Whether it's the visit of Belarusian activists Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, Veronica Tsepkalo, and Tatsiana Khomich, French President Emmanuel Macron, Chief Rabbi Pinchas Goldschmidt, or any of the other Charlemagne Prize winners, what you really remember are the emotional images and the lively discussions with the audience, especially the students. Traditionally, the prize winners visit RWTH Aachen University on the day before the International Charlemagne Prize of Aachen is awarded, and as such, Dr. Ursula von der Leyen will speak in the auditorium of the historic main building and hold a discussion on Wednesday, May 28, at 2.15pm. Organized by students from the “Leonardo” project at RWTH Aachen University and the European University Alliance ENHANCE, the visit promises to be a very special encounter with the President of the European Commission.
Admission to the event is free, but you must register on the website beforehand.
Supporting Program
In addition to the traditional visit by the Charlemagne Prize winner, RWTH Aachen University is also involved in other events in the supporting program as a partner of the International Charlemagne Prize and the City of Aachen:
- On Wednesday, April 30, Professor Kiran Klaus Patel, Chair of Modern and Contemporary History at Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, will speak at 6.15pm in Lecture Hall 1 of the main building, Templergraben 55. His lecture will be called: "The Third Founding of the EU: The History and Current Status of European Integration." Admission is free of charge. The event is being organized by the International Charlemagne Prize and the "Leonardo" project of RWTH. It is part of a series in which RWTH students prepare for the visit of the Charlemagne Prize winner.
- On Saturday, May 3, at 10am, a symposium in the council chamber of the town hall will be dedicated to commemorating the 75th anniversary of the Charlemagne Prize being awarded to Richard Count Coudenhove-Kalergi. Admission is also free of charge for this event.
- On Wednesday, May 14, Professor Christine Neuhold, Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences at Maastricht University, and Federico Fabbrini, Professor of European Law at Dublin City University, will talk about "EU Democratic Governance" from 6.15pm in Lecture Hall 1 of the RWTH main building. The event will be held in English by Professor Jared Sonnicksen, Chair of Political Theory and History of Ideas at RWTH Aachen University. Admission is free of charge.
- On Thursday, May 15, Maria Movsessian, Professor of Energy Management in Developing Countries at RWTH Aachen University, will analyze "Europe's Energy Transition: Accelerated Paths to Energy Democracy and Justice." at 6pm at the RWTH International Academy in the Orange Room, Campus Boulevard 30. Admission is free, but you need to register in advance by sending an email to career@academy.rwth-aachen.de.
- On Tuesday, May 20, a discussion on "AI Made in Europe – What Does It Mean For Our Region?" will take place at 6pm in the Coronation Chamber of the city hall. The panel will consist of Professor Holger Hoos, Chair of Artificial Intelligence Methodology and Head of the AI Center at RWTH Aachen University, Fee Damm, Managing Director of MOSS Bakery, Björn Franken, Member of the North Rhine-Westphalian State Parliament and member of the Enquete Commission "Artificial Intelligence – For a Smart State in the Digitalized Society", Daniel Freund, Member of the European Parliament, Jörg Herbers, CEO of INFORM, and Thomas Hissel from of the City of Aachen. The discussion will be hosted by Ralf Raspe. Admission is free of charge. See www.ai-week.rwth-aachen.de/index.html for more information.
- On Thursday, May 22, Professor Max Kerner from the Historical Institute of the RWTH will give a lecture at 7pm at the Hochschule für Musik und Tanz, Theaterplatz 16, on "How Authoritarian Regimes Can Be Tempting. Is Our Liberal World Order Coming to an End?". Admission is free of charge.
- On Friday, May 23, a workshop on "Fake News and AI" will begin at 4.30pm at the International Newspaper Museum, Pontstrasse 13. Admission is free of charge.
European Ideas and Stage Poetry
Who can we trust these days when fake news is everywhere? How does our transatlantic relationship shape European policy? These and other questions will be the focus of an evening on politics and journalism, including a poetry slam, on Friday, May 23. It will begin at 7pm in the PPS lecture hall building at RWTH; the address is Professor-Pirlet-Straße 12. Martina Monti, Senior Editor at Euractiv and winner of the 2023 Youth Charlemagne Prize, will kick off the event with a keynote speech on the democratic challenges facing the EU from a journalistic perspective. She will talk about trust in news and democratic institutions, and she will give an insight into the relationship between the US and the EU – straight from the "Brussels Bubble". Poetry slammers Evgenija Kosov and Lukas Knoben will then bring political, social and personal topics onto the stage. Evgenija, runner-up at the NRW Championships 2024, and Lukas, presenter, author, and winner of the NXT TXT Award, combine astute observations on everyday political life in Europe with impressive eloquence – sometimes it’s humorous, sometimes it’s thought-provoking, but it’s always captivating. DJ Chris Brid will provide a musical accompaniment. It will be an evening full of excitement, impressive stage poetry, and inspiring encounters.
Some of the event is in English and admission is free of charge. See the Karlspreis website to register.