"CampusDialog" Kicks Off with an Evening Event on E-Mobility and Renewable Energy

With the CampusDialog format, RWU is expanding its existing lecture series, “Wednesday Seminars.” Four times a year, current topics are brought to the podium and examined from various perspectives. The series kicks off on November 18 with the event “All Electric. All Good? – An Evening Focused on Electric Mobility and Renewable Energy.” Gisbert Schmitz is responsible for designing and organizing the new series at RWU. Professor Dr. Christoph Ellenrieder developed the program for the first evening, which will focus on electric mobility.

Christoph Oldenkotte: Why did you feel it was necessary to give the Wednesday seminars a facelift?

Gisbert Schmitz: The Wednesday seminars have laid a solid foundation for communicating academic topics to a broader audience. With CampusDialog, we want to build on this idea and place a stronger emphasis on dialogue. The university is not just a place where knowledge is imparted and research is conducted. It is also part of the region and can provide important impetus for social developments.

What’s different about CampusDialog?

Gisbert Schmitz: CampusDialog is more than just a lecture series. We’re creating a space for direct, two-way dialogue between the university and society. Science meets everyday life. Business and civil society engage in dialogue. In addition to short keynote presentations, there are panel discussions and interactive activities where visitors can get involved themselves. In this way, we aim to convey complex topics in an understandable and relatable way while also showcasing the work being done at RWU.

What are your hopes for the event?

Gisbert Schmitz: We hope that CampusDialog brings together people who might not otherwise engage in conversation in their daily lives. There should be explicit room for different perspectives—even when participants don’t see eye to eye. Ideally, guests will take home not only new knowledge but also new questions, food for thought, and connections.

“Examining myths, putting facts into context, addressing challenges”

The kickoff event for CampusDialog focuses on e-mobility and renewable energy. The title is “All Electric. All Good?” Mr. Ellenrieder, is everything good if everyone drives electric vehicles?

Prof. Dr. Christoph Ellenrieder: Of course not automatically. Electric mobility offers great opportunities, especially when the electricity comes from renewable energy sources. At the same time, we need to take a closer look: How are the vehicles charged? How capable is the infrastructure? What role do batteries, costs, and range play? Our goal is to examine common myths, put the facts into context, and openly address the challenges. That’s why the title is deliberately phrased as a question. We don’t want to provide simple answers, but rather take a closer look together with our visitors.

E-mobility and renewable energy are broad fields. What, specifically, is the focus of the discussion?

Prof. Dr. Christoph Ellenrieder: We’ve put together the program to bring together different aspects. The keynote presentations will address, among other things, common misconceptions about electric mobility, the combination of electric cars and photovoltaics, and the role of engineering expertise in the age of artificial intelligence. In addition, through the “Future Science University” project, we’re introducing new, project-oriented approaches to engineering education.

During the panel discussion, we’ll shift our focus to practical applications. There, we’ll discuss what electric mobility means for everyday life, the workplace, and infrastructure—from the perspectives of research, firefighting, logistics, and energy supply.

Then it’s time for hands-on activities: In the e-mobility lab, for example, visitors can learn about high-voltage safety in electric cars, explore batteries, and test how much energy everyday devices consume.

Do you expect any controversy?

Prof. Dr. Christoph Ellenrieder: Definitely. Electric mobility is often discussed in very general terms. That’s why it’s important to bring different perspectives together. A logistics company has different needs than a private individual living in a rental apartment. We want to highlight these different experiences, examine the arguments, and facilitate an objective exchange of views.

What are your hopes for the CampusDialog on electric mobility?

Prof. Dr. Christoph Ellenrieder: I hope that guests will go home with a nuanced understanding. They should understand what technical possibilities exist, where the challenges lie, and which questions remain unanswered. At the same time, we want to show that engineering is directly relevant to our everyday lives. The hands-on stations provide a great way to do that. For me, that’s exactly what makes the CampusDialog so special: We don’t just explain what we do—we engage with people.

Click here for the CampusDialog program on November 18.