Saale-Holzland becomes pilot region for »OpenFORUM on Tour«

Friedrich Schiller University Jena and the Saale-Holzland district are embarking on a new chapter of cooperation: on 4 May 2026, University President Andreas Marx and District Administrator Johann Waschnewski signed a joint letter of intent. This makes the Saale-Holzland district the first pilot region for the »OpenFORUM on Tour« in Eastern Thuringia.

With the »OpenFORUM on Tour«, the university is deliberately going into the region to deepen the exchange with local people and jointly develop new forms of cooperation. The centrepiece is a mobile science bus that will be travelling around the district in future and will serve as a place for discussions, experiments and joint ideas. Here, people from the region will meet researchers and engage in low-threshold dialogue about current research.

However, it is not just about imparting knowledge, but also about contributing your own questions and concerns and thinking together about issues that affect people in the district: Healthcare, climate change, social cohesion and regional development. The cooperation will strengthen existing networks and forge new links between science, schools, companies, associations and local government.

»With this agreement, we are sending a clear signal in favour of cooperation between the university and the region, says Andreas Marx. »The Saale-Holzland district offers the best requirements for testing new forms of dialogue and cooperation.« District Administrator Johann Waschnewski emphasises: »Saale-Holzland is a district worth living in with strong partners in education, business and society. We look forward to developing new impulses for our region together with the University of Jena and the people of the district. Teaching and research contribute to knowledge transfer and innovation. That's why we want to promote dialogue and networking with the OpenFORUM.«

The »OpenFORUM« has been established at the University of Jena since 2025 as a central format for dialogue between science and society. The tour will now bring this concept to rural areas.