Monday, January 11, 2027, 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m., Model Factory on the Rotenbühl Campus 

Overview:
Experience how Lean Management sustainably optimizes production processes—in a practical, interactive, and interdisciplinary way. In this full-day seminar, we’ll teach you Lean principles that will help you systematically identify waste and make processes more efficient.

Target Audience:
Students from all disciplines (engineering, business, social sciences) as well as htw saar staff members interested in systematic process optimization
.

Your Benefits:

• Practical Application: Use the unique model factory on the Rotenbühl campus as an experimental space to put theory directly into practice.
• Transferable Skills: Lean management promotes systemic thinking, structured problem-solving, and efficient work methods—skills that are highly valuable in any discipline, whether technical, business, or social.
• Interdisciplinary exchange: Benefit from dialogue with fellow students from various degree programs and work together to develop innovative approaches to process optimization.
• Career advantage: Acquire skills that will ease your transition into the workforce and set you apart in a dynamic work environment.

Workshop Content:

• Simulation of real-world production processes: Experience typical challenges in everyday production and analyze opportunities for optimization.
• Lean Management in Action: Develop methods for minimizing waste, flow production, one-piece flow, and the pull principle.
• Standardization and continuous improvement: Learn how clear standards serve as the foundation for sustainable success and how to implement continuous improvement processes.

Benefit from an interdisciplinary approach that strengthens not only technical but also cross-functional skills—valuable preparation for your future career!

Speakers: Prof. Dr. Dieter Arendes and team

Registration

Wednesday, January 13, 2027, 2:10–4:00 p.m., VR-Arena CAS 3405 (behind the Old Cafeteria)

An unexpected question in a seminar, a critical follow-up to a presentation, or an objection during a discussion—we often have to respond without being able to prepare in advance.

In the VR-Arena, you can practice exactly these kinds of situations. A virtual counterpart asks questions, follows up, or reacts to your answer. The goal isn’t just to answer as quickly as possible, but also to remain clear, calm, and understandable even when responding spontaneously.

Among other things, you can practice:

• consciously taking a moment before answering,
• quickly organizing your thoughts,
• formulating short and clear answers,
• asking specific follow-up questions when a question is unclear,
• how to handle objections or critical questions,
• and calmly defending one’s own position.

The exercises are based on typical situations encountered in academic studies, presentations, and discussions.

No preparation or VR experience is required. The training uses short, prepared scenarios—try them out, get feedback, and try them again right away

Presenter: Ulrike
Reintanz#TeamStudiSupport at htw saar

Registration

Wednesday, January 14, 2027, 2:15–3:45 p.m., via MS Teams

ChatGPT, DeepL Write, Perplexity, and others have long since become part of everyday student life. Many students already use AI for term papers, presentations, research, programming assignments, or exam preparation. At the same time, important questions remain unanswered:

Am I allowed to use AI tools for my term paper?
Do I have to cite their use?
What is permitted during exams?
How do I handle incorrect or fabricated AI responses?
What do I need to consider regarding data protection, copyright, and sources?

With the guide “Use of AI-Based Tools in Academic Studies and Teaching,” htw saar has created guidelines that provide direction on how to handle AI. In this workshop, we’ll apply these rules to specific situations from everyday academic life.

Through short input, group work, and discussion sessions, we’ll cover topics such as the permissible use and citation of AI tools, common errors in AI-generated content, data protection and copyright, as well as the use of AI in learning, writing, research, and exam contexts.

After the workshop, you’ll be better able to assess

• what is permitted when using AI in your studies,
• when and how the use of AI should be disclosed,
• what opportunities and risks AI tools present for your studies,
• how you can use AI effectively to support your learning process,
• and what you need to keep in mind to avoid legal, ethical, or exam-related issues.

The workshop is open to students from all disciplines—whether you already use AI regularly, have only tried it out so far, or are still unsure. Feel free to bring your own questions and examples from your studies.

Instructors:

• Marion Douba
• Beate Winterholler

Registration

Friday, January 18, 2027, 4:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m., CAS

Anti-Semitism is a problem affecting society as a whole that manifests itself in many different forms—from derogatory remarks in debates to stereotypical images in the media to actual attacks and acts of violence. This seminar invites all interested participants to understand and define antisemitism as a multifaceted, ever-changing phenomenon and to distinguish it from other forms of discrimination. Through an examination of historical developments, current social debates, and concrete case studies, you will learn to critically evaluate antisemitic statements, question patterns of perception, and reflect on your own attitudes and approaches to action.

Speaker: Dr. Linda Balzer, Head of the Department of Religious Studies—specializing in anti-Semitism research—at the University of Saarbrücken (UdS
) 

Questions about the event? Please email:gleichstellung@htwsaar.de 

Registration

Wednesday, January 20, 2027, 3:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m., MS Teams

Topics:

Have you completed your bachelor’s or master’s degree, or are you about to finish? The Saarland Employment Agency supports you during this important phase of career planning and as you enter the workforce:

• What’s next after graduation?
• What changes when you graduate?
• What are the benefits of registering with the Saarland Employment Agency?
• What support is available for the transition from college to the workforce?

Speakers:

Carina Engel, Julien Robichon – Employment Agency

Registration

Thursday, January 21, 2027, 2:00–4:00 p.m., VR-Arena CAS 3405 (behind the Old Cafeteria)

In an oral exam or colloquium, simply knowing the material isn’t enough. You must be able to recall your knowledge under time and performance pressure, structure your answers, and respond to follow-up questions. This is exactly what you can practice.

In the VR-Arena, you’ll experience a simulated exam situation with a virtual examiner. The focus isn’t on your subject knowledge, but on how you handle the situation itself.

Among other things, you can practice:

• how to begin an answer calmly and in a structured manner,
• staying on track even under pressure,
• how to handle follow-up questions from examiners,
• regaining your composure if you have a mental blank,
• to react confidently when you don’t know the answer,
• and to get back on track after a difficult moment.

This training is suitable for oral exams, colloquia, project defenses, and similar situations.

You do not need any prepared exam questions or VR experience. The exercises use general scenarios, so the focus is entirely on your demeanor and how you handle the exam situation.

Registration

Friday, January 22, 2026, 9:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m., via Zoom
Prerequisite: Active participation with a working audio connection

Even if you don’t yet have any specific ideas about what exactly to write in your bachelor’s or master’s thesis, you can save yourself a lot of stress and work by learning how to set up your thesis correctly with just a few key steps: Table of contents, outline, references, lists of figures and bibliography, cross-references—everything a well-structured thesis must include. And then the writing will come naturally…

Presenter: Éva Mészàros,
certified Microsoft Trainer (MMI©)

Registration