From almost 160 submissions in the Science Year 2024 – Freedom, the jury selected the best twelve project ideas. These include the Passau project PASSAUtonomy. A team led by Johanna Sinn and Marie Hirsch, graduate teaching and research assistants at Professor Karoline Reinhardt's Chair of Applied Ethics, has taken the idea of freedom of the philosopher Immanuel Kant, whose 300th birthday is this year, as the starting point for their concept. "On the subject of freedom, Kant's philosophy contains many reflections on questions that are important today, both individually and socially: How does my freedom relate to others and to the respect for them? How can the freedom of citizens be incorporated into legislative processes?" they explain. "We believe that Kant's philosophy should not only be discussed in philosophy seminars, especially in this day and age, and are therefore extremely pleased that we can now realise the project."
Professor Reinhardt shares this enthusiasm: "Philosophy belongs in public forums – or in the beer garden – and not in the ivory tower. The topics which interest us in philosophy are the questions that everyone ultimately asks themselves. This project not only demonstrates this, but also puts it into practice: It is an invitation to reflect together, to think further and to gain new insights through dialogue."
PASSAUtonomy explores philosophical and social questions about freedom in several formats, including a workshop for school pupils from secondary schools and an open 'philosophising in the beer garden' for all interested Passau residents. "For a lively discussion within the University, there will also be an exhibition organised with students and a panel discussion”, says the project team, which includes Johanna Sinn and Marie Hirsch as well as Paulina Dannhäuser, Fabian Willemsen, Lena Scholz, Julia Berner and Marian Micke.
The jury honoured a total of 12 ideas from young researchers from Chemnitz, Detmold, Freiburg, Halle, Jena, Munich, Nordhausen, Nuremberg, Oldenburg, Regensburg and Tübingen as well as Passau. The award-winning communication ideas reflect the great thematic diversity of the Science Year 2024. The teams each use different communication formats – from a web series to a card game to an interactive exhibition. The winning teams each receive 10,000 euros in prize money, which they can use to realise their ideas by the end of the year. Alongside realising their projects, they attend training courses and events organised by Wissenschaft im Dialogue, where they can also network with each other. A kick-off workshop on science communication and public relations will take place in mid-March.
More information about the university competition: www.hochschulwettbewerb.net/2024
Further information on the Year of Science: www.wissenschaftsjahr.de
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