“Open Worlds – Share Knowledge”: This is the by now well-known motto of OPEN CAMPUS. The third event of its kind held last Saturday drew around 19,000 visitors to the campus. Already in the hours running up to the official opening, large numbers of people came to the more than 40 exhibition tents specially erected in the Campus Park, where University members were waiting for them to answer questions about studies, research, training, jobs and the diverse aspects of international life that mark Bremen’s University of Excellence. By evening, the 60 guided tours, 30 lectures and eleven children’s workshops were virtually booked out. There was also plenty of stage entertainment, with the popular chemistry and physics show, international dance performances, a poetry slam, and several bands. The evening highlight was a concert featuring the Hamburg rapper, Samy Deluxe. And the younger visitors were entertained throughout the day in the Campus Park with lots of fun and games on the children’s campus.

The University President, Professor Bernd Scholz-Reiter began his short welcome address with the words “We are delighted to see you all here today. We invite you to OPEN CAMPUS so you can get an idea of who we are and what we do at the University”. He went on to thank all the helpers and the friends and sponsors of the University “for their support, without which the campus festival would not be possible.”

Reasearch – playfully communicated

“The University really puts on an impressive show for OPEN CAPUS”, said a mother who was browsing around with her 13-year-old son. They had just watched a show of experiments presented by the Faculty of Biology/Chemistry and were now enjoying chocolate ice cream made with the help of liquid nitrogen. An exchange student from Thailand was also very enthusiastic: In the Geography tent she was able to test a small roundabout which climate researchers used to playfully illustrate what Coriolis force is: “It plays an important role in meteorology“, explained Professor Ben Marzeion, who says he wants to communicate science in an illustrative way. He also uses the roundabout when instructing students in his lecture courses.

A good format

Things were also very busy throughout the afternoon in the MZH building. Beside numerous short lectures, there was the so-called Solar Cup, in which some 100 students from Bremen and the surrounding area could take part in races with self-built model vehicles. Torsten Bolik, who works at the University, says “OPEN CAMPUS is a good format for attracting visitors to the campus and enabling them insights into our University”.

Thanks to all sponsors and supporters

OPEN CAMPUS has been taking place every two years since 2013. It just wouldn’t be possible without its many sponsors. Among them this year were the Sparkasse Bremen, the AOK Bremen / Bremerhaven, the Bremen Economic Development Council, Lampe & Schwartze KG, Entsorgung Nord GmbH & Co. KG, Wall GmbH, as well as the Manfred and Ursula Fluß Foundation, the Wolfgang Ritter Foundation, the Stiftung Bremer Wertpapierbörse, the Alumni Association of the University of Bremen and the Foundation of the University of Bremen. The Weser-Kurier newspaper and Radio Bremen vier are once again the media partners of OPEN CAMPUS.