Courses
‘Only those few who practise goodness believe in it’ – outdated reflections on the oldest challenge in the world.
Reflexiv
Ralf Lilienthal
Eva Arndt
The title of the course is an aphorism by Marie von Ebner-Eschenbach. Many of her wise thoughts concern human virtues such as politeness, moderation,…
“Domestic violence — it concerns us all. But how can domestic violence be dealt with in a professional setting?”
Reflexiv
Dr. Andrea Schlicker
This course examines the topic of "domestic violence" on various levels.
It explores where domestic violence occurs, how it can be detected and what…
10 Biotopes for the Diversity of the Cultural Landscape
Reflexiv
Marian Roßlenbroich
The greatest botanical diversity in Central Europe can be found in ten biotopes – and these are not forest or wilderness biotopes, but biotopes of the cultural…
Argument and Adrenalin. Discussion as an Epistemic Method
Reflexiv
Prof. Dr. Matthias Kettner
Discussing is a skill that must be learned. How can we continue to argue reasonably when we have serious differences of opinion—whether political, personal,…
Aesthetics of Change - A Photographic Approach to Sustainability –
Reflexiv
Künstlerische Praxis
PPE
Dipl. Philip Pearce
How can sustainability be made visible with the means of photography? This practice-oriented seminar combines a critical examination of sustainability…
Accompanying seminar on student engagement and initiative work
Reflexiv
Kommunikativ
Kathrin Brommer, M.A.
Dr. Andreas Lingg
Do you want to get involved? Would you like to be involved in a student initiative or a voluntary partner non-profit partner in the region and have your work…
BERNährung - Healthy food for body, mind and soul
Reflexiv
Dr. Nicole Jankovic
In this course, you will learn how nutrition, stress, physical activity, and relaxation affect your health and how you can use these elements intentionally to…
Between Support and Substitution: AI in University Learning, Teaching, and Assessment
Reflexiv
PPE
Prof. Dr. Jens Harbecke
The course examines how artificial intelligence can be used in university learning and teaching in ways that effectively support students’ learning processes…
Educational inequalities
Reflexiv
Dr. Svenja Hartwig
Education is a human right and essential for participation in social life. It should therefore be equally accessible to all. In practice, however, it is evident…
Building Together: (Aesth-)Ethics of the Commons
Reflexiv
Stufu-Master
PPE
Dr. Aude Florence Bertrand-Höttcke
Over the last 15 years, common spaces have re-emerged as open-access cultural, political, societal and economic projects. Current examples range from "Haus der…
Check Your Privilege
Reflexiv
Dr. Andrea Schlicker
This workshop focuses on examining oneself in the social context of perception, discrimination, and power. The focus is not on what others can do or change, but…
Choir of the University of Witten/Herdecke
Künstlerische Praxis
PPE
UMD Prof. Ingo Ernst Reihl
Jolita Svilpiene
Important information can be found at:
docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfgheXVJIoieFikRGWc_QMtiXVT1CEpA17lcbRA-tfJrqP4TQ/viewform
This semester, we…
CK3: A Model for Social Experience
Reflexiv
Prof. Dr. Jan Ehlers
Max Fischer
Dr. rer. medic. Julia Nitsche
Jonas von Dreusche, B.Sc.
The course consists of two phases. After an introductory session, the first phase involves playing the game ‘Crusader Kings III’ for four weeks. The game serves…
Data skills in healthcare: Fit for research and practice
Reflexiv
Anne Mainz, M.Sc.
Prof. Dr. Sven Meister
Vivian Lüdorf
Vera Weirauch
Health data is the key to innovation and research—but handling it responsibly is a skill that must be learned. In this course, students gain practical insight…
Democracy as a Mode of Life – Interpreting Conflict – Cultivating Community
Reflexiv
Sofia Najiba Hildegard Sboui, M.A.
This seminar is a group dynamic self-awareness seminar. We work with the Betzavta method. It is about experiencing values such as justice, involvement,…
Democracy in Crisis – Lessons from Its History for the Future
Reflexiv
Armin Flender
Since the Second World War, democracy seemed to be a successful model with parliamentary democracy and the market economy as guarantees for progress and…
Human-induced climate change: causes, effects and solutions
Reflexiv
Kathrin Brommer, M.A.
