FEM*Lights – Grand closing event for the Women Professors Programme III

The Equality Office at BTU Cottbus-Senftenberg warmly invites all members of the university community and interested members of the public to the closing event of the Women Professors Programme III. Under the title "FEM*Lights", we aim once again to provide a platform and visibility for the outstanding female researchers at our university and to celebrate the successes achieved through the Women Professors Programme III.

Thursday, 25 June 2026
10 am – 1 pm, 

Großer Hörsaal & Pavilion, main campus

Reception and warm-up: From 10 am, we cordially invite you to join us for coffee and cake in the Pavilion in front of Großer Hörsaal (Main Lecture Theatre), whilst you have the opportunity to view our poster exhibition. The official programme begins at 10.30 am. After the event, from 12.30 pm, please join us for a get-together with a hearty buffet to chat with other participants and discover further exciting details of our poster exhibition.

The event will be opened with welcoming remarks by Minister Manja Schüle and BTU President Gesine Grande. This will be followed by a presentation of the results of the Female Professors Programme III, which has made significant strides in advancing gender equality at BTU Cottbus-Senftenberg. Funded by the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space, the programme has enabled numerous measures to promote and empower women in science between 2020 and 2026.

Notable projects include the Geek Girls, the STEM Women’s Network, the “GENial” project funding scheme and the FEM*Vision Mentoring Programme with the Visionärinnen*Salon, all of which have provided important impetus for equal opportunities and sustainable change. A particular highlight of the event will be the FEM*Lights Salon Talk featuring the four outstanding female professors funded by the programme: Stefanie Kiwi Menrath, Juliane Noack Napoles, Melanie Jaeger-Erben and Johanna Blokker. The event will be moderated by Anneliese Niehoff. A poster exhibition in the pavilion in front of the Main Lecture Theatre will provide further insights into the project’s duration and round off the ceremony.

At the same time, on 25 June, the Decarbon DaysTalent Day will take place in and around the BTU’s Main Lecture Theatre. Here, students will provide insights into their studies through their projects, work in teams to develop the clean start-up of tomorrow, and companies will showcase opportunities through an interactive exhibition and a talent exchange. On this day, the Decarbon Drafts will also award prizes for final-year projects dealing with decarbonisation topics. 

It’s well worth a visit – join us in celebrating the impressive achievements of the Women Professors Programme III and gain fascinating insights into the world of sustainable innovation during the Decarbon Days. Be inspired by the inspiring opening remarks and the salon talk with leading female professors, and afterwards exchange ideas with like-minded people to discuss new visions for the future of gender equality at our university. We look forward to seeing you there!