Leonardo Lecture Series: Quo Vadis Europa?

Project "Leonardo" organizes lecture series in view of Emmanuel Macron's visit at RWTH Aachen University on the day before the Charlemagne Prize award ceremony.

A special lecture series is being offered by RWTH Aachen University's "Leonardo"-Project in the run-up to the visit of France’s President Emmanuel Macron, who is designated to receive the 2018 Charlemagne Prize. This particular "Leonardo"-module will be concerned with the concept of a "European university." Such was the idea Emmanuel Macron put forth in his speech at the Sorbonne this past fall and RWTH Aachen is glad to pick up on it. In the mind of the President of France, a European university - next to offering excellent research and teaching - also needs to impart European competencies.

What exactly this entails, will be up for discussion at four different German-language events, which will take place on consecutive Tuesdays from 6 to 7:30pm at lecture hall H01 at the C.A.R.L. lecture hall complex, Claßenstraße 20 and which will be open not only to students, but also to the public. On April 10, 2018, RWTH Aachen Rector Professor Ernst Schmachtenberg will address the topic of "Technology and humanity – on the idea of a European university." On April 17, Professor Dieter Weichert, formerly from the Institute of Mechanics, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, at RWTH Aachen, will provide insight into the "Academic activities in France and Germany – a historical comparison." On April 24, Rainer Wieland, Vice-president of the European Parliament and President of the nonpartisan Europa-Union Deutschland will hold a talk on "Europe at the crossroads: Where are we headed?." Completing the lecture series will be the presentation on May 8, given by Professor Martin Paul, President of Maastricht University. He will talk about "The Euroregion as the initiator for the idea of a European university."

The "Leonardo" project was initiated in 2008 and has since complemented the university's teaching offerings. In several different modules, RWTH Aachen students grapple with topics from politics and society – in addition to their regular course of study subjects. Speakers from within and outside of the university, team work projects and the so-called Leonardo Lecture provide the structure to this exceptional program. In January of 2018, "Leonardo" was awarded with the RWTH Aachen Unversity Teaching Prize for outstanding achievements in teaching.