Through the “Change it!-Stud” program, Hof University of Applied Sciences offers students a continuous opportunity to contribute their ideas directly to the university’s further development. The goal is to gather concrete suggestions for improvement from everyday university life and implement them collaboratively. For a green-tech university like Hof University of Applied Sciences, topics such as sustainability, resource conservation, and the responsible management of campus infrastructure play a central role.
Once again this year, several compelling proposals were recognized—ideas that demonstrate how attentively students observe their campus and how practical their solutions can be.
Practical solutions for greater sustainability
This year’s winning proposal comes from Lars Scheid, a computer science student, member of Hof Spannung e.V., and graduate of the 2025/26 winter semester. His idea: to retrofit the existing trash cans on campus with lids. This is intended to prevent animals from pulling the trash out and scattering it—a small detail with a big impact on cleanliness and sustainability on campus.
Another contribution came from Ben Becher, a member of the Student Council and also active with Hof Spannung e.V. He, too, completed his bachelor’s degree in the winter semester of 2025/26. His idea focuses more on communication: a meme contest is intended to motivate students to create creative content related to campus life, thereby strengthening university marketing in a humorous way.
In addition, Christoph Gallersdörfer from the Career Service proposed a plan to improve waste separation. Especially in lecture halls, trash bins should be more clearly labeled in the future so that waste can be sorted more easily and correctly.
Implementation in collaboration with the GreenTech Office
The winning ideas will now be reviewed in close collaboration with the GreenTech Office and implemented step by step. The goal is to turn good ideas into concrete improvements for everyday campus life.
University President Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. Jürgen Lehmann praised the participants’ commitment:
“Our students and staff experience university life every day—and that is precisely why their observations often give rise to particularly practical ideas. The fact that young people are so actively thinking about how we can make our university more sustainable, more creative, and even more livable deserves great recognition.”
Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. Jürgen Lehmann
