Focus

We Are the Future

Fast-forward to the future. We would like to know what the University of Mannheim will look like in a few decades. Even though we cannot fast-forward time, in this edition we take a closer look at the university’s young people—because, after all, they are the future.

Fit for the Future?

Prof. Dr. Annette Kehnel, Vice President for Student Affairs and Teaching, and Prof. Henning Hillmann, Ph.D., Vice President for Research and Early-Stage Researchers, have held their offices for two years. FORUM asked them what the university can do to make itself, and its students and early-stage researchers, fit for the future. 

Kids in the Lecture Hall!

Each semester, around 300 children register for the Kid's University to attend lectures and get a taste of campus life. For FORUM, we were able to accompany twelve-year-old Bennett to his first Kid's University lecture.

Apprentices at the University

There are currently seven apprentices at the University of Mannheim. That’s right: The university offers not only academic but also vocational training. FORUM investigated where and what the apprentices learn. 

Generation Future

12,000 students are enrolled at the University of Mannheim. That’s 12,000 different faces and stories. We asked ourselves: What is student life actually like? What do they enjoy doing? What do they struggle with? And: What do they want to do next? We talked with four of our students: Mma, Jannik, Hannah, and Jonas.

Shaping the University

In the Senate, the Research Council, or the Senate Committee on Teaching—wherever we look, we can find students participating in decisions concerning the university. Two of them are Melina Arnold, Chair of the General Students’ Committee (AStA), and Sandro Mochan, Chair of the ENGAGE.EU Board of Learners. We asked them what topics they find especially important in their work. 

What Is the Young Generation Researching?

The University of Mannheim offers a wide range of courses and subjects at its six schools: Business, Economics, Business Informatics and Mathematics, Law, Humanities, and Social Sciences. But which topics are currently being researched? A few scientists who are working on their dissertations at the moment introduce themselves and their insightful work.

Made in Mannheim

Victoria Engelhardt is a founder from Mannheim. She studied at Mannheim from 2009 to 2012 and earned her Bachelor of Science in Business here. In 2017, she founded her first startup: keleya, an app for pregnant people. In her interview with FORUM, Victoria Engelhardt talks about her time in Mannheim, her experiences as a founder in the femtech industry, and reveals some good tips for young founders.

Figures of the Future

How many student assistants work at the University of Mannheim? And how many first-year students started their studies in the baroque palace in 2022/23? We present the university in figures.