35 Years of Life Sciences on the Schwenningen campus of Furtwangen University
Faculty III: Health, Medical, and Life Sciences at Furtwangen University (HFU) has celebrated a special anniversary; teaching and research in this field have been taking place on the university’s Schwenningen campus for 35 years. The term “Life Sciences” at HFU encompasses numerous science and medicine-oriented degree programmes, ranging from “Applied Biology” to “Micromedicine” and “Physician Assistant.” The faculty used the occasion to hold an anniversary celebration that proved one thing impressively − this is not somewhere to work, teach and research. What connected the guests — including many former faculty members and alumni — with the current professors, staff and students, was their shared passion for the field.
With a lighthearted opening, Dean Prof. Dr. Margareta Müller looked back on the founding years of the “Villingen-Schwenningen Department” and described the efforts to establish the first natural sciences degree programme, “Environmental and Process Engineering.” Through numerous anecdotes and photos, she demonstrated that the faculty has always maintained high academic standards while having fun too. In the foyer, a photo slideshow illustrated this, featuring former and current colleagues not only in labs and during lab sessions, but also on group outings and activities of all kinds.
Alumna Dr. Nadine Staiger, who graduated from the faculty in 2002, provided insight into her career path under the heading “Seizing opportunities and shaping the future,” highlighting the diverse and challenging opportunities for which her studies laid the foundation. Similarly, in her presentation “Genes, diagnostics, and documentation — my journey from DNA to DIN,” Vincenza Milazzo effortlessly and engagingly demonstrated that expertise in biotechnology and process technology can benefit virtually every area of life.
Two research teams offered interested guests insight into current research topics − Prof. Dr. Nicolas Werbeck and PhD candidate Defne Dayi presented “The role of biophysical methods in drug discovery,” while Prof. Dr. Magnus Schmidt and PhD candidate Jessica Jung-Fittkau spoke on the topic of “Research for climate protection — our path to sustainable carbon capture.”
Inspired by these presentations, guests then participated in workshops at the “Campus Exchange” to discuss degree programmes and future prospects, and toured the teaching distillery. Accompanied throughout by expert discussions, the guests enjoyed the sense of community and the lively exchange, always with the certainty that even after 35 years, the life sciences at HFU are still brimming with ideas for the future.
Further impressions
