30 May 2025

With a new record number of participants and numerous innovative formats, the 27th International Project Week at Nordhausen University of Applied Sciences from 19 to 23 May 2025 set a strong example for internationality, practical relevance and intercultural exchange. Over 300 students and 26 guest lecturers from all over Europe and Germany took part in the week-long event format - more than ever before since the end of the pandemic.

International encounters on campus: students and lecturers from all over Europe exchanged professional and cultural ideas during the 27th International Project Week at Nordhausen University of Applied Sciences.

Photos: HSN

The week was opened by Prof. Dr Viktor Wesselak, Vice President for Research and Development, who warmly welcomed the guests and emphasised the strategic importance of international cooperation. With 23 lecturers from European partner universities as well as representatives from practical organisations and three other German universities, this year's project week was the largest of its kind to date.

The thematic spectrum was broad: whether AI-supported communication, conflict management, marketing or IT - numerous projects not only imparted knowledge, but also promoted interdisciplinary thinking and international cooperation. A special première was the realisation of a joint project course on the topic of "Digital Marketing" with students and lecturers from the University of Gdańsk (Poland). Work also extended beyond national borders: A group from the Health and Social Care study programme went on an excursion to Luxembourg and Belgium to get to know the early intervention systems there.

Meanwhile, University President Prof. Dr Jörg Wagner travelled to the USA as part of a delegation led by the Thuringian Minister President and the Thuringian Minister of Economics in order to further expand international networks there as well.

For the first time this year, an extensive regional programme was offered for the international guests: Professor Wesselak presented current research projects at the university, while Dr Pascal Leibbrandt gave an exciting overview of Nordhausen's past and present. City guide Thomas Hoffmann took the lecturers on an English-language discovery tour through the historic city centre.

A varied leisure programme rounded off the week: From an English-language games evening in cooperation with the city library, to a Zumba break in English and an introduction to cyanotype, cultural diversity was ensured. One highlight was the IPW party in the student club "Karzer", where the guest lecturers themselves were on the turntables as DJs - followed by an international karaoke evening that delighted students and lecturers alike.

Visitors to the Open Day on 24 May were also able to see the university's international orientation for themselves: numerous mini-workshops and presentations provided insights into project work - an offer that was particularly appreciated by parents as proof of the university's diverse support and international opportunities.

With its 27th edition, the International Project Week at Nordhausen University of Applied Sciences proves once again that internationality and regional roots are not a contradiction in terms - but rather a model for the future.