2026 Media Studies Student Conference at Furtwangen University
How are artificial intelligence, digital technologies, and societal change shaping the future of the media? In early June, media students from Germany and Austria explored this question at the Media Students’ Conference (MeStuTa) held at Furtwangen University. Over the course of four days, students, faculty and experts from academia and the professional world discussed current developments in the media industry, together developing new ideas for academic studies, media practice and student engagement.
The bi-annual MeStuTa is organised by Medienstudierende e.V. (MSV), taking place at different university locations every time. This year’s conference was organised by the Student Council of Faculty IV: Business, Design & Media at Furtwangen University. Over several months, the student organising team developed a diverse programme consisting of expert presentations, hands-on workshops and discussion forums. The event was funded by the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space.
The second day of the event focused on the impact of digital transformation on the media industry. In presentations and workshops, participants discussed how artificial intelligence is changing creative work processes, what skills future media professionals will need, and how design, storytelling and media production are evolving amid digital transformation. Two HFU professors, Gabriel Rausch and Christoph Zydorek, explored different perspectives on digital transformation, user experience, media economics and the use of artificial intelligence in business and society.
The presentations were complemented by hands-on workshops. Participants developed their own UX concepts for microinteractions, gaining insights into modern 3D reconstruction techniques as well as sound design and audio production. Other workshops focused on interactive storytelling, creative work processes at ART+COM and career paths in the gaming and creative industries. In a concluding keynote discussion, former HFU student and mountain biker Florian Fink spoke about the challenges of balancing his course, elite sports and mental resilience.
A special highlight of the programme was the “Future Workshop” on student council work. Working in inter-university teams, participants developed solutions for realistic crisis scenarios − such as the sudden absence of an entire student council executive board, a lack of funding, or dealing with public criticism. The group work yielded numerous best-practice approaches on topics such as crisis management, member recruitment, event organisation and communication. The results were presented and discussed collectively at the end, enabling participants to take concrete ideas and recommendations for action back with them to apply to their own student council work.
In hosting the Media Students’ Conference, Furtwangen University once again underscored its role as a hub for interdisciplinary exchange between academia, the professional world and student engagement. The student-organised event provided a space to discuss current developments in the media industry, learn from one another, and gain new insights for their studies, research and student council work. Many of the ideas and concepts developed during the conference are now being pursued at the participating colleges and universities and will be incorporated into the future work of the student councils and the MSV.
Further impressions
