addition, the winners of the Hengstberger Prizes will present their work to the university public. The annual celebration, which is taking place on 18 October 2025 in the Great Hall of the Old University, will also include an expression of appreciation for the academic support units.

Prof. Dr Frauke Melchior, Rector of Heidelberg University, will open the festive occasion with welcoming remarks and an address. She will combine her review of significant events during the past Academic Year with a look to future developments and upcoming challenges. Furthermore, the Rector will honor a committed supporter of the university in the person of Prof. Dr Hanns-Peter Knaebel. The longstanding chair of the University Council, who as an external member participated in this supervisory, strategic and advisory body for twelve years, was admitted to the circle of honorary senators last year in recognition of his sustained, extraordinary engagement. Prof. Melchior will now award him the appointment document and the medal of an honorary senator. 

In the scientific conversation, representatives from various fields of the university will address the question “Living diversity: ambition and reality”. Panelists are Gloria Buck from the accessibility desk of the Student Council, Dr Rafael Klöber from the university’s heiSKILLS Competence and Language Centre, and Charlotte von Knobelsdorff, head of UNIFY – the central university institution for issues relating to family, diversity, equality and antidiscrimination. Prof. Dr Karen Nolte will also take part in the conversation. The director of the Institute for Medical History and Ethics at the Medical Faculty Heidelberg played a major part in introducing a new qualification option for master’s students and doctoral candidates, Gender & Queer Studies.

The 2025 Klaus-Georg and Sigrid Hengstberger Prize for early-career researchers will also be presented during the annual celebration. The three awards are each worth 12,500 euros. They go to a prize-winning team, Junior Professor Dr Philipp Dabringhaus (inorganic chemistry) and Dr Tobias Morack (organic chemistry), as well as to two individual laureates, English Studies scholar Dr Annika Elstermann and mathematician Dr Bianca Marchionna. The prize money will enable each of them to conduct a symposium at the International Academic Forum Heidelberg. During the event, the university also focuses on staff from the academic support units – represented this year by Ursula Scheurich from the Glass Technology department of Central Services Neuenheimer Feld, which develops and produces glassware for research and teaching, including special fabrications for experimental setups.

Providing the musical setting for the annual celebration are members of the Collegium Musicum – the university orchestra and university choir – under the baton of University Music Director Michael Sekulla. Markus Brock will be the presenter at the event.

The annual celebration, open to the university public, is taking place on 18 October 2025 in the Great Hall of the Old University, starting at 11am.