After she had spoken to the Tagesspiegel, we too invited her for an interview: Dr Heidi Mauersberger, a researcher at the Chair of Social and Organisational Psychology at Humboldt University in Berlin, is conducting research into conflicts in the workplace. Can conflict in the workplace actually be a good thing? If so, how might this work? We discussed this and more in detail with the expert in our interview, and also looked at the influence of a culture of debate on companies’ capacity for innovation. Read it now: Effective Conflict Management for better Working Atmosphere and Spirit of Innovation – Humboldt-Innovation Insights

Throughout the year, people can enter their ideas – whether fully developed or still in the early stages – into Science & Startups’ ‘100 to 100’ ideas competition, win 100 euros and be announced as a winner on social media. Most recently, Lilli Kiessling and Constantin Rohrbach took the prize with their AI tool CiteLM. Lilli came up with the idea of developing a tool to check the references in academic texts whilst working on her Master’s thesis at Stanford. Before CiteLM is launched, the ongoing pilot studies will be completed. You can apply with your own idea here: 100 bis Euro | Match’em

Der Beitrag Week 31: HI:LIGHTS on Workplace Conflicts, the ‘100 to 100’ Ideas Competition running throughout the Year erschien zuerst auf Humboldt-Innovation Insights.

Alan Akbik, Professor of Machine Learning at HU, was a guest speaker at the Humboldt-Universitäts-Gesellschaft event “Quo Vadis German AI: How Machines Learn Language Efficiently?”, which took place on May 11, 2026, in the Emil Fischer Lecture Hall. In his presentation, Akbik focused on how language models work and the reasons behind their massive resource intensity. Consequently, developing such systems has so far been feasible mainly for large tech companies from the US and China. With “BOLDT”, a language model developed at HU, Akbik presented an alternative that requires significantly fewer model parameters. He demonstrated live that it nevertheless remains highly capable. After the talk, guests had the opportunity to ask questions and concluded the evening networking over finger food and drinks.

In mid-May 2026, a delegation consisting of representatives from German innovation hubs, including Katharina Heinrich from Science & Startups, visited the most important research and innovation institutes in São Paulo. They also participated as panelists in the talk “From Science to Startup: Ecosystem Perspectives from Brazil and Germany,” which took place as part of São Paulo Innovation Week. Their discussion revolved around what is institutionally and culturally required to transform scientific research into a successful business. From various perspectives, the panelists shed light on the topic and compared the ecosystems in Germany and Brazil. The discussion showed that cooperation between the two countries in the field of science-based innovation is a high priority. The meeting of German and Brazilian stakeholders was made possible by the German Centre for Research and Innovation (DWIH) São Paulo, which had organized the trip. The Federal Foreign Office founded the DWIH in 2012. It is now part of the network of German Science and Innovation Houses, which is coordinated by the DAAD.

Der Beitrag Week 20: Prof. Akbik as a Speaker at HUG, German Delegation at DWIH São Paulo erschien zuerst auf Humboldt-Innovation Insights.

Within the university cosmos, students and employees alike will, sooner or later, encounter the institution of University Sports (known in Germany as Hochschulsport). Although participating in sports in Germany is largely a private matter—unlike in the USA—University Sports holds great significance for German universities and boasts a long-standing tradition.

Even before World War II, the “Office for Physical Exercise” (Amt für Leibesübungen) existed within the German Student Union. It was established to institutionalize grassroots student sports and to send elite athletes to the Academic World Games (the precursor to the Universiade). Years later, the Nazi regime weaponized this office for military purposes and introduced mandatory military sports, which were subsequently banned by the Allied powers after the war.

A few years later, in 1948, the German University Sports Federation (adh) was founded in Bayrischzell. Until the 1960s, it functioned as the “Sports Office of the Association of German Student Unions” (VDS). Remarkably, the adh was the first German sports federation in the post-war years to successfully reconnect with the international sporting community. This was impressively demonstrated by the “III International Summer University Week” in 1953, which took place in Dortmund as the first international elite sporting event in the Federal Republic after the war.

Since the 1970s, participation has been open to all university members, not just students. Professional sports staff were hired, and University Sports was officially anchored in legislation. Today, University Sports comprises 206 member universities (as of October 2025), whose students and staff can utilize the programs and compete in adh championships (e.g., the German University Championships). Furthermore, the adh is internationally integrated through its membership in the Fédération Internationale du Sport Universitaire and the German Olympic Sports Confederation (DOSB).

As a member of Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, you can also benefit from the diverse University Sports program—and save a full 15% on course bookings in April 2026.

Because we cooperate with HU University Sports, you will also receive a 15% discount on our products at the HumboldtStore, where you can gear up with all the necessary sportswear.

Find out more: Mehr Bewegung, mehr Style und dabei sparen – sichere dir 15% im Humboldt Store — Zentraleinrichtung Hochschulsport der Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin

Der Beitrag The History of University Sports erschien zuerst auf Humboldt-Innovation Insights.

Weekly Wrap-up: Highlights in week 45

On the occasion of the anniversary of the Reichspogromnacht on November 9, 1938, the Executive Board of Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin gathered in front of the university’s main building to clean the 20 Stolpersteine (stumbling stones) located there and to commemorate the Jewish victims of National Socialism. With this act, HU once again seeks to take a stand against antisemitism and for democracy, humanity, and peaceful coexistence. (Photo: Stefan Klenke)

Last week, the Berlin University Alliance (BUA) underwent its first evaluation by the reviewers of the German federal and state governments’ Excellence Strategy, under which the BUA has been funded as an Excellence Network since 2019. With the submission of its self-assessment report on August 1, 2025, and the on-site visit by the German Council of Science and Humanities on November 4–5, 2025, the BUA has reached an important milestone on the way to a decision about the continuation of its funding. The final decision will be announced on March 12, 2026.

