Smart cities, urban planning and architecture, sustainability, energy supply, mobility, and digitalization: In the course of the 200th anniversary of Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), KIT Science Week goes into the third round, this year themed "City of the Future." From October 14 to 19, 2025, it's time once again to Engage! Participate! Research! Over 100 events will take place all over Karlsruhe. More than half of these events are specifically geared to children, adolescents, families, and school classes.
"This year's KIT Science Week presents innovative ideas and creative strategies for sustainable architecture, smart mobility, forward-looking urban planning, and a fair coexistence," says Professor Thomas Hirth, Vice President Transfer and International Affairs of KIT. "With this format, we want to build bridges between society and science and show the available options for action in the face of current and future challenges. KIT experts will explain interrelations and contextualize facts and figures. Together with the visitors of the KIT Science Week, they will discuss about the needs and ideas people have in order to integrate these suggestions into their research activities."
Highlights All over Karlsruhe
The multi-faceted week will start with the opening lecture delivered by Sabine Knierbein, Professor for urban and cultural research at the TU Vienna. On October 14, 2025, KIT Science Week will kick off in the Audimax with her keynote on public spaces as an opportunity for societal transformation. The subsequent panel discussion and accompanying exhibition will provide the visitors with new ideas for accessible, lively, and future-oriented cities.
Other highlights of the week will be workshops, lectures, discussions, and join-in activities as well as a conference packed with scientific expertise. Interested people on site or connected online may ask questions, join in the discussion, and gain exciting insights into the world of research. Various stations will encourage the visitors to give a try themselves at urban planning, to experience an open-air escape game, or to fabricate battery cells, fine dust measuring devices, and a recycled seat. New forms of dwelling and concepts for a sustainable life are also on the agenda, complemented by a "Science on the Rocks" guided tour of the Karlsruhe pub landscape. Moreover, the ARTE film night will feature documentary videos about the challenges and opportunities of the city of tomorrow - from societal transformation to new life models.
Another highlight of the program will be the "13 Fragen - Streitkultur auf dem Spielfeld" (13 questions - culture of dispute on the playing field) event that will be held on October 16, 2025 at 19:00 hrs in the Tollhaus culture center. It includes a discussion between the participants and the audience about autonomous driving in local traffic. On October 18, scientists Dr. Jens Foell and Dr. Christian Scharun will make a public recording of their podcast "Nerds at Work", which will start on 20:00 hrs. They will present hard facts and absurd studies from the world of science on stage, spiced with a good deal of humor.
Join-in Activities for Children, Adolescents, and Students
The offers for schoolchildren during the Science Week includes exploring how autonomous cars work, calculating how much electricity a solar power plant generates, or finding out what life is like for a city tree. A number of labs will open their doors to school classes. Pupils will have the opportunity to do experiments, do some tinkering, and ask questions. Several items on the agenda even address the very young from 5 years on. In a playful way, they will experience the city of the future, will learn how our climate system works, and learn how to act in a sustainable manner.
Students participating in the Science Week will be rewarded with ECTS points. Registrations can be made in General Studies and in the House of Competence . (bst)
More information about the KIT Science Week
More information about the scientific conference
Being "The Research University in the Helmholtz Association", KIT creates and imparts knowledge for the society and the environment. It is the objective to make significant contributions to the global challenges in the fields of energy, mobility, and information. For this, about 10,000 employees cooperate in a broad range of disciplines in natural sciences, engineering sciences, economics, and the humanities and social sciences. KIT prepares its 22,800 students for responsible tasks in society, industry, and science by offering research-based study programs. Innovation efforts at KIT build a bridge between important scientific findings and their application for the benefit of society, economic prosperity, and the preservation of our natural basis of life. KIT is one of the German universities of excellence.
