9th BTU Birthday - Celebrating Together and Doing Good

The exchange of ideas over coffee and cake, the fun of getting involved in the wide range of activities and, in particular, the desire to do something good for others in view of what is happening in Ukraine determined the program of the birthday celebration.

How actively the BTU is working to offer Ukrainian refugees a future was explained in their opening remarks by University President Prof. Gesine Grande in Senftenberg and Senior Vice President Prof. Michael Hübner in Cottbus. Thus, there are already about 80 enrollments of Ukrainian refugees in the guest student program, prepare the first German courses for study. A scholarship holder in the Volkswagen Foundation's guest research program for Ukrainian scientists who have fled is housed with Prof. Vladimir Mirsky in biotechnology.

In addition to the BTU president, Pastor Christoph Polster of the Ukrainian Network Cottbus also spoke to the approximately 150 university members present in Senftenberg and provided information about the enormous willingness to donate in the region, among other things. In Cottbus welcomed the main BTU Vice President and Narine George of the Ukrainian network. As part of a fundraising campaign for the Ukrainian Network Cottbus, a total of 775 euros was collected as a result of the cake bazaar held on the occasion of the BTU's birthday. Busy bakers at both locations provided 23 cakes each for the good cause. The winner of the bake sale in Senftenberg was Corina Bär, who baked a Mallorcan almond cake, and in Cottbus it was Cordula Treu with a chocolate cake.

Celebratory atmosphere with sporting highlights

In Senftenberg, the rousing performance of the budding therapy scientists from the Rock'n Roll sports course, the live music of Johanna Krafczyk and Mario Heß from the "Randale Orchester", the trial offers of the university sports, such as spikeball, ladder golf, tug-of-war or summer skiing as well as the mobile student bar "BlauPause" ensured the best party mood. Live music, the first honey harvest of the year from the BTU bees and a guided tour of the Gumno Garden were some of the highlights of the birthday program at the central campus, where numerous students flocked to the campus after lectures.

BTU all-around special

A total of ten teams of four to ten students and staff members from all four faculties represented at the campus - 1, 2, 3 and 4 - took part in the exciting BTU multi-discipline special in Senftenberg. They competed in Viking chess, music quiz, limo pong, bocce and taboo (guessing terms based on drawings). The award ceremony by the BTU's Vice President for Academic Affairs, Prof. Peer Schmidt, brought the festivities to a crowning conclusion. First place went to the team "Die Pilzköpfe" from Faculty 2 with 20.5 points. There were two second places with 20 points each - won by the team "LAP - Last and Proud" from Faculty 4 and the team "Hello World" from Medical Informatics of Faculty 1.

International Cricket Tournament

The sporting highlight at the Cottbus central campus was the start of a three-day cricket tournament with 50 participating students from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, where cricket is a popular sport, and from Germany - organized by the International Relations Office with support from the university sports department. After the kickoff by BTU Chancellor Alfred Funk as part of the birthday celebration, the "Warriors" were one of four mixed teams to celebrate their tournament victory on Sunday, July 3.

The university management would like to thank all those who made the successful celebration of the 9th BTU birthday possible: the cake bakers, the Sparkasse Spree-Neiße bank, the Studentenwerk Frankfurt (Oder), the organization team, and all those involved.

There will be even more reason to celebrate next year, when the BTU Cottbus-Senftenberg completes its first decade.