The now almost legendary Schwanenritter Race, which was finally able to take place again after a five-year hiatus, proved to be a real crowd-puller. In front of packed stands at the turning basin in front of the canteen, Professor William Megill gave the starting signal in the late afternoon, whereupon the participants launched the boats they had built themselves and set off, paddling – and, in some cases, swimming after their boats had capsized – along the Spoy Canal towards the finish line at the lift bridge, accompanied by the crowd’s encouraging applause. Victory was comfortably secured by the team in boat no. 8, which set off flying the KSG flag. Naturally, all participating teams were celebrated at length for their dedicated efforts.
The varied programme on the campus grounds, in the buildings and on the specially erected stage had something for everyone. In the afternoon, it was particularly the many young families who stood out, enjoying a colourful and varied children’s programme. But other interested visitors – young and old alike – had also made their way there to experience the campus festival, browse the stalls or take part in the hands-on activities. Prof. Dr Locker-Grütjen, President of the HSRW, noted with delight: “Once again, our university was able to showcase itself to the wider public through the campus festival. I am delighted that it was so well received and that so many people accepted the invitation. Thanks to the fantastic commitment of the university community to the campus festival, the diversity of our university was made visible to some extent and, above all, brought to life.”
The university’s students and staff offered insights into their daily lives as students, researchers and staff, and gave visitors a glimpse behind the scenes. For example, there were guided tours of the Tropenhaus, activities on the roof of the canteen building and events in the KLEX learning workshop (a laboratory for ‘Experiencing and Experimenting with Child-centred Learning’). Photo exhibitions illustrated the construction of the university on the former harbour site, as well as the conversion of the granary into today’s library building, the ‘Wissensspeicher’ (Knowledge Store). The stands showcasing research projects and topics such as sustainability, social transformation and equality were also very well received. In addition, activities such as soldering with torches, rocket building and bionic robots brought applied science to life. People danced peacefully and cheerfully in front of the stage until late into the evening – to the music of DJ Maroox, who created a lively atmosphere not only amongst the student audience.