Climate change is addressed within the context of the Anthropocene. The scientific foundations of the climate change debate are explained, and various causes,…
The Will to Power: Also an introduction to philosophy
Reflexiv
Prof. Dr. Jürgen Werner
The simple division of nature into the alternative reactions of fight or flight helps in assessing whether people can be given responsibility. Only those who…
Decentralised autonomous organisations – DAOs as the future of organization?
Reflexiv
Dr. phil. Jonathan Harth
Georgios Alexiou
Imagine an organisation without a chief executive officer, without a board of directors, without a traditional hierarchy – and yet million-dollar decisions are…
The Art of Listening
Reflexiv
Kommunikativ
Dr. Nicole Jankovic
There are more and more people who have more or less everything. But there are fewer and fewer people they can confide in. The number of people who feel lonely…
Digital Ethics
Reflexiv
Dr. Sarah Becker
Isabel Gadea
René Heinitz
Isabelle Schlegel
Since the launch of ChatGPT, it has become clear that artificial intelligence is entering all areas of society at an unprecedented speed, fundamentally changing…
Digital Transformation (Masterplan)
Reflexiv
Dr. rer. medic. Julia Nitsche
What kind of mindset do we need to meet the technological challenges of the present?
What will the working world and organisational structures of the future…
Introductory Lecture – The Scientific Basic Idea of Anthroposophy
Reflexiv
IBAP
Dr. Jonas Raggatz
Is there a “spiritual” world—and can it be studied scientifically? To approach these questions, we will begin by presenting and critically examining phenomena…
Embodied cognition of music
Reflexiv
Künstlerische Praxis
Stufu-Master
PPE
Dr. Alexander Jakobidze-Gitmann
Recent research in cognitive neuroscience shows that the human mind learns not just through thought, but through the living, moving body—whether we are fully…
Empathy as a Compass: Navigating in Times of Global Challenges
Reflexiv
Prof. Dr. Werner Vogd
In the face of global crises such as climate change and threats to democracy, many people experience overwhelm and withdrawal.
This seminar offers an…
Excursion "Nuremberg in the Renaissance: Jewish History, Humanism, and World Exploration"
Reflexiv
Anil Paralkar, M.A.
Astrid Riedler-Pohlers
In the 15th and 16th centuries, Nuremberg was not only the second largest city in Germany, but also the centre of the German Renaissance and state-of-the-art…
EXCURSION: Health-Nutrition-Agriculture/One Health: The Soil Microbiome
Reflexiv
IBAM
Prof. Dr. med. Friedrich Edelhäuser
The microbiome, the totality of all microorganisms within a habitat (soil, plant, animal, human, ecosystem), has increasingly been recognized in recent years…
Experiencing fasting – science, effects, and self-experimentation
Reflexiv
Sophia Matthiessen
Beate Stock-Schröer
Fasting has a long tradition that is deeply rooted in religious and cultural rituals. In the past, fasting served primarily for spiritual purification,…
Photographic Ethnography
Künstlerische Praxis
PPE
Dipl. Philip Pearce
In this seminar, participants will learn to explore their living space in Witten and the surrounding area with a camera and to capture it with their view…
Singing Lessons
Künstlerische Praxis
PPE
Dagmar Linde
Classical singing lessons as individual lessons. Depending on the individual abilities of the participants, their vocal potential is expanded and refined, and…
Staying healthy – who cares? Facets of Resilience
Reflexiv
Dr. Cornelia Ploeger
Dr Florian Kühme
What helps us to stay healthy? There are many aspects to consider! In this seminar, we will to explore personal, interpersonal, and environmental aspects of…
Health in dialogue
Reflexiv
IBAM
Sophia Matthiessen
Dr. Bettina Berger
Sarah Morhenne
PD Christian Scheffer
What is it like to live with a (chronic) illness?
What daily problems does such an illness entail?