You can look forward to the Forum Junge Spitzenforschung (Forum for Young Top Research), which will take place next week on November 17, 2025, at Mindspace in Berlin-Mitte under the theme “Water & Water Management.” Six finalist teams made up of young researchers from Berlin’s major universities will receive awards totaling 42,000 euros. The FJS is an initiative of Humboldt-Innovation GmbH and the Stiftung Industrieforschung (Industrial Research Foundation).

Author and keynote speaker Tina Klüwer, former managing director of K.I.E.Z. (Artificial Intelligence Entrepreneurship Center), presented her new book Zukunft made in Germany (Future Made in Germany) on November 5, 2025, at the Berlin hub of AI Nation. The book addresses the central question of how Germany can remain innovative and sovereign amid the fast-paced global technology race. (Photo: Ana by Valdivia Design)

The Startup Verband has elected a new board. Heike Freund of Marvel Fusion and Nils Aldag of Sunfire now head the network, and Verena Pausder has been reappointed as chairwoman of the board.

Der Beitrag Week 45: HU commemorates the Reich Pogrom Night erschien zuerst auf Humboldt-Innovation Insights.

If we go back more than 200 years, we arrive at the year 1810. That was when the University of Berlin was founded, an event driven partly by the then Prussian Minister of Education, Wilhelm von Humboldt, and which marked the birth of the modern German university. The founding was preceded by the Neo-Humanist university idea, which emerged around 1800 and laid the groundwork for the University of Berlin.

The Neo-Humanist university idea, and thus the Humboldtian university, was characterised by five principles:

1. The unity of research and teaching
2. The freedom of research and teaching
3. The notion that the university serves the “pure” idea of science for its own sake (Zweckfreiheit – freedom from practical purpose) and that the primary goal is scientific study, not academic vocational training
4. The assumption that science forms (bildet) and produces truly moral leaders (sittliche Führungspersönlichkeiten)
5. The unity of all sciences at the university, held together by the disciplines of the Faculty of Philosophy

However, these principles were not put into practice until the 20th century. Moreover, 19th-century society did not regard the University of Berlin as a reform university, but rather those in Göttingen and Halle. After the dawn of the 20th century, the understanding of the Berlin University as the first modern classical university gradually spread. It received its current name, Humboldt University of Berlin, in 1949.

Characteristic of Humboldt’s conception of science, however, was not only its inherent value as an end in itself, but also its necessity for the state and the nation. According to Humboldt, science must be “made available for use,” which we would today describe as knowledge transfer — the very principle to which we at Humboldt Innovation are committed.

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Der Beitrag The Invention of the Humboldtian University erschien zuerst auf Humboldt-Innovation Insights.

Weekly Wrap-up: Our topics in week 43

Berlin aims to become Europe’s leading AI hub. With the opening of the #ai_berlin hub on 22 October 2025, an important step has been taken toward this goal. The hub will serve as a guide, platform, and showcase for everything Berlin has to offer in the field of artificial intelligence. Volker Hofmann, Managing Director of Humboldt-Innovation, and founders from HU Startups attended the opening event. The launch was officially initiated by Berlin’s Senator for Economic Affairs, Franziska Giffey, together with Dr. Stefan Franzke, Managing Director of Berlin Partner.

On 20 and 21 October 2025, Volker Hofmann, representing Humboldt-Innovation GmbH, welcomed a delegation from Shenzhen, China, to the Humboldt Graduate School. Over the course of two days, experts from Berlin’s business and research communities provided insights into political and economic developments in Germany in the context of globalization.

The HI Academy is seeing strong demand for its two new workshops: 1. “Diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorders in Adults”, and “Treatment of Adults on the Autism Spectrum”. Registration has been open for about three weeks, and one of the courses is already nearly fully booked.

The winners of the Humboldt Innovation Award have now been announced: Neuroscientist Barbara Hollunder received the Dissertation Award, and physicist Daniel Kohl was honored with the BA/MA Award – a great success!

The Science & Startup campaign has launched: With the new “We turn” campaign, the startup composite shows how startups emerge from research.

Der Beitrag Week 43: Opening of the #ai_berlin hub erschien zuerst auf Humboldt-Innovation Insights.

Weekly Wrap-up: Our topics in calendar week 42.

You are currently reading our very first Weekly Wrap-up! When we gave the blog a new design, we created this new category, among other things. At the end of each week, we look back on the past few days together and summarize the most important events.

• We launched our new blog.
• You received the second issue of our INSIGHTS newsletter and are now informed about all important updates regarding HI, HU and the startup scene: This year, HI has celebrated its 20th anniversary, the startup factory UNITE has received an initial funding of 20 million Euro and much more.
• Winter term 2025/2026 has started. This autumn, 7,860 freshmen begin to study at Humboldt University.
• On our blog, we published an interview with HU researcher Dr. Tolga Wagner as part of our HI:STORIES series. Also, we crafted a new HI:BITS with 10 facts about water (2025’s topic of the Forum Junge Spitzenforschung).
• The Humboldt-Store has started a raffle to which you can register until October 20, 2025. The prize is a backpack from the store.

Der Beitrag Week 42: INSIGHTS, water and flashchips erschien zuerst auf Humboldt-Innovation Insights.