Lecture series: Perspectives for humanities ans social studies

And what will you do with it? This question is asked repeatedly to students of humanities subjects. To avoid responding with a helpless shrug and saying ‘something to do with media or culture,’ it is important to know your own skills and goals early on. Most jobs for humanities graduates are not advertised. However, there are still many opportunities to find jobs through personal contacts or unsolicited applications.
The lecture series introduces people who have taken this path themselves, some of whom now work in traditional fields for humanities scholars, while others are engaged in exciting activities in completely unexpected areas.

Due to advancing globalisation and digitalisation, the job market is not only undergoing increasingly rapid change, but is also being influenced by diverse and unpredictable crises.
The importance of interdisciplinary, transversal skills is constantly increasing in the job market. Therefore, the Career Centre is particularly keen to use this series of events not only to present future-oriented and interesting career fields and career paths, but also to show which programmes students can and should use to develop their skills with regard to the various career fields.
In this context, various certificate programmes will be presented at the event.

• Professional Skills Certificate - Career Centre
• Additional qualification in cultural mediation – Dr Christine Ott
• GSiK certificates: Intercultural competence and sustainability and global responsibility – Johanna Lawall
• Certificate programme on recognising and preventing abuse of power (MEV) – Prof. Dr Andrea Kübler

May we introduce ourselves? The traditional process of applying for jobs is changing rapidly – away from the employer market with its classic procedures and towards short profiles and informal preliminary interviews on an equal footing. In their presentation, Dr Gunther Schunk and Anja Rausch will discuss current trends in the field of people & culture and explore and discuss the innovations in the world of job applications with you.

The second part of the presentation will focus on the media and communications industry itself. Here you will learn about possible career profiles in this field. In addition to the ‘classics’, you will also find out what other career opportunities are available in the world of media and communications. True to the motto: "We are living in the most communicative age in world history. Transformation is communication – this is the only way to create the future. And that requires professionals."

Both speakers work for the Vogel Communications Group. 
Dr Gunther Schunk, an alumnus of German language and literature and political science at the University of Würzburg, is now Director of Public Relations. He is also active in regional voluntary work in the fields of business, science and culture, including as co-founder of the media event ‘Transforming Media’.
Anja Rausch has worked in various management positions in the HR field for over 15 years and is now Director of People & Culture at the Vogel Communications Group.

What does a human resources development professional actually do – and how do you get there?
As diverse as people themselves, human resources development is much more than just organising seminars. Whether it's designing and implementing training courses, supporting managers, developing new learning formats, adapting competence models, designing feedback processes, further developing the learning culture or supporting change processes – every day brings new challenges.
What all these tasks have in common is the joy of making learning and development possible.
The presentation provides insights into a professional field that offers a wide range of creative possibilities and shows how you can successfully gain a foothold in it even without a traditional career plan. With practical experience and personal insights – for anyone interested in development: in others and in themselves.

We live in very dynamic times. Change seems to be the greatest constant in our lives. Transformation processes from various social perspectives, such as continuous technological developments, innovations and internationalisation, have a decisive influence on our professional lives. What distinguishes transformational leadership from transactional leadership? What factors influence the development of a corporate culture and an institutional culture? What types of motivation can successfully support change and transformation processes?
The lecture ‘Transformational Leadership’ addresses these contemporary issues.
 
Anja C. M. Schönau I Visual artist with a focus on social impact, sustainability and participation

When studying humanities, you often don't have a clear career path in mind. If you also want to save the world, things get complicated. Flexibility and a plan B (or C or D) are required. Instead of pursuing a doctorate in American studies, you might end up in the online editorial department of an eco-friendly publishing house, taking care of the website, newsletter, social media and much more.
Sonja Bonneß uses her own career path to explain why detours can be useful when choosing a career, why the humanities and a commitment to sustainability and climate justice go well together, and how books can make the world a little bit better. After studying American Studies, English and German, she initially worked at the Chair of American Studies at the University of Würzburg. After further training as a business manager and a lot of voluntary work in the eco-social sector, she finally ended up as a trainee at oekom Verlag and has since been using digital communication to inspire people to read books and magazines on ecology and sustainability.

As a ministry with a network of over 225 missions abroad, the Federal Foreign Office is Germany's voice in the world. The Federal Foreign Office is no ordinary employer, as the majority of its employees spend their entire working lives rotating between the headquarters in Berlin and the missions abroad. An exciting workplace and diverse development opportunities await you! Interested? Then we look forward to informing you personally about the career opportunities available!

Would you like to gain insight into the diverse career opportunities available at an NGO? In our presentation, you will receive exciting information about the recruitment process at Kindernothilfe as well as the tasks and requirements of our various jobs. Find out how you can specifically prepare for a career start in our industry. Join us and discover the opportunities for a meaningful job at one of Germany's largest children's rights organisations.

Artificial intelligence is no longer just a topic for computer scientists – it is fundamentally changing our society, our culture and our working world. Texts, images, translations, analyses and even entire decision-making processes: much of what used to be the domain of humans can now be taken over by algorithms. But what does this mean for students of the humanities and social sciences?

In this 90-minute lecture, we take a look at how AI is already shaping our world and what opportunities and challenges this presents. Above all, however, it is about your role in this development: why humanities scholars are needed to question, design and give meaning to AI systems. You will learn which skills you can already develop today in order to be professionally successful and socially effective in an AI-driven world.

A lecture that provides orientation, food for thought – and shows why the future of AI is inconceivable without the humanities.