How can new health spaces be created despite…
Goethes Faust and the relation to integrative medicine – Excursion in Weimar
Reflexiv
Prof. Dr. David Martin
Dr. Sophia Johnson
Yvonne Pietsch
250 years after Goethe's arrival at the residence, the Klassik Stiftung Weimar´s (Weimar Classic Foundation) theme year is dedicated to one of the greatest…
Group dynamic training group
Reflexiv
Kommunikativ
Prof. Dr. Heiko Kleve
The group dynamics training group offers the opportunity to experience, observe and reflect on the development of the social system "group" in all stages of a…
HERBOLOGY – a practical seminar on the oldest medicine of humankind in the Herdecke medicinal herb garden
Reflexiv
IBAM
Dora Wagner
Herbal medicine, which combines the two disciplines of botany and medicine, is a fascinating field, perhaps precisely because the powers of nature are…
In the frenzy of images. Curating a pop-up exhibition with artistic videos
Reflexiv
Künstlerische Praxis
Prof. Dr. Renate Buschmann
Curating refers to the targeted handling of objects, images, videos and content by selecting, evaluating, thoughtfully combining and meaningfully presenting…
Into the Green – Man and His Nature
Reflexiv
Stufu-Master
EO
Petra Rüsen-Hartmann, B.A.
Prof. Dr. Claus Volkenandt
Humans and nature: spending time in the green has been and remains a fundamental human need – for we are part of nature. The seminar offers the opportunity to…
Jazz, Pop & Improvisation
Künstlerische Praxis
PPE
Matthias Schwengler
This seminar offers participants the opportunity to engage deeply with the core aspects of musical creation: improvisation, communication, and composition. The…
Who's Afraid of AI?
Reflexiv
Prof. Dr. Daniela Schmitz
Artificial intelligence will have a significant impact on all of our lives. "It is therefore essential to deal with it early and thoroughly.” (KI Campus,…
Scorecard – Producing a radio play by your self
Reflexiv
Ulrich Land
One beautiful, unsuspecting morning, bullets fly through the university. The strongest guys buckle like blades of grass. Is someone freaking out because of exam…
Children and Power: Do Young People Have a Say?
Reflexiv
Prof. Dr. Jan Ehlers
Almost one in three people in the world is under 18 years old. You could say: It is somehow "normal" to be a child. Every single one of us was one once. And yet…
Piano- and Chamber Music Workshop with Helge Antoni
PPE
Künstlerische Praxis
Helge Antoni
In this course, students have the opportunity to receive professional piano lessons from international concert pianist Helge Antoni. The focus is on developing…
Climate and Chronic Care
Reflexiv
Manfred Fiedler
Prof. Dr. Daniela Schmitz
The challenges posed by climate change for chronically ill people as a vulnerable group are considered from their own perspective as those affected. The…
Colloquium Field Trial. Building blocks for a nutritional turnaround at the UHW
Reflexiv
KURE
Prof. Dr. Claus Volkenandt
The question of how we feed ourselves and, above all, how we can achieve a healthy diet for everyone is at the heart of the “Feldversuch” project. The aim is to…
Art in Cologne – from the Middle Ages to the present day
Reflexiv
Künstlerische Praxis
Prof. Dr. Claus Volkenandt
Cologne is a city rich in art. Chronologically, its artistic heritage ranges from late antiquity to the present day; institutionally, it is represented in…
Art and sustainability – The school of good taste
Reflexiv
Benjamin Greulich
The experimental workshop in co-production with "Studio Instabil" in the "Gärten der Gemeinschaft" at the UW/H explores the social relevance of artistic…
artistic short film
Künstlerische Praxis
Hans Hausmann, M.A.
Nowadays, short films are often lumped together with non-commercial or student films. This is a big mistake, because a short film is defined solely by its…
Artificial intelligence in the arts: competitor or companion?
