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Students are sitting at the Martin Schmeisser Square in the summer © Roland Baege​/​TU Dortmund
Approximately 700 guests in the Main Lecture Hall

Academic Annual Celebration Dedicated to Civil Courage and Today's Technology

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The picture shows the Audimax of TU Dortmund University at the Academic Year Celebration 2024. The photo was taken from above and shows the audience from behind. In the center, further up in the picture, the TU Dortmund University orchestra can be seen, above it the presentation. The side walls of the Audimax are illuminated in green and are also illuminated on both sides with two circles in which the TU logo and the number 24 are displayed. © Roland Baege​/​TU Dortmund
Around 700 guests gathered for the Academic Anniversary Celebration in the Main Lecture Hall at TU Dortmund University.
It is the festive end of the year: At the Academic Anniversary Celebration on 16 December, President Prof. Manfred Bayer looked back on the latest developments at TU Dortmund University together with around 700 guests in the Main Lecture Hall. Guest speaker Prof. Barbara Hammer from the University of Bielefeld explained the limits of AI applications like ChatGPT. Traditionally, numerous prizes were also presented: for outstanding theses and dissertations, as well as for exceptional commitment to teaching and research. The University Medal was awarded to Former President Prof. Detlef Müller-Böling.

President Bayer dedicated his welcoming speech to all people who show civil courage: This is not a matter of course in times when democratic values are acutely endangered. Many are afraid to take a stand because they do not want to become the target of hostility themselves. “To show civil courage, one needs support. We must provide assistance to people who get involved.”

President praises UA Ruhr cooperation

Looking back on 2024, Bayer particularly emphasized the successful cooperation within the University Alliance Ruhr (UA Ruhr) with Ruhr University Bochum and the University of Duisburg-Essen: The establishment of the Research Alliance Ruhr is progressing, with 27 research professorships already filled. In the Excellence Strategy, the UA Ruhr partners have submitted four full applications, and this year the joint Council for Ethics & Responsibility was launched. 

The picture shows Rector Bayer behind a desk with a TU sign on the front. He is wearing a suit and tie. © Roland Baege​/​TU Dortmund
TU-President Prof. Manfred Bayer.

For TU Dortmund University, Prof. Bayer provided an overview of current construction projects: At the South Campus, a plot of land for the construction of a guest house has been found by the Association of Friends of TU Dortmund University (GdF), the reconstruction and new construction of the Central Library at the North Campus is in full swing, and the university will become even more climate-friendly in the new year thanks to a new photovoltaic open-space installation and a pellet cogeneration plant. He also reported on the lease for the Hansa-Carré in the city center, which was signed the day before: New learning and conference rooms for TU Dortmund University will be created here by autumn 2026.

The awards ceremony at the Academic Anniversary Celebration began with the TU Dortmund University teaching prizes in three categories. The prize for large courses with more than 60 participants was awarded to Prof. Thomas Schwentick from the Department of Computer Science for conveying the basic concepts of theoretical computer science, which last year’s prize winner Prof. Jan Nagel praised in his laudation as very clear, understandable, and versatile. Prof. Schwentick manages to inspire enthusiasm even for the very demanding content. Dr. Katrin Stolz, Head of the Division of Academic Teaching and Faculty Development at the Center for Higher Education, presented the prize for courses with fewer than 60 participants. This time, the prize went to the Summer School for Sustainability, an interdisciplinary and international project of the Departments of Spatial Planning, Chemistry and Chemical Biology, the Institute of Psychology, and the Sustainability Office (Marvin Maikler, Zeyneb Vildan Cakil, Paula Blumenschein, Victor Cobs- Muñoz, Prof. Stephan Heinzel, Dr. Henning Moldenhauer, Dorothea Metzen, Shober Legesse). The chairperson of the General Student Committee (AStA), Lara Witte, congratulated computer science student Calvin Danne on the teaching prize in the category of “Student Engagement” and highlighted his commitment in various committees such as the student parliament, senate, and department committees.

