In the organizer's words:

NRW in transition: Science as a driving force - then and now

Structural change, research and the legacy of Johannes Rau

Johannes Rau shaped North Rhine-Westphalia like no other: as Minister of Science, Minister President and Federal President, he set groundbreaking impulses for (and through) research and universities. His vision: structural change through science. The coal and steel state of NRW was to become a science state.

20 years after his death, we ask the question: Can Rau's vision still provide orientation today - in the face of energy and climate change, digitalization and the challenges in the Rhineland and Ruhr regions? What role do science and research play today in structural change?

The Johannes Rau Research Foundation (JRF), the Johannes Rau Society (JRG) and the North Rhine-Westphalian Academy of Sciences, Humanities and the Arts (AWK) invite you to an event that pays tribute to Johannes Rau's work as Minister of Science - and at the same time looks to the future.

High-profile guests from science, politics and society will discuss the founding of universities, non-university research and science policy in NRW - then and now.

Join us as companions and experts talk about Johannes Rau's legacy - and what we can learn from it for solutions to today's challenges and for the future.

Monday, January 12, 2026
Admission: 18:00
Start: 18:30
End: approx. 20:20, followed by a reception

The event is open to the public and free of charge. Participation is only possible after prior registration at

https://veranstaltungen.jrf.nrw/civicrm/event/register?id=72&reset=1

https://www.awk.nrw/fileadmin/user_upload/img/Veranstaltungen/Einladungsflyer_NRW_im_Wandel.pdf

Price information:

The event is open to the public and free of charge. Participation is only possible after prior registration. https://veranstaltungen.jrf.nrw/civicrm/event/register?id=72&reset=1 Monday, January 12, 2026 Admission: 6:00 p.m. Start: 6:30 p.m. End: approx. 8:20 p.m., followed by a reception