Annual celebration at Ruperto Carola Defending Subject Diversity and Research Freedom
20 October 2025
Annual celebration at Ruperto Carola with address by the Rector – university members, friends, supporters and alumni marked the 639th anniversary of the founding of Heidelberg University
“A complex of topics that continues to call for our maximum attention is the question of how we can protect our university as a space for open discourse,” underlined the Rector of Ruperto Carola, Prof. Dr Frauke Melchior. At the same time, she called on her listeners to maintain respectful dealings with one another that are based on scientific and academic criteria, and to do their utmost to oppose nationalism, isolation, calls for boycotts and cancel culture. Prof. Melchior’s address was the curtain-raiser for the annual celebration with which the new Academic Year is traditionally opened. The festive occasion also presented an opportunity to invite not only members of the university but also friends, supporters and alumni to celebrate the 639th anniversary of Heidelberg University.
Address
In her address, the Rector combined a review of significant events of the past Academic Year with a look to future developments and upcoming challenges, such as the next steps in the Excellence Strategy of the federal and state governments. After the cluster decisions it was now a matter of defending the status as a University of Excellence, Prof. Melchior said. In her remarks, the Rector also enlarged on the topic of academic freedom. She called on listeners to defend the diversity of subjects and freedom of research against those who regarded universities as a mere training place for the employment market or who took the view that they should now give priority to national interests, primarily in the fields of technology transfer or defense research. “We understand this university to be an outward-looking institution with excellent international connections. Also because we are convinced that the great global challenges – climate change, pandemics and resource scarcity – can only be resolved through international cooperation,” the Rector added.
Honorary doctorate
Furthermore, the Rector honored a committed supporter of Heidelberg University in the person of Prof. Dr Hanns-Peter Knaebel. In his function as long-standing chair of the University Council, to which he belonged as an external member with prominent leading positions in business from 2012 to 2024, Prof. Knaebel had guided this supervisory, strategic and advisory body of the university with great competence and sound judgement, the Rector said. Coming, as he did, from Heidelberg Medicine, he had always built bridges between academia and industry, she added. In recognition of his sustained and extraordinary engagement Hanns-Peter Knaebel had been admitted to the circle of honorary senators last year. It was a special pleasure and honor to award him now the appointment document and the medal of an honorary senator, Prof. Melchior emphasized.
Academic conversation
The topic of diversity was at the center of the scientific conversation entitled “Living diversity: ambition and reality”. The panel focused on different aspects of diversity, for example, influenced by gender, origin, personal challenges or impairments, also among students. “We must support students where they run into barriers or where barriers arise,” underlined Dr Rafael Klöber from the university’s heiSKILLS Competence and Language Centre. And Gloria Buck from the autonomous accessibility desk of the Student Council called for more resources for drop-in centers. She said that they were doing a good job but that their supply did not meet demand in any way. Charlotte von Knobelsdorff reported on the GUIDE system with volunteer guides in all areas of the university. She is the director of UNIFY, the central university institution for issues relating to family, diversity, equality and antidiscrimination, which has established this broad network of contact persons for advice-seekers in stressful situations. During the talk with journalist and moderator Markus Brock, Prof. Dr Karen Nolte, moreover, explained the new qualification program for master’s students and doctoral candidates, Gender & Queer Studies. The director of the Institute for Medical History and Ethics at the Medical Faculty Heidelberg played a major role in introducing this option.
Klaus-Georg and Sigrid Hengstberger Prize
The annual celebration also featured the presentation of this year’s Klaus-Georg and Sigrid Hengstberger Prize for early-career researchers. 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 the young researchers to conduct a symposium at the International Academic Forum Heidelberg. For example, Dr Elstermann will deal with generative AI as a cultural phenomenon in order to analyze the function, impact and effects of artificial intelligence from the angle of the humanities.
Academic support units
Heidelberg University also takes the opportunity of the annual celebration to focus on the staff of academic support units. Ursula Scheurich reported on her work in the Glass Technology department of Central Services Neuenheimer Feld. It develops and produces glassware for research and teaching, including special fabrications for research setups. Even though this requires patience with the material and oneself, and high frustration tolerance: “Glass is simply unique,” said the expert, who had also brought along a few visual aids for the exchange with Markus Brock, for example, a mosquito feeding place.
The musical setting for the annual celebration was provided by members of the Collegium Musicum – the university orchestra and university choir – under the baton of University Music Director Michael Sekulla. The celebration took place on 18 October 2025 in the Great Hall of the Old University.