Skip to main content

News from the University of Potsdam

Subjects
Selected Subject:

show all

Experts among themselves. At the headquarters of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Photo: FAO/Giorgio Cosulich de Pecine.

A Matter of Trust – Political scientists at the University of Potsdam research the concept of expert authority

The World Bank does it; NATO and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations do, too. International organizations give concrete policy …
Contemporary cartoon of a “dandy”, unknown artist (“Lacing a Dandy”, published by Thomas Tegg, 1819. Photo: Wikimedia.

From Deviant to Mainstream – Fashion Theoretician Gertrud Lehnert on “Queer Fashion”

Is a young male model wearing women’s fashion queer? What about unisex fashion? “Queerness is a practice that subverts identity standards, eludes …
Two first-year beavers in the pond Friedensteich in Sanssouci Park. Photo: Janine Treue.

Pastures for the Beavers – Master’s student examines beaver territories in the city

It is droll but not always welcome. The beaver’s way of life alters entire landscapes like hardly any other animal and has thus often been targeted by …
Prof. Dr. Uta Herbst. Photo: Karla Fritze.

No Lame Compromises – Negotiation expert Uta Herbst researches and teaches at the Negotiation Academy at the University of Potsdam

“Negotiating is like playing the piano,” Uta Herbst says with a laugh. “If you practice long enough, you will get good at it.” Her laughter is …
Scientists of the University of Potsdam at Lake Challa, Kenia. Photo: Stephan Opitz.

Here It Comes Again – A strong El Niño is wreaking havoc on the world climate. Potsdam researchers have been studying the phenomenon for some time now.

Heat, drought, flooding, record rainfall, and wildfires – the weather phenomenon El Niño affects various regions of the world in different ways. …
“Application Center Industry 4.0”: a simulation platform for new factory models and a learning factory at the same time. Photo: Karla Fritze.

The Transformation of the Factory – How Industry 4.0 brings human and machine into dialogue

“Up to now, a workpiece in a factory has been ignorant. It does not know what it is, where it comes from, and whether it is important,” Norbert Gronau …
At the laboratory of the KINGS-Study. Photo: Karla Fritze.

More than Dumbbells, Sweat, and Bulk – Joint project researches strength training in youth athletes

Strength training had long been regarded as a pastime for enthusiasts looking to increase their strength and muscle mass but we now know that …
Physics lessons thrive on experimental learning. Photo: Fotolia/Christian Schwier.

The Secret of the Teaching Profession – Physics educationalists examine what makes a good lesson

You can tell good teachers by their students. But what makes them good? Why are some teachers better able than others at giving their students a leg …
Mountains of files had to be studied for the project. Photo: MMZ.

More Politically Motivated Cases than Presumed – Earlier cases of extreme rightwing and racist violence reappraised

One spring evening in May 1993, Belaid Baylal, an asylum seeker from Morocco, and some of his friends went to a pub in Belzig. What may sound like a …
Telemedical rehab program in front of the TV – and with a camera. Photo: Matthias Heyde (Fraunhofer Institut für offene Kommunikationssysteme - FOKUS)

Getting Fit in Front of the Screen – Physicians, sports scientists, and engineers are developing telemedical assistance system

Telemedicine makes it possible for doctors to diagnose and treat diseases even if the patient is not sitting in the doctor’s office, but rather at …