BTU welcomes freshmen and signs new cooperation agreement

The Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus-Senftenberg (BTU) rang in the new academic year on Monday, October 9, 2023, in a festive, diverse and colorful manner. The BTU welcomed its first-year students and their families at a festive event in the Cottbus Stadthalle. University management and members of the university celebrated with them as well as with many partners and supporters from politics, business and culture.

The matriculation ceremony began with a cheerful get-together in the center of Cottbus: Women in Sorbian traditional costumes welcomed the BTU guests with bread and salt. The student Indian Dance Group provided an atmospheric prelude on the Stadthallen forecourt with dance performances and spirited rhythms. Instrumental and Vocal Performance and Teaching students delighted guests at the commencement ceremony with classical and modern music. In addition, the entertaining program included: the ceremonial enrolment, the presentation of this year's DAAD award, a competition between the cities of Cottbus and Senftenberg, and a new cooperation agreement.

BTU President Prof. Dr. Gesine Grande: "The start of the new academic year is just as much a highlight for us as it is for our new students, for whom a new phase of their lives is beginning. It is a great responsibility for us to accompany them well from the beginning, because they are the ones who will help shape and mold our world of tomorrow. They come from the region, from all over Germany and - over 40 percent - from all over the world. I am extremely pleased that so many young people have once again decided to study at BTU. They are a valuable asset to our cities and to Lusatia, and I am certain that our students will contribute their own ideas to their studies and work with us on the major research topics of the future."

Prof. Dr. Peer Schmidt, Vice-President for Academic Affairs: "Even though enrollment procedures are still underway and the number of students for the winter semester has not yet been finalized, we will be able to enjoy increasing numbers of new students at BTU for the third year in a row - contrary to the trend throughout Germany. The new study programmes launched last year and this year, such as primary school teaching and our four AI study programmes, have met with a great response. The international study programmes also continue to enjoy great popularity. In the traditional engineering sciences, we score particularly well with our dual study programs."

Mayor Tobias Schick and Mayor Andreas Pfeiffer spoke on behalf of the cities of Cottbus and Senftenberg. The representatives of the student body also warmly welcomed their new fellow students.

The Vice-President for Academic Affairs of the Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus-Senftenberg, Prof. Dr. Peer Schmidt, and the deans of the six BTU faculties performed the enrolment ceremony: They enrolled one* student for each faculty, deputy for all freshmen* students of the university.

This year's German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) prize of 1,000 euros went to Yuyao Jiang, a master's student in Electrical Engineering, for her outstanding academic performances and social commitment. This year, the BTU awarded the DAAD prize to an international student for the 29th time.

During the opening ceremony of the academic year, a new cooperation agreement was signed between the Brandenburg University of Technology and the city of Cottbus. The agreement focuses on concrete fields of action such as the development of the science location and the shaping of the BTU in the urban context, the targeted promotion of innovations, and opportunities for cooperation in partnership at various levels, for example in the support and establishment of a democratic civil society. The partner institutions will coordinate and prioritize these goals on a regular basis.

BTU President Prof. Grande said: "We want to join forces to further develop the city, the BTU, and the business and science location in a targeted manner. Being strong together for the future is exactly the right way to tackle all the current challenges. In this respect, I am pleased that we have signed this cooperation agreement today, which both sides will actively develop in the future."

Mayor Tobias Schick said, "The BTU Cottbus-Senftenberg is one of the locomotives of change in Lusatia. Our agreement makes it clear that we are not mere appendages to each other in this, but are pulling and acting together in one of the most exciting cities in Germany."