Reflexiv
Künstlerische Praxis
Prof. Dr. Renate Buschmann
Artificial intelligence is considered a game-changer in the world of work. While some view this development with concern, others welcome it with enthusiasm. The…
Agriculture, Medicine and Education
Reflexiv
Dr. Silke Schwarz
Prof. Dr. David Martin
Healthy people need a healthy earth. Together with the Demeter Association NRW and many top-class guest lecturers we will explore the contribution of biodynamic…
Mission statement or empty phrase? Freedom, truth, and responsibility at Witten/Herdecke University
Reflexiv
Dr. David Hornemann von Laer
Freedom, truth, and social responsibility are considered fundamental values of our university. But how much importance is still attached to these values? What…
Mediation skills for conflict resolution and innovation. Practice, structure, attitude, tools
Kommunikativ
Anita von Hertel
The seminar covers
1. the structure of mediation,
2. the areas of application of conflict resolution with mediation skills from one party mediation to classical…
Meditation Retreat – Philosophy and Practice of Consciousness Development and Self-Education
Reflexiv
Stufu-Master
IBAM
IBAP
PPE
Prof. Dr. Terje Sparby
This course offers the opportunity to delve deeper into meditation, both theoretically and practically. Basic meditation skills are developed in daily practice…
Migration and integration: theories, trends and practice in NRW, Germany, Europe and the world
Reflexiv
Cem Sentürk, M.A.
Prof. Dr. Haci-Halil Uslucan
The course will offer a comprehensive insight into the dynamic and complex area of migration and integration. Students will be provided with an overview of the…
Mine, Yours, Ours: The Philosophy of Property and Possession
Reflexiv
PPE
Prof. Dr. Jens Harbecke
Vincent Robert Kraft
This course explores the conceptual and historical foundations, moral justifications, and political implications of property and ownership. The seminar examines…
Hands-on thinking: Creating biodiversity at Günnemann-Kotten
Reflexiv
Annalena Präger, M.Sc.
Henriette Brink-Kloke
How can we create sustainable systems through our own actions and actively contribute to the preservation of our planet and humanity? What does biodiversity…
Cooking with Joy – Sustainability, Health and Nutritional medicine
Reflexiv
Künstlerische Praxis
Beate Stock-Schröer
Larissa Franzen
Friedemann Uhl
The interdisciplinary seminar combines practical kitchen experience with scientific reflection on nutrition (food as medicine), sustainability, health and…
Living together
Reflexiv
Dr. Katja de Bragança
Peri de Braganca
Every person is a person, every person is special, with or without a disability.
In this seminar we come together.
We meet each other.
We work and create…
Sustainable Development
Reflexiv
Kathrin Brommer, M.A.
The online course "Sustainable Development – Basics and Implementation" provides an introduction to the guiding concept of sustainable development and discusses…
Nutri Drama Games
Reflexiv
Künstlerische Praxis
Peter Gotthardt, B.A.
Robin Bössler, B.A.
Prof. Dr. Jan Ehlers
Dr. rer. medic. Julia Nitsche
Prof. Dr. Claus Volkenandt
The event will include an introduction to the drama games method. Drama games are interactive, scenic role-playing games (often known as mini-LARPs) that make…
One Health and Planetary Health – Fundamentals and proposed solutions for ways out of the crisis
Reflexiv
IBAM
Prof. Dr. med. Friedrich Edelhäuser
Benjamin Bembé
Susanna Kümmell
PD Bernd Rosslenbroich
Friedemann Uhl
Humanity's self-image in light of the global environmental crisis: One Health, Planetary Health and the question of what we can and must learn (about ourselves)…
Orchestra of the University of Witten/Herdecke
Künstlerische Praxis
PPE
UMD Prof. Ingo Ernst Reihl
Mitja Buchner
docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfgheXVJIoieFikRGWc_QMtiXVT1CEpA17lcbRA-tfJrqP4TQ/viewform
This semester, we are working on Antonín Dvořák’s Symphony…
Personal Mastery: Empowering Self-Leadership and Resilience
Reflexiv
Ivana Aurich
Sarah Noll
PERSONAL MASTERY
Self Leadership, Stress Management, and Personal Development
Today’s world moves fast, maybe perhaps faster than ever before. Our work and…
PhyGital Health: Digitalization changes health supply
Reflexiv
Prof. Dr. Sven Meister
Prof. Dr. Theresa Sophie Busse
Felix Hoffmann
Dr. André Nemat
Falko Schulte
PhyGital – this stands for the connection between the physical and digital worlds. We are seeing this connection increasingly in the healthcare market, for…
Planetary WE LAB “Foundations”
Reflexiv
Stufu-Master
PPE
Prof. Dr. Kazuma Matoba
Glenna Gerard
Dr. Anna Storck
We are faced with a very uncertain situation: global warming, which prompts us to seek information for the solution. We are used to receiving information and…
Planetary WE Lab: Advanced
Reflexiv
Stufu-Master
PPE
Prof. Dr. Kazuma Matoba
Lee Mason, B.A.
