Swimming 800 meters, cycling 20 kilometers and running 5 kilometers - Kathrin Rehfeld took on this challenge last year at the university triathlon. For the sports scientist, participation was exciting in two ways: overcoming her own limits while collecting data for her research and teaching. She told us how she fared during training and the final competition.

February 20 is Social Justice Day. An important concept for a democratic welfare state in which we live in Germany. But what exactly does social justice mean and can we really achieve this ideal state in times of inflation and climate change? And if so, how far away is Germany from social justice? Economist Prof. Dr. Andreas Knabe talks about this in an interview.

Every day, when we use our computer or smartphone, we leave behind lots of digital traces. All this data is used to create personality profiles for which targeted advertising is placed with the help of predictive algorithms - tailored to the personality behind the user profile. Political decisions can also be influenced by specifically placed incentives. A research team at Magdeburg University is therefore looking into security in the digital world.

When they hear the word “evolution”, the majority of people think of Darwin and the history of the development of species, but not of algorithms. But this exactly what Tobias Benecke is talking about when he speaks of evolution. This is because, as in many other areas of science, he too uses concepts from nature to drive forward scientific progress and rethink the world. More precisely, Tobias Benecke’s research is about evolutionary algorithms.

Because of the Alexander von Humboldt Fellowship, Dr. Richard Sufo from Cameroon can conduct research at the University of Magdeburg for two years at the Chair of Political Science with a focus on sustainable development. With his work he wants to encourage science, politics and society to use all available knowledge to stop climate change. Lisa Baaske spoke with him about his research, his goals and what the fellowship means to him.

At the University of Magdeburg, studying is not the only option; you can also learn a variety of professions. Not for long now, the photography apprenticeship has been one of them. Hannah Theile is the first "foto trainee", as she is affectionately called by her team, i.e. the first apprentice in the field of photography at the university. She plans to complete her photography apprenticeship this summer. During her training, she had the opportunity to complete an internship in Barcelona. For this she is now receiving the Europe Passport.

In Germany, historically grown, there is actually a clear separation between academic and vocational education. However, a model experiment in the 1970s showed that the combination of these parallel worlds was extremely well received by young people. The dual courses of study were born and are becoming increasingly popular. However, uniform standards have been lacking up to now. That's why Prof. Dina Kuhlee and her team are investigating which concepts are most successful.

Matthias Scheer works on the second floor of Building 10 in the IT department for the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering. As far as that goes, it's nothing out of the ordinary. However, if the elevator breaks down, he goes home again - because he is dependent on a wheelchair and therefore also on the elevator to get to the office. He tells us how he copes with a normal working day.

The answer to this question is just that: diverse! It depends on the context in which the word is considered. It depends on what focus is to be placed on its meaning. At universities, diversity means that a variety of university members interact with each other, exchange ideas, influence each other, but also their environment, and learn and develop from and with each other. We asked around campus: What does diversity mean to you? The answers were varied and open up completely different perspectives on diversity.

Since the ratification of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, the topic of inclusion has gained momentum. In cooperation with the Pfeiffer Foundations in Magdeburg, the inclusive continuing education program, “Workshop Uni” was launched in the summer semester. This is aimed at adults working in sheltered workshops and teaching staff. Moreover, as part of the project, students help develop new inclusive adult and continuing education formats and materials.