Main Content

Scientists' Day 2025:  ‘Thinking forward - creativity and innovation in the academic system’

2025, Scientists' Day took place on 22 July in the Alte Aula. The focus was on the topic of ‘Creativity and innovation in the academic system’.

‘Thinking forward - creativity and innovation in the academic system’

Creativity is regarded as the central driving force of scientific knowledge. But how much room does it really have in today's academic system - between competition for third-party funding, the logic of applications and the pressure to excel? How can innovation potential be better recognised, promoted and utilised? And what does this mean for the scientists themselves?

How does creativity arise in science - and what do researchers need to be able to provide innovative impetus? These questions were at the centre of the Scientists' Day at the Marburg University in 2025. The event took place in a historic and equally inspiring location, the auditorium of the Old University, and was organised by the Department for Early Career Researchers and the MArburg University Research Academy (MARA). The aim was to bring together doctoral candidates, postdocs and interested guests - including people from the administration and professors - to initiate an exchange on the framework conditions, perspectives and future issues of creative research.

After a video greeting from the Vice President for Equal Opportunities and Career Development, Prof. Dr Sabine Pankuweit, theatre maker Daniel Wetzel (from the theatre label Rimini-Protokoll) gave an inspiring keynote speech. In his presentation, he showed how academic and artistic work intersect - and what spaces can be created for new ideas beyond traditional formats. He concluded his presentation with the recommendation not to force creativity - but to be a good host to ideas.

In the subsequent panel discussion, Daniel Wetzel, Dr Tillmann Rusch, doctor and clinic clown and Patricia Kuhr, Managing Director of the StartMiUp start-up campus, discussed creative processes in research and practice - as well as the conditions under which they succeed (or fail) - together with alternating guests from the audience. A place on the podium that had become vacant at short notice was spontaneously filled: committed participants from the room contributed their perspectives and experiences - a format that provided lively impetus and diverse insights. The discussion was moderated by Dr Velia Benthin. During the discussion, it became clear that you need freedom and security to be creative as a researcher - as well as the courage and self-confidence to utilise this freedom.

An interactive ‘creative experiment’ concluded the programme: In small teams, the participants designed fictitious, interdisciplinary research projects - with titles such as "What makes your garden grow? The influence of linguistic characteristics on the growth of houseplants". The results were presented to much applause and humour.

The subsequent get-together in the evening provided an opportunity to network, think ahead - and celebrate the diversity of creative research.

Programme