Agata Nienajadlo, M.Sc.
We are faced with an uncertain situation: global warming. This situation prompts us to seek information about possible solutions. We are accustomed to receiving…
Presence and Performance
Künstlerische Praxis
PPE
Ivan Lukic
Esther Murdock
In this course we will explore how to increase social awareness through embodiment. Embodiment is the process of connecting with your physical sensations,…
A Space to Think, a Time to Listen - Thinking Environment
Reflexiv
Marlen Nebelung
How can we create spaces that enable free and independent thinking? This course introduces the concept of the Thinking Environment – an approach and practice…
Exposing right-wing populism – strengthening social cohesion
Reflexiv
Prof. Dr. Kazuma Matoba
Felina Gust
Dr. Svenja Hartwig
Ayse Kalmaz
Patrick Ritter, M.A.
Dr. Andrea Schlicker
Laura Schwarz
Cem Sentürk, M.A.
Angelika Taetz-Harrer
Michael Thomsen
Prof. Dr. Haci-Halil Uslucan
Boris Weinrich
Right-wing populist movements and parties have been gaining influence in Europe and around the world for several years. They exploit fears, use simplistic…
Rhetoric and Truth
Reflexiv
Prof. Dr. Jürgen Werner
‘Where I found life, I found the will to power.’ This is how Nietzsche describes the omnipresence of a trait that is one of humanity's problematic talents.…
Rhetoric & Truth - Rescheduled Date W25/26
Reflexiv
Prof. Dr. Jürgen Werner
If truth is worth talking about, it must be accounted for. To be able to say what one has seen, however, is one of the more difficult exercises in thinking. The…
Lecture Series "Games and Society"
Reflexiv
PPE
Prof. Dr. Jan Ehlers
Kai Inboden, B.A.
Dr. rer. medic. Julia Nitsche
54% of Germans play computer games at least occasionally. Games are described as the communication medium of the information society. Many people derive their…
Pregnancy – Whose Decision?
Reflexiv
Prof. Dr. Daniela Schmitz
Manfred Fiedler
Lena Lorenz
The seminar is about focuses on the different phases of pregnancy: before pregnancy, first trimester, second & third trimester and after delivery childbirth. In…
Thinking Socially, Acting Creatively - handicrafts connect people
Reflexiv
Karla Paz
Lilian Andreae Galarza
This project takes place at the nouranour workshop in the city center of Witten. Signal of Solidarity e. V. – nouranour is a project dedicated to intercultural…
Staying with the Trouble: Art, Ecology, and Multispecies Feminism
Reflexiv
PPE
Dr. Regine Ehleiter
This seminar explores how contemporary art responds to the ecological crisis through feminist, decolonial, and more-than-human perspectives. The title…
Discover Studium fundamentale! The role of the university yesterday, today, and tomorrow.
Reflexiv
Lena Labuwy-Stark
In this seminar, you will learn about Studium Fundamentale in the context of university history. We will explore how the university and studying have changed…
Theatre Course
Künstlerische Praxis
David Zieglmaier, B.Sc.
Theatre at the University!
