The kiosk is open again! And it’s open to whatever you bring along. For the next issue of PORT Magazine, we’re looking for anything that crackles, sticks, hits the spot, and keeps you hanging around a little longer. Send us your gossip! Submission deadline: April 22

Der Elfenbeinturm, lange Zeit Sinnbild für akademisches Denken und Forschen, ist längst passé. Zeitgemäß agierende Universitäten öffnen sich mit Formaten wie Campustagen oder Wissenschaftsnächten schon seit vielen Jahren für weite Teile der Bevölkerung. Auch die Bauhaus-Universität Weimar versteht sich nicht allein als Bildungs- und Forschungseinrichtung, sondern als Akteurin in der Gesellschaft. Sie gestaltet den öffentlichen Diskurs und nimmt Verantwortung weit über den Campus hinaus wahr. Sichtbarkeit und die Verbindung zu anderen Bereichen sind dabei entscheidend: Forschung und Lehre sollen nicht im Verborgenen wirken, sondern im produktiven Austausch mit der Gesellschaft stehen.

On 25 and 26 September 2026, the Bauhaus-Universität Weimar will be hosting the TURN Conference 2026. The nationwide university conference is dedicated to the topic of »Experiential Learning«, meaning learning through experience and experimentation. A student exhibition will be held alongside the conference. The student work will present insights into the diverse creative, artistic, and academic endeavours at the University.

The Bauhaus-Universität Weimar and the Weimarer Republik e.V. are opening the invitation to the »Medien und Demokratie im Umbruch« six-part event series starting on 29 April 2026. Experts from the fields of science, media industry, and society will be discussing the relationship between media transformation and democratic society at the Haus der Weimarer Republik’s Forum for Democracy. The events are open to the public and free of charge.

On 31 March, the six-year project period of the DFG-funded Media Anthropology research training group (GRAMA) at the Bauhaus-Universität Weimar’s Faculty of Media came to an end. Last Friday, members of the research training group gathered to celebrate an emotional farewell together with representatives from the University at the site of the former tram depot (Lichthaus Kino).

Die Transformation von Mobilität und Energieversorgung gehört zu den zentralen Herausforderungen der Gegenwart. Kommunale Unternehmen wie die Stadtwirtschaft Weimar GmbH übernehmen hierbei eine Vorreiterrolle, indem sie innovative Technologien mit wissenschaftlicher Begleitung, unter anderem durch die Bauhaus-Universität Weimar, unter realen Bedingungeneinsetzen. Erlebbar wird die enge Verbindung von Wissenschaft, Lehre und kommunaler Praxis am Beispiel des Wasserstoffbusses »Walter Gropius«, welcher ab 8. April 2026 mit neuer Gestaltung durch Weimar fährt.

The »Tilia Awards« were presented for the first time on 20 March 2026 for scientific and practice-based projects that take new approaches to urban spaces. Out of over 150 entries, 24 winners were selected, including the Bauhaus-Universität Weimar and the IAB-Institut für angewandte Bauforschung Weimar for their work in the »Akademische Arbeiten und Forschung« (academic work and research) category. The interdisciplinary »GrayToGreen« research project was honoured for its integration of vertical greening and grey water treatment.

Democratic societies depend on reliable information. But the rapid spread of misinformation through digital platforms is overwhelming for both users and current verification systems. Individuals who want to combat disinformation effectively need tools that can detect increasingly sophisticated technical forgeries and allow users to critically evaluate content. The ClaimGuard and PADSE research projects at the Bauhaus-Universität Weimar’s Faculty of Media are involved in the in the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology, and Space’s current funding programme and developing new solutions for dealing with digital misinformation.

From 19 to 22 March 2026, the Bauhaus-Universität Weimar could be found at their stand in Hall 5 of the Leipzig Book Fair. The University brought their experimental exhibition concept exploring typography, space, structure, materials, light, and scenography to life on a 60 square metre space. The »RESONANCE.PATTERN« exhibition stand was created as part of an interdisciplinary Bauhaus.Module led by Prof. Michael Herrmann and Torsten Müller from the Professorship of Construction Design and Structural Design.

