What does art have to do with democracy? How can sustainability be shaped? What role do artificial intelligence and Big Tech play in our society? And how does astrophotography reveal the universe? The Krefeld Museum University 2026/2027 will be exploring these and other questions. From November 2026 to January 2027, the Hochschule Niederrhein and the Krefeld Art Museums invite secondary school pupils to attend events at the Kaiser Wilhelm Museum (Joseph-Beuys-Platz 1, 47798 Krefeld).
The programme focuses on current topics from science and research, presented in an accessible and highly practical orientation by lecturers from the HSNR. Afterwards, participants will visit the exhibitions ‘Beautiful Anarchy. Johan Thorn Prikker and his time’ and ‘Emma Talbot. PSYCHE’. The content of the talks is explored further during the guided tours using selected works of art.
All events take place from 12 noon to 1.30 pm. The programme is aimed at school classes and course groups with up to two teachers or accompanying adults. Two to three classes, with a maximum of 55 people in total, can take part per session. Admission is free. Places are allocated on a first-come, first-served basis upon receipt of the registration at: servicekunstmuseen(at)krefeld.de
“We are delighted to be helping to organise this series of collaborative events again this year with many exciting lectures. The topics are right at the cutting edge – and, combined with the subsequent guided tours of the exhibitions, are sure to offer school classes an interesting change from traditional lessons,” says HSNR President Prof. Dr Susanne Meyer.
“The MuseumsUni brings together everything young people need for their personal and social development: art, culture, science and open dialogue. The collaboration between the Krefeld Art Museums and the Hochschule Niederrhein opens up new perspectives for pupils on the museum and current research questions. We are therefore delighted that the Kaiser Wilhelm Museum and our exhibitions serve as a venue and catalyst for interdisciplinary dialogue,” says Katia Baudin, Director of the Krefeld Art Museums.
About the programme:
The series of events kicks off on 16 November with Prof. Dr Waltraud Meints-Stender (Faculty of Applied Social Sciences), who will address the question: “Me against the rest of the world!? How can we live together peacefully? How does art respond to the social issues of our time, and what does this have to do with democracy?”
On 23 November, Prof. Dr Angelika Krehl (Faculty of Business Administration and Economics) will address the question “Is everything sustainable, or what?”. The focus will be on the economic and social challenges posed by the climate crisis, as well as the question of how resources can be conserved and cross-border cooperation promoted.
On 30 November, professor Sophie Innmann (Faculty of Design) will demonstrate how collective action opens up new possibilities in ‘Better together!’. The session will include a short talk followed by a practical exercise.
On 14 December, Prof. Dr. habil. Jürgen Karla (Faculty of Business Administration and Economics) will explore the societal consequences of technological development. His interactive lecture ‘Big Tech and AI – A Threat to Our Democracy?’ brings together computer science, economics and politics.
The series concludes on 18 January 2027 with Prof. Dr. Nils Kopal (Faculty of Engineering and Computer Science) presenting “Astrophotography – How to Make the Hidden Universe Visible”. Here, computer science and physics meet art.
The MuseumsUni Krefeld is a joint project between the Hochschule Niederrhein and the Krefeld Art Museums as part of the Third Mission. Through this initiative, the university aims to provide insights into its diverse fields of studies and research whilst strengthening dialogue with the local community.
Further information and the full programme: www.hsnr.de/museums-uni