We work together over two semesters to develop a theatre piece and bring it to performance. It is a very lively, physical, and…
To The Lighthouse — a novel by Virginia Woolf
Reflexiv
Stufu-Master
PPE
Dr. Mango Telli
A slow and easy approach to Virginia Woolf's "To The Lighthouse". The book will surely be challenging to read. In other words, it won't be fun at first. If…
Transformatives Lernen im Zeitalter der KI
Reflexiv
Manuel Dolderer
How do people learn in such a way that not only their knowledge changes, but also their perspective on the world and their self-perception? And how can we…
Handling acute and emergency situations
Reflexiv
Prof. Dr. René Schiffner
The branch of medicine that deals with the recognition and treatment of life-threatening and less life-threatening conditions is inherently an interdisciplinary…
UNDERSTANDING AI
Reflexiv
Johannes Wiek
Manuel Dolderer
The "Understanding AI" seminar provides students from all disciplines with comprehensive knowledge about artificial intelligence and its societal implications.…
UNDERSTANDING MEDIA: Radical Shifts in the Information Ecosystem
Reflexiv
Stufu-Master
PPE
Johannes Wiek
In a world shaped by rapid technological change, global power shifts, and growing threats to democracy, the role of media is central. Media not only inform—they…
Utopias against resignation: Writing short stories in the science fiction genre
Reflexiv
Prof. Dr. Arndt Büssing
Pia Marie Hegmann
Prof. Dr. David Martin
Michelle Stern
Bettina Wurche
Current social, ecological, and transhumanist developments offer little cause for optimism about the future. Yet utopian science fiction, in particular, has…
Visual thinking - Creating clarity in a complex world
Reflexiv
Prof. Dr. David Martin
Georg Breiner
In a world that is becoming increasingly complex, fast-paced, and multifaceted, new ways of thinking, communicating, and collaborating are needed. Visual…
From Polarization to Critical Discourse: An Interdisciplinary Think Tank
Reflexiv
Prof. Dr. Heiko Kleve
Michael Boecker
Wahiba El-Khechen
How can we engage and reconnect in meaningful conversationss again in times of growing social polarization? The Interdisciplinary Thinking Workshop invites…
From the Black Forest Clinic to Grey's Anatomy: digital health worlds put to the test
Reflexiv
Prof. Dr. Theresa Sophie Busse
Prof. Dr. Sven Meister
This course is dedicated to critically examining the portrayal of digital health technologies in health-related television series. Using episodes selected by…
Walk & Talk: Seminar and excursion to MANIFESTA 16 Ruhr
Reflexiv
Künstlerische Praxis
Prof. Dr. Renate Buschmann
Manifesta is a travelling exhibition format that will be visiting the Ruhr region in the summer of 2026. Since 1996, different European cities have been the…
Good sustainability policies: How do they work?
Reflexiv
Prof. Dr. Reinhard Loske
Various sustainability concepts will be presented, discussed, reflected upon, and criticized. The starting point will be the so-called planetary boundaries,…
Between Emotion and Business. Understanding Family Businesses - Lecture Series (introduction of a family business case)
Reflexiv
PPE
Dr. Sigrun Caspary
In the WIFU lecture series, the case study “The Jewel – The Case of the Hotel zur Krone” will be presented and examined by WIFU lecturers from an…
Economics with all senses – Experiencing sustainable organizations in context
Reflexiv
Joos van den Dool
Friederike Mainz
The economy is not an isolated sphere. Companies and their stakeholders are embedded in diverse social, cultural, and ecological contexts. They influence—and…
Drawing – we go outdoor!
Künstlerische Praxis
PPE
Dipl. Susanne Stähli
If you are looking for inspiration and motifs for drawing, the summer semester is a great time to explore the area around the university. Landscapes,…
Time orders of life – Cyclical, linear and present time in medicine, education and society
Reflexiv
IBAM
Prof. Dr. med. Friedrich Edelhäuser
Thomas Fuchs
Georg Soldner
The natural temporality of living beings is primarily characterised by cyclical processes and rhythms, which are also expressed in subjective physical…
Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance — a chautauqua on quality
Reflexiv
Stufu-Master
PPE
Dr. Mango Telli
ZAMM is a cult classic for good reason. Here is a sample of the solid gold nuggets that make this book so special: 1. fixing the possibly stripped handlebar of…
At Peace with Money! A personal Exploration of Moiney and Source Work
Reflexiv
Joos van den Dool
Sylvia Brenzel
Money is far more than a means of payment. Few topics shape decisions, relationships, and social structures as profoundly – often without us even being aware of…
Designing futures – visions, values, change
Reflexiv
Dr. rer. medic. Julia Nitsche
Prof. Dr. Theresa Sophie Busse
Prof. Dr. Jan Ehlers
Immerse yourself in the world of futures. In this course, you will learn key principles such as anticipation, reflection and imagination, and explore current…