From May 19 to 23, 2025, the university campus was all about international academic collaboration: Around 20 guest lecturers from ten countries took part in this year’s International Teaching Week and contributed to a diverse program of teaching and exchange under the theme “AI Odyssey: Understand, Create, Explore!”
Participants came from Belgium, India, Zimbabwe, Italy, Kazakhstan, France, Colombia, Ukraine, the Netherlands, and the United States, bringing with them a wide range of academic backgrounds and teaching perspectives. They offered students global insights into the future topic of artifcial intelligence. Over 120 hours of lectures were delivered – covering technical foundations, ethical issues, and sector-specific applications.
““The International Teaching Week 2025 clearly showed how academic exchange and global collaboration can enhance our university’s innovative capacity – especially when it comes to forward-looking topics like artificial intelligence.”
Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. Jürgen Lehmann, President of Hof University
All lectures and workshops were aligned with the week’s central theme. For example, Prof. Khumbulani Mpofu (Zimbabwe) presented on Smart Factory and Engineering, while Dr. Ricardo Aldana Orte (Colombia) gave practical insights into the use of AI in healthcare. Students benefited from hands-on, interdisciplinary engagement with the topic – right on campus.
The academic program was supplemented by a varied accompanying program that integrated both technical and cultural aspects:
- An excursion to the Amazon Logistics Center in Gattendorf offered insights into AI-controlled logistics processes.
- In an interactive workshop, lecturers from Germany and abroad discussed “AI Teaching Experiences and Best Practices”
- Guests experienced Bavarian hospitality first-hand at the traditional Bavarian veal sausage breakfast.
- A day trip to Bayreuth rounded off the week – with visits to the Margravial Opera House (UNESCO World Heritage Site) and the historic Hermitage Museum.
Our guests were truely impressed by the openness and commitment of our university. The week was a vibrant example of how internationalization at home can work in practice.”
Susanne Krause, Head of the International Office
In addition to student-focused activities, the event fostered valuable connections between faculty members. Existing partnerships were deepened, and new collaborations in teaching and research exchange were initiated.
The university would like to sincerely thank all guests, colleagues, and partners for their commitment – and is already looking forward to continuing this successful format in 2027.
