The Rector’s Column: The Year of the Students
Rector’s Column, episode 17 | 22.12.2022
Dear employees, colleagues, and students,
despite all the challenges we had to deal with in 2022, we can look back on a very enjoyable anniversary year that was successful in every way: The anniversary exhibition in cooperation with the DomQuartier Salzburg, the PLUS Gala in the Old Residence and the ceremony for the 400th anniversary of the University of Salzburg’s founding are just three events that we were able to celebrate with you over the past year. I would like to take this opportunity to thank you all very much for your interest and participation in our university.
However, there will be numerous celebrations in the upcoming year as well!
It is my great pleasure to announce, firstly, another Annual Academic Reception for Wednesday, May 3rd, during which the PLUS will award an honorary doctorate to Dr.in Helga Rabl-Stadler. I would like to cordially invite you to be part of this outstanding celebration in our main auditorium. You will receive the official invitation from the Communications and Fundraising department early next year.
On Wednesday, May 17th, at 4:00 p.m., the second Party for the PLUS Employees will take place in Unipark Nonntal. At this point I would like to emphasize that I was very happy about the large number of participants at the festivity last year and found it extremely pleasant that the celebrations went so well by going beyond the boundaries of the various disciplines. I am already looking forward to our next big celebration together. After a break due to Covid, there will finally be another Alumni Party in Salzburg on Friday, June 30th, and of course the Night of Excellence, which will take place next year on Wednesday, November 29th, will not be missing either.
The whole of year 2023 will be dedicated to a focus that our entire university stands for: the students. Initiated by the AG Studierendenstadt, which has set itself the goal of making students in the city of Salzburg (more) visible, numerous initiatives and projects for students will be implemented in the new year:
In addition to many PLUSTrack events and the opening of new rooms for studying in the faculty buildings, there will also be the PLUSlive party on October 13th at the ARGEkultur next year. This event is a great opportunity to welcome the “new” students in Salzburg and I hope that many of you will take up our offer. As part of our new, digital orientation week, a major event will also take place in cooperation with City Beats. We will send more information about this to everyone in the new year. A new addition is the PLUSfest – Studierendenfest: In cooperation with the KHG, the catholic college community, and in the tradition of the former KTH Fest, there will be a party at the Catholic Theological Faculty, the arcades, the inner courtyard, the Furtwängler Park and in the rooms of the KHG on June 1st, 2023. We are already looking forward to reactivating this event in this way!
Our anniversary calendar on the PLUS website proved very successful last year. That is why we will continue to use a similar variant as a university-wide event planner in the future.
Your positive feedback has been very helpful, and we would like to invite you all to register your planned events into PLUSonline. If you have any further questions, please contact .
With the upcoming Christmas holidays, a very eventful year for all of us is coming to an end. There were many opportunities to celebrate – especially our university – but 2022 was (unfortunately still) not free from the Covid pandemic and the war in Ukraine and the associated, very drastic challenges for all of us. The coming year, I am afraid, will not be that much different from the situation we find ourselves in at this moment. Against this background, I would like to express my sincere thanks and gratitude to all of you for your commitment to our PLUS. In such difficult and complex times, this is not a matter of course – which I and the entire rectorate are very aware of. This internal cohesion will enable us – regardless of all upcoming challenges – to overcome all the hurdles of the coming year together.
So today I would like to wish you a Merry Christmas, contemplative and relaxing holidays with your loved ones, good luck and, above all, health in the new year, a year with many and certainly great events for students and teachers alike.
Kind regards,
Your Rector
Hendrik Lehnert
