"Shift change" in lecture hall A.202 on the Emil-Figge-Straße campus of Fachhochschule Dortmund: deans, professors, administrative staff and vice-rectors had taken their seats in the rows of folding seats. Many of them give lectures themselves. This time, they were listening.
Lecturers who have only been at the UAS for a short time stood in front of the blackboard and whiteboard. They presented themselves to their colleagues and the university in ten-minute mini-lectures, sparking enthusiasm for their subject area.
"Schichtwechsel" is a new format organized by the Institute for Higher Education Didactics and colleagues in the "Welcome Prof 360 Grad" pre- and onboarding project. The mini inaugural lectures will take place regularly from now on to give the newcomers a stage. At the same time, the format is intended to promote interdisciplinary networking, as interdisciplinary research and joint teaching increase quality.
Four faculties at the first "shift change"
How well this works became clear at the kick-off "shift change" on October 10, 2024. In crisp presentations, lecturers from the Faculties of Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Business Studies and Applied Social Studies introduced themselves and their areas of teaching and research. Intersections quickly became apparent. For example, Prof. Dr. Darius Schippritt, who succeeds Prof. Dr. Peter Haas(Opens in a new tab) at the Faculty of Computer Science and teaches medical computer science. What is possible digitally in medicine, but also where the challenges lie, became clear in his lecture and immediately aroused the interest of Prof. Dr. Michael Kühler. He is a new member of the Faculty of Applied Social Studies and teaches Applied Ethics. Digitalization and the ethics surrounding artificial intelligence also play an important role in his research. This brings us full circle to Prof. Dr. Klaus Kaiser. The data scientist teaches students at the Faculty of Computer Science how to deal with huge amounts of data.
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Prof. Dr. Johannes Neidhart ignited a firework display of figures at the shift change that left those present in awe. He is a mathematician and new to the Faculty of Electrical Engineering. "Mathematics is a language for me," he explained, demonstrating how the structure of an energy network can be translated into a matrix of zeros and ones. For him, the abstraction of relationships to numbers and formulas is a cornerstone for understanding and therefore the path to a solution. This made sense even to those in the audience for whom numbers tend to cause confusion. Prof. Dr. Juan Velásquez then explained why the mathematical translation and analysis of energy networks is important. He conducts research into energy transportation and distribution and will thus contribute to the energy transition in Germany. After his lecture, it was clear to everyone that there is still a lot to do.
Professor Dr. Doris Erbe, who studies the conditions and consequences of unwanted pregnancies at the Faculty of Applied Social Studies, and Dr. Julian Grote, who has taken over from Prof. Dr. Stefan Weyers, Vice-Rector for Teaching and Studies at the Faculty of Business Studies, were also present. He teaches statistics, mathematics and data science and has the major goal of reducing students' fear of math. With the enthusiasm with which the new lecturers presented themselves at the first "shift change", this will be a success.