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In this Issue

• – Anniversary events on 23rd and 24th June!
• – Revived again: the campus
• – h_danke, Ralph Stengler!
• – Thomas Bartnitzki is the new Chancellor
• – Do you already know … our channels?
• – People & Paths: Alumni portrait and interview
• – Universities condemn attack on Ukraine
• – In a Nutshell
• – Calls & Prizes
• – Dates & Events

The Darmstadt University of Applied Sciences began instruction in the winter semester of 1971/72. So it's high time to celebrate the half-century that has passed. We already announced in February that the champagne corks would be popping on June 23^rd and 24^th. Today, the details follow. At the anniversary festival on June 23rd on the Darmstadt campus, many initiatives, institutions and partners of the h_da will be presenting themselves at a fair exhibit starting at 1:30 p.m. Culinary attractions include a food truck court and the new campus restaurant "Schöffers". At 2:30 p.m., h_da President Prof. Dr. Arnd Steinmetz will host a ceremony at Café Glaskasten. Among the 100 guests will be graduates of the CuB faculty who graduated in 1971 and will now be awarded golden diplomas. At 4 p.m. the musical festival will start: On the stage next to the refectory the bands "Sun's Sons", "Elda", "Mädness & Döll" and "Jeremias" will rock and rap. Dance lovers can continue partying to beats and vibes from DJs at the Glaskasten from 10 p.m. on into the evening. The following day, on June 24^th from 6 p.m., the Media and Business faculties will celebrate another festival on the Dieburg campus, which has been part of the h_da since 2000. Students, staff and teachers as well as friends, sponsors and partners are invited to "20+2 years of the Dieburg Campus". The no less exciting musical line-up: "s.a.l. – scheißaufleise", "Beni Fahr" and "elfmorgen". Beforehand, the graduation ceremony "Absolvia" will be held at 3 p.m. for the media graduates of the last six semesters.
More information about the anniversary events can be found on the page "50 years of Darmstadt University of Applied Sciences" (DE) and on the website of the anniversary festival in Darmstadt (DE). The h_da cordially invites you as alumni to join in the celebrations in Darmstadt and Dieburg!

This year’s best Easter present came on the day after: Life is returning to campus again! With the start of lectures on April 19, students returned to the h_da campuses in Darmstadt and Dieburg. Hustle and bustle, conversations and the joy of reunions – the first semester of in-person attendance at the h_da in two years shows everyone what was missing during the long Corona break. The freshly occupied “Studierendenhaus” (DE) is a new fixture on the Darmstadt campus. The new building next to the high-rise now houses the service departments for our students, as well as the learning center and seminar rooms. Another big plus: the campus restaurant "Schöffers" (DE) on the first floor, which now offers its healthy culinary offerings and pleasant ambience on the indoor and outdoor seating areas every day. Schöffers is also open to non-h_da members until the evening hours, creating new opportunities to meet and exchange ideas. If that's not another good reason to pay your old university a visit again!

Modest even at his farewell: Prof. Dr. Ralph Stengler thanked his colleagues (Photo: h_da/Jo Henker)

After twelve years in office, Prof. Dr. Ralph Stengler was bid farewell as president of the h_da on March 25th. Around 100 guests were present at the festive event in the Dieburg auditorium, including Hesse's Minister of Science Angela Dorn, Darmstadt's Mayor Jochen Partsch and Dieburg's Mayor Frank Haus. Alumni of several departments also participated: The ceremony was moderated by Peter Kunz (DE) (Civil Engineering). Marika Lulay (Computer Science) and Thorsten Muntermann (Plastics Engineering), both of whom hold management positions in large companies, participated in a roundtable discussion. The speakers thanked Ralph Stengler for his great commitment and reflected on his time at the helm of the h_da. Among the major challenges and successes mentioned were the sharp rise in the number of students, the authority to confer doctorates, and the continuous development of the university in terms of personnel and buildings. Arnd Steinmetz, who was officially appointed as the new h_da president by Minister Dorn during the ceremony, praised his predecessor for "openness, trust in the abilities of others and the gift of convincing people". Stengler himself summed up that the h_da was in a good position and that there were many visions of its future. Typically, he saw this as the result of good teamwork: "The university is an organization made up of smart, exciting, diverse people. And its success is always the product of many people and institutions." Voices on Ralph Stengler's farewell can be found on the website set up for this purpose (DE), and the complete video recording of the ceremony can be found on Youtube. – Thank you, Ralph Stengler, and all the best!

