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HANSE CITY LÜNEBURG. – This format is unique in Lower Saxony: Since 2022, Lüneburg’s mayor Claudia Kalisch has been inviting people to the city conference in the central building of Leuphana University every year. The goal: exchange, networking and idea development on current challenges in Lüneburg with all relevant parts of the city’s society.
This year, the focus is on Lüneburg’s educational institutions. Under the title “Education in Change”, the 3rd Lüneburg City Conference will take place on Saturday, November 23rd, in the central building of Leuphana University. From 10 a.m., those interested can follow the first part of the event digitally in a live stream on the city’s YouTube channel.
Program of the 3rd Lüneburg City Conference
Lower Saxony’s Minister of Education Julia Willie Hamburg and Prof. Dr. Marcus Pietsch, Professor of Educational Science at Leuphana University, will give keynote speeches and then answer questions in a question and answer session.
In a second part, the participants get actively involved in four workshops – the main topics here are: “Skilled workforce situation in daycare centers”, “Making education inclusive”, “Child-friendly all-day school” and “Cooperation with extracurricular educational places”.
“Many framework conditions in the educational landscape are created at the state level,” says Mayor Kalisch. “Our task is to implement them locally and to make the best possible use of all scope for our educational offerings.” This is a challenge given the limited financial and human resources in the education sector.
Goal: exchange, networking, development of new ideas
At the city conference, representatives from politics, schools, kindergartens, extracurricular institutions and city society are invited to exchange their experiences and ideas in the workshops and to network.
The Hanseatic city of Lüneburg wants to achieve one thing above all: bring innovation, commitment and energy to the same table. “The change in education affects us all – directly or indirectly,” emphasizes Lüneburg’s mayor.
Hello and welcome to our interview about the upcoming 3rd Lüneburg City Conference on November 23rd, 2022. Today, we are pleased to have with us Mayor Claudia Kalisch and Professor Marcus Pietsch as our guests. Firstly, Mayor Kalisch, could you please give us an overview of the city conference format and its significance for Lüneburg?
Mayor Kalisch: Thank you for having me. The Lüneburg City Conference is an annual event where we bring together representatives from different sectors of the city’s society to discuss important topics and challenges. This year, the focus is on education, and we’re excited to have guests from various educational institutions in attendance. The aim is to foster exchange, networking, and ideation to further enhance the educational landscape in Lüneburg.
Professor Pietsch, as a keynote speaker at the conference, what are your expectations for the event, and how do you think the education system can be improved locally?
Prof. Pietsch: Thank you for inviting me. I believe the city conference provides a fantastic opportunity for stakeholders to come together and discuss critical issues facing education in Lüneburg. My expectation is that we’ll have an open and engaging dialogue about the challenges and potential solutions, leading to new ideas and collaborations. As for improving the education system locally, collaboration and innovation are essential. We need to work together to ensure that our educational offerings are inclusive, relevant, and prepare our students for the future.
Mayor Kalisch, you’ve mentioned that the conference aims to address the limited financial and human resources in the education sector. What specific measures is the city planning to address these challenges?
Mayor Kalisch: We are constantly exploring ways to optimize our resources and collaborate more effectively with educational institutions in Lüneburg. One example is our partnership with Leuphana University, which enables us to host the conference in their central building. We’re also looking at new funding models and ways to streamline processes to make our educational system more efficient. However, the key is working together and exchanging ideas; the conference is an excellent platform for that.
Prof. Pietsch, can you share your views on the impact of state-level policies on local educational offerings, and how Lüneburg is
