uni.news

» Published on 29. Juni 2015

New Visiting University Chair attracts major academics to Bielefeld from all over the world

Named after Harald Weinrich, the father of German as a second language (DaF)

Bielefeld University is setting up a new Visiting University Chair for top-ranking international academics. The chair is being named after Harald Weinrich, the founder of German as a second language (DaF) who worked in Bielefeld for many years. The German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) is funding the initiative by the Faculty of Linguistics and Literary Studies for a maximum of four years as part of its visiting fellows programme. As the first Harald Weinrich Visiting Fellow, Professor Dr. Claire Kramsch from the University of California, Berkeley, USA will be coming to Bielefeld in the summer semester of 2016. Professors from Belarus, Italy, Cameroon, Turkey, and the United States should follow.

» read more

» Published on 26. Juni 2015

‘Events don’t have an existence independent from the media’

Communications expert Hans Mathias Kepplinger to lecture at Bielefeld conference   

Does an event exist for its own sake or because it looks good in the media? ‘Many of the events reported by the media are consequences of prior reporting,’ says Professor Dr. Hans Mathias Kepplinger. The communications expert is addressing an international conference being held by the Bielefeld Graduate School in History and Sociology (BGHS) at Bielefeld University from Monday, 29 June to Wednesday, 1 July. Roughly 30 young academics will be discussing such issues as how events occur and proceed and which structures are effective in their backgrounds (the title of the conference is ‘Structures and Events – A Dialogue between History and Sociology’). 

» read more

» Published on 19. Juni 2015

Carrying a Table Together with a Robot

In the EU joint project CogIMon, robots are learning to observe, adjust their force, and react  

From a robot’s perspective, humans are normally a nuisance: when robots and humans have to work together, it often leads to problems. Researchers on CogIMon, a new project starting at Bielefeld University, want to teach robots how to interact with humans and work together to accomplish tasks. CogIMon stands for “cognitive compliant interaction in motion.” This research group is working on humanoid as well as industrial robots. The project is coordinated by Professor Dr. Jochen Steil of CoR-Lab, the research institution on cognition and robotics at Bielefeld University. Together with six other international partners, the joint project will run from 2015–2018 and is funded with 7 million Euros from Horizon 2020, a framework programme for research and innovation of the European Union.

» read more

» Published on 5. Juni 2015

Robotic Modelling for Kids with Bielefeld Robot Flobi

Robotics research at CITEC featured in June issue of Geolino extra  

Robots are the topic of the new issue of the children’s magazine GEOlino extra, which came out on 3 June 2015. In the article titled “Flobi learns to feel,” reporter Katharina von Ruschkowski profiles the research of Bielefeld University computer science professor Britta Wrede. The article focuses on the robotic head, Flobi, which researchers at CITEC are using to investigate the issue of how robots should ideally look and behave in order to be accepted by humans. So as to help young readers learn how scientific research works, the issue also includes a cut-out activity sheet that allows them to model different facial expressions on a paper model Flobi and see how people react to him.

» read more

» Published on 2. Juni 2015

Register Now for Summer School at Bielefeld University

Varied programme ranging from Humour Studies to Intelligent Technical Systems  

Registration is open for Bielefeld University’s summer school. Over 300 students, doctoral researchers, academics and professionals will come here in the summer to extend and deepen their knowledge, further their education and share their experiences with fellow national and international students and colleagues. The summer school programme is organised by the university and the “it’s OWL” Cluster of Excellence. The choice of subjects is wide, ranging from the natural sciences, computer science and mathematics to language and literature courses and seminars on history and health-related topics.

» read more

» Published on 5. Mai 2015

Professor Gerhard Sagerer Re-elected as Rektor

New University Electoral Committee confirms incumbent Rektor for a further four years

Today (30 April), Rektor Professor Dr.-Ing. Gerhard Sagerer was confirmed for a second term by a large majority of the members of the University Electoral Committee, consisting of the Senate and the University Council combined. The appointment was made at the proposal of a “Rektor selection committee” of ten, who had recommended the uncontested incumbent.

» read more

» Published on 4. Mai 2015

Bielefeld Numbers Among the World’s Best Young Universities

57th place in the Times Higher Education Ranking    

Bielefeld University has again been rated among the world's best young universities in the latest “THE 100 Under 50”. The East Westphalian university takes 57th place in the ranking, which was published on Wednesday evening (29/4/2015). Since 2012, the “Times Higher Education” (THE), a British magazine for higher education, has been comparing the world’s leading universities founded less than 50 years ago.

» read more

» Published on 29. April 2015

PIKSL Lab Bielefeld Celebrates Grand Opening

PIKSL Lab Bielefeld provides computer and Internet training programmes for individuals both with and without disabilities   

The PIKSL Lab Bielefeld celebrated its grand opening on April 24th 2015 at its facilities on the Gadderbaumer Strasse 29. It is part of the KogniHome research project coordinated by the Cluster of Excellence Cognitive Interaction Technology (CITEC). The German acronym PIKSL stands for “person-centred interaction and communication for an independent life”. The lab serves an open meeting place for people both with and without disabilities. As part of its inclusive services, it provides access to the latest information and communication technologies. Through this, PIKSL encourages active participation in society and fosters independent living.

» read more

» Published on 14. April 2015

Saving Space with a New Intelligent Loading System

Bielefeld University presents transfer research projects at the Hannover Trade Fair

LogiPro is a new interactive logistics system that gives suggestions and “thinks” in order to save space while loading goods into transportation vehicles. It is one of the joint research projects presented by Bielefeld University at the Hannover Trade Fair. Scientists from the research focus for “Interactive Intelligent Systems at Bielefeld University” will demonstrate their research findings from 13–17 April 2015. Both CITEC (Center of Excellence Cognitive Interaction Technology) and the CoR-Lab (Research Institute for Cognition and Robotics) will also present their work as part of the OstWestfalenLippe joint trade fair exhibition in Hall 16, Booth A04. This joint exhibition apearance is part of the leading-edge cluster “it’s OWL” (Intelligent Technical Systems OstWestfalenLippe).

» read more

» Published on 31. März 2015

A robot prepared for self-awareness

Biologists at Bielefeld University present expanded software architecture for the walking robot Hector   

A year ago, researchers at Bielefeld University showed that their software endowed the walking robot Hector with a simple form of consciousness. Their new research goes one step forward: they have now developed a software architecture that could enable Hector to see himself as others see him. “With this, he would have reflexive consciousness,” explains Dr. Holk Cruse, professor at the Cluster of Excellence Cognitive Interaction Technology (CITEC) at Bielefeld University. The architecture is based on artificial neural networks. Together with colleague Dr. Malte Schilling, Prof. Dr. Cruse published this new study in the online collection Open MIND, a volume from the Mind-Group, which is a group of philosophers and other scientists studying the mind, consciousness, and cognition.

» read more