Dr.-Ing. Thomas Bartnitzki became the new Chancellor of the h_da this March and thus successor to Norbert Reichert (Photo: h_da/Gregor Schuster)

On March 15th Dr.-Ing. Thomas Bartnitzki took over the position of Chancellor of the Darmstadt University of Applied Sciences. He succeeds Norbert Reichert, who left the h_da in November 2021. Thomas Bartnitzki was appointed to the office for six years. As a member of the Executive Board, he is the supervisor of the university administration and the budget director. In addition, he is responsible for legal affairs as well as the further development of the h_da properties and other functional areas. Bartnitzki can build on more than 20 years of leadership experience in academic administration. Most recently, he served as chancellor of Stralsund University of Applied Sciences since November 2019. After earning his doctorate, he held several leadership positions at RWTH Aachen University. Link to the detailed announcement (DE).

Inscrutable are the ways of God. This proverb is often quoted with a shrug of the shoulders when something unexpected occurs and we do not understand the whys and wherefores of how it came about. That's exactly what we don't want to happen. Our channels – the channels through which we communicate – should be transparent for you. That's why we keep all the important information and links available on the Alumni-Website your central access point. As a subscriber, you will receive this newsletter regularly three times a year: in February, June and October. And twice a year the university newspaper will land in your mailbox – provided you have subscribed to it and have registered your address in the alumni members area. Alternatively, you can read campus_d as a flip-page e-paper (DE). impact, our magazine for applied science and art, reports regularly on current projects and the people behind them. You can also find out what's new at your old university on the h_da page at LinkedIn – and of course on Instagram, Twitter, YouTube and other social media channels. Media use and communication habits of h_da alumni since 1971 vary widely and today are changing faster than ever. But whether you're 22 or 82, those of us at Central Alumni Management want to keep you connected by reaching out in the way that's right for you. Do you have any criticism or requests? We welcome suggestions and feedback to help us become even better in the process.

Rahel Welsen (left) and Britta Hüning studied Communication Design, work as freelance photographers – and recently sat with us for an interview (Photo: h_da)

Speaking of communication and change, the graduates we recently portrayed and interviewed told us some exciting things about these issues. For example, Dirk Aßmann-Staudt, a computer science graduate. He has founded and sold IT companies, has known successes and failures, has been self-employed, employed - and unemployed. Today he is a career coach and book author. Or Britta Hüning and Rahel Welsen, whom you see in the photo at the Design Department. The communication designers have made their way into photography and are successful as freelancers in different niches. You can find more People and Paths on the alumni website.

War in Europe. It is the new reality – and yet it remains unreal and incomprehensible. The Russian attack on Ukraine on February 24 marks a political, economic and social turning point and fills people around the world with dismay. In response, Hesse's Minister of Science Angela Dorn and the heads of Hessian universities have issued joint statements. In these statements, the h_da and the Hessian universities condemn the invasion of Ukraine by Russian armed forces, which is contrary to international law, assure the support of the scientists and students affected by the war (DE) and declare their solidarity with the people of Ukraine (DE). In order to defend the freedom of science and research, cooperation with Ukrainian universities should be maintained as far as possible and contact with students and scientists should be maintained. The h_da has compiled information and support for refugee students and scientists, possibilities for financial and practical assistance and other important information on this page.

Find out more about your former university and about current research, development and transfer projects or events on the h_da homepage, in the science magazine impact and in the university newspaper campus_d (DE).
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