Inspiring finale: the highlights of the innovation semester
Around 160 young people from Düsseldorf and the surrounding area took part in the Wissensregion Düsseldorf Innovation Semester in the 2019/20 winter semester.
A total of sixteen teams started, led by experts from Heinrich Heine University, Düsseldorf University of Applied Sciences, Robert Schumann University of Applied Sciences Düsseldorf, Fliedner University of Applied Sciences Düsseldorf, the city administration, companies and studios.
The young, diverse groups tackled various social challenges in their projects and presented their results to around 250 guests on the evening of February 17.
And the winner is …
Many of the 16 projects were worthy of an award. “I am impressed by how many committed young people in the Wissensregion Düsseldorf took part in this innovation semester,” said Lord Mayor Thomas Geisel, who opened the evening with his speech. Gregor Berghausen, Managing Director of IHK Düsseldorf, also confirmed this in his closing remarks: “We are proud to support the final results and to present an award to the best team of this innovation semester.” This went to the “BIWENAV – Bildungswege-Navigator” project, a joint project of the Pro Ausbildung foundation and the city’s school administration office, following a viewer vote. Under the responsibility of Renate Kiszkiel (Municipal Coordination City of Düsseldorf), BIWENAV was developed as an interactive online tool that brings more transparency to the complex education system for pupils. The work was carried out on the basis of existing material in a target group-oriented and interdisciplinary manner. The BIWENAV uses interactive communication to show young people which paths are possible within Düsseldorf after graduating from school.
Highlights of the evening
The guests agreed that, in addition to the award ceremony, the event hall itself was a highlight of the evening.
“We are very grateful to the Academy of Sciences, Humanities and the Arts for giving the projects such a stage. The atmosphere of the evening was special,” said Dr. Christina Rauh from Wissensregion Düsseldorf and also course director of the “Future Trees” project.
“The teams’ presentation stands were extremely interesting, especially in their diversity: from the tree seedling auction at our table, to trying out the democracy games we developed, to live fine dust measurements, everything was there. It was almost like a mini version of the Night of Science.”
Last but not least, many of the evening’s guests will also remember the acoustic break that Florian Zeeh, course leader of the Stadtklangbilder team from the Robert Schumann Hochschule Düsseldorf, gave the audience.
Unique in Germany
The participants were also delighted to receive their certificates at the end of the official program.
Everyone received a certificate for this teaching-research format, which is unique in Germany.
“The first innovation semester was already a huge success. The second round this winter, with its 16 great projects, has underlined what is possible when young people from different disciplines are given a current challenge to solve together,” says Prof. Dr. Ulrich von Alemann, Managing Director of Wissensregion Düsseldorf.
“As Düsseldorfers, we can be proud to have invented this unique nationwide format, the Innovation Semester. Imitation is encouraged.”
The innovation semester enters its 3rd round in fall 2020
The Innovation Semester of Wissensregion Düsseldorf always takes place during the winter semester: It starts in October and ends in spring.
The 3rd round will start in fall 2020.
If you have a topic for a course or would like to lead a team, you can find information for course leaders here.
Just get in touch with us!
If you would like to take part in one of the courses in the fall and then stand on stage with results yourself in spring 2021, you can apply for courses via our website from August 2020.
Further information can be found here.
We thank…
… to everyone who made this exhilarating evening possible: first and foremost the participants, who found great innovations through their commitment and creativity; all those responsible for the courses, who constantly gave their team impetus throughout the semester; our participating members, the universities and chambers and the state capital Düsseldorf for getting involved in this format; the van Meeteren Foundation, the Herzog Erik von Arenberg Foundation and the Landschaftsverband Rheinland for the donations that made the project funds possible; and the IHK Düsseldorf and the North Rhine-Westphalian Academy of Sciences, Humanities and the Arts for their support as co-organizers of the results finale. Brief information on all 16 projects can be found in the evening’s program: Ergebnis-Finale Innovationssemester_17.02.2020_Programm.
Photos: Melanie Zanin