The picture shows Bayer, Müller-Böling and Flatten standing next to each other and smiling into the camera. Müller-Böling holds a certificate for another university medal in his hands. © Roland Baege​/​TU Dortmund
Former Rector Prof. Detlef Müller-Böling (center) received the University Medal for Special Services from Vice President International Affairs Prof. Tessa Flatten.

University medal goes to former President

For his special services to the university, Former President Prof. Detlef Müller-Böling received the University Medal. In her laudation, Prof. Tessa Flatten, Vice President International Affairs, highlighted his commitment to the Dortmund science location and educational justice: Among other things, he quickly and unbureaucratically provided financial resources through his “Bildungsengel e.V.” (Education Angel registered association) to bring international researchers threatened by crises in their home countries to TU Dortmund University and provide them with bridge assistance.

GdF chairperson Guido Baranowski and Prof. Wiebke Möhring, Vice President Academic Affairs, jointly presented the year’s best prizes for outstanding theses in the departments. The prizes went to: Niklas Robert Otto, Michael Gutnikov and Lasse Sternemann, Shenja Fabienne Over, Tom Stein, Pauline Baur, Lutz Vogel-Lackenberg, Mandy Wältermann, Niklas Alexander Wagner, Melissa Münster, Kira Peper, Cedric Bayard, Lena Ebers, Valerie Garcia Vogt, Lea Sennekamp, Joël Alipaß, Meike Sonntag, and Imren Icel.

For outstanding doctoral theses, Prof. Nele McElvany, Vice President Research, awarded the dissertation prizes to Dr. rer. nat. Stefan Grisard, Dr. rer. nat. Patrick Wolf Antoni, Dr.-Ing. Christian Hakert, Dr. rer. nat. Julia Christin Duda, Dr.-Ing. Felix Malte Hermes Fiedler, Dr.-Ing. Adina Grimmert, Dr.-Ing. Thorsten Sezgin-Oeder, Dr.-Ing. Muhammed Rayan, Dr.-Ing. Fabian Guhr, Dr. rer. pol. Lisa Gussek, Dr. phil. Andrés Ignacio Strello Toledo, Dr. phil. Nora Katharina Becker, Dr. phil. Mihail Sotkov, and Dr. phil. Adrian Ruda. With the Research Prize of the TU Dortmund University Young Academy, the Vice President honored Dr. Jens Mazei from the Institute of Psychology for his research on gender differences in salary negotiations this year.

Keynote speaker talks about AI

As the keynote speaker, Prof. Barbara Hammer from the University of Bielefeld spoke about the capabilities of artificial intelligence – and what AI cannot do. For instance, ChatGPT does not know truths and primarily reflects the mainstream from the available datasets as a “statistical parrot.” Unlike the audience – from whom the computer scientist created a kind of statistical language model by having them complete sentences – ChatGPT cannot incorporate causality, gestalt principles, and physics into information processing and thus arrives at fallacies through mere correlations. AI, unlike humans, also cannot judge when it does not know something.

The picture shows Prof. Barbara Hammer, Professor of Machine Learning at Bielefeld University, behind a desk with a TU Dortmund sign. © Roland Baege​/​TU Dortmund
Prof. Barbara Hammer is Professor of Machine Learning at Bielefeld University.

Due to statistically biased datasets or too few data on rare cases, ChatGPT & Co. often reinforce stereotypes and clichés. Therefore, research on fairness in AI is essential – with the “AI Act,” the European Union has already created legal frameworks for this year.

Festive atmosphere

Musically, the Academic Anniversary Celebration was accompanied by the Symphonic Wind Orchestra of TU Dortmund University under the direction of Constantin Hasselmann. The evening ended traditionally with a reception in the main cafeteria. As in previous years, the Academic Anniversary Celebration was supported by the Association of Friends of TU Dortmund University.

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