Im Rahmen der neudeli »Design your Future! Creative Entrepreneurship Week« laden die Thüringer Agentur für die Kreativwirtschaft (THAK) und die Bauhaus-Universität Weimar am 9. April 2026 in die Gründungswerkstatt neudeli ein. Unter dem Titel »Should I Stay Or Should I Go?« dreht sich von 14 bis 16.30 Uhr alles um den Einstieg in die kreative Selbstständigkeit in Thüringen und die Frage, warum Zusammenarbeit dabei oft der Schlüssel zum Erfolg ist.

Huge success for the Bauhaus-Universität Weimar: Architecture students win the AIV-Schinkel-Preis 2026 in the »Städtebau« (urban design) category. The competition, organised by the »Architekten- und Ingenieur-Verein (AIV)« of Berlin and Brandenburg, is one of the most prestigious awards for young urban planners in the German-speaking world. Weimar was also the recipient of the special prize for »Interdisziplinär und nachhaltig bauen« (interdisciplinary and sustainable construction) and two honourable mentions. The official awards ceremony will take place on Friday, 13 March 2026 at the Stadttheater Luckenwalde as part of a celebratory event.

Leila Keivan, graduate of the »Public Art and New Artistic Strategies« degree programme in the Faculty of Art and Design, has been awarded the Thuringian State Scholarship for Fine Art. The scholarship, worth 10,000 euros, will allow her to carry out an artistic research project on home, memory, and belonging.

From 12 to 21 March, the Bauhaus Spring School will once again bring students from all over Europe together in Weimar and celebrate its fifth anniversary. Since 2022, the international teaching format at the Bauhaus-Universität Weimar has been successfully connecting students from European partner universities. The anniversary programme is taking things to the next level: with a total of eleven interdisciplinary courses, there are more options that ever.

In 1996, the Bauhaus sites in Weimar and Dessau were designated the status of UNESCO World Heritage Sites. This recognition and inclusion in the UNESCO World Heritage Site List were significant steps toward permanently anchoring the Bauhaus in international cultural memory. The inclusion was also crucial for the sustainable preservation and public awareness of the Bauhaus heritage. Over the years, numerous individuals have contributed to the preservation, scientific research, and contemporary and educational presentation of the historic Bauhaus through their commitment and perseverance.

Wood, textiles, and light make up the stand while typography provides the narrative structure. At the end is a shared goal: Representing the Bauhaus-Universität Weimar at the 2026 Leipzig Book Fair. This is the mission that 15 students started their 2025/2026 winter semester with. Under the academic direction of Prof. Michael Herrmann and Torsten Müller from the Professorship of Construction Design and Structural Design, five experimental designs were conceived as part of the interdisciplinary Bauhaus.Module »typotopie«. The concept by students Petter Bolstad, Nina Siegle, and Ngoc Truc Phuong Nguyen was selected for the Fair.

How is housing evolving in times of multiple crises? How do social change and the material design of architecture, neighbourhoods, and infrastructures influence one another? These questions will be addressed on 7 and 8 May 2026 at the »Weiter wohnen wie gewohnt? Gesellschaftliche Transformation und räumliche Materialisierung des Wohnens« conference at the Bauhaus-Universität Weimar.

Interdisciplinary teaching, a green campus, or rethinking vacant rural properties: The BAUHAUS4EU Alliance is initiating three open calls for new international teaching formats. They are looking for European BAUHAUS courses, student-led courses, and Regional Living Labs. All formats are open to the ten partner universities’ communities and should improve international networking in studying and teaching.

Die Gewinnerinnen des 31. Regionalwettbewerbs Mittelthüringen »Jugend forscht« stehen fest: Insgesamt 17 Erstplatzierte sowie zwei Regionalsieger*innen für die besten interdisziplinären Projekte wurden am Mittwoch, 25. Februar, ausgezeichnet und haben sich für den Landeswettbewerb Thüringen qualifiziert. Mit kreativen Ideen zu Nachhaltigkeit, Medizin, Ressourcenschutz und Digitalisierung überzeugten 110 Schüler*innen aus 16 Schulen und drei Schülerforschungszentren die Jury.

Die Universitätsbibliothek blickt auf ein erfolgreiches Jahr 2025 zurück: Neben klassischen Aufgaben gewinnen insbesondere Services rund um das wissenschaftliche Publizieren eine immer größere Bedeutung. Vor allem der Trend zum Open Access-Publizieren stärkt die Sichtbarkeit der Forschung an der Bauhaus-Universität Weimar.