The aim of STADTnah is to make the diversity and relevance of research at OTH Regensburg visible and tangible to the urban community. During the summer semester, the focus will be not only on traditional lectures but, above all, on dialogue-based and interactive formats: conversations on park benches – so-called ‘Science Benches’ – short talks at urban meeting points, and activities that spontaneously invite people to get involved, ask questions and explore.
The series kicks off on Wednesday, 20 May 2026, with a hands-on activity at the Kumpfmühl retirement home. In the morning, those interested will have the opportunity to meet the robot Navel and ask questions about social robotics
in accessible information sessions. Further events with different thematic focuses will follow in the coming weeks – ranging from urban development, digitalisation and artificial intelligence to philosophy and the history of space at the Regensburg Observatory.
The STADTnah programme at a glance:
Wednesday, 20 May 2026, 9.30 am to 12.00 pm
In conversation with robot Navel (hands-on activity, Science Bench)
Who: Prof. Dr Sonja Haug, Dr Caroline Dotter, Vanessa Mücke
Where: Chatter bench in front of the Kumpfmühl retirement home, Kumpfmühler Str. 52, 93051 Regensburg
Tuesday, 2 June 2026, 5.30 pm to 7.00 pm
Urban development between historical building research and sustainable construction (Science Bench)
Who: Prof. Dr Elke Nagel, together with Caroline Hoffmann, City of Regensburg, Laboratory of Creative Minds
Where: Apollonia’s Garden, Obermünsterstraße, 93047 Regensburg
Friday, 5 June 2026, from 7.00 pm to 8.00 pm
Is anyone out there? – The history and philosophy of the search for extraterrestrial life
(Lecture, discussion and guided tour)
Who: Prof. Dr Karsten Weber
Where: Regensburg Observatory, Ägidienplatz 2, 93047 Regensburg
Saturday, 13 June 2026, 11.00 am to 12.00 pm
Want to become a professor? Take the 5-minute check! (Keynote talk, Science Bench)
Who: Prof. Dr Carina Braun
Where: Neupfarrplatz by the Karavan Monument, 93047 Regensburg
Thursday, 18 June 2026, 7.00 pm to 8.00 pm
Tougher penalties or better approaches? – Keynote talk with discussion on the criminal responsibility of children
Who: Prof. Dr Markus Enser
Where: TBC
Monday, 22 June 2026, 5.30 pm to 7.00 pm
Media literacy in the age of AI – A technical perspective (Science Bench)
Speaker: Prof. Dr Timo Baumann
Venue: TBC
Thursday, 2 July 2026, 5.30 pm to 7.00 pm
Digital sovereignty – what is at stake? (Science Bench)
Speaker: Prof. Dr Christoph Skornia
Venue: TBC
STADTnah is open to anyone interested and invites you to experience science in an unusual setting, ask questions and chat with researchers from OTH Regensburg. Admission to all events is free. In the event of heavy rain or bad weather, events will be cancelled, with the exception of those held at the Regensburg Observatory and the Kumpfmühl retirement home.
Further information on the series and the individual events can be found at:http://www.oth-regensburg.de/stadtnah.
