Mannheim Forum 2024
Over the three days of the congress from 7 March to 9 March 2024, we were once again able to welcome hundreds of participants to the University of Mannheim.
The world is in a decisive phase of transformation characterised by political, economic and social forces. This turning point requires not only technological but also societal changes towards sustainability and justice, with each individual bearing responsibility. With this in mind, four presentations and four discussions were organised under the guiding theme "Turning point - leadership in an age of upheaval", with 37 speakers answering critical questions from the audience.
Participants were also able to use the 12th Mannheim Forum to engage in dialogue with the 33 corporate partners and discuss their professional future through a wide variety of formats - workshops, career talks, speed dating and a career fair.
The Mannheim Forum 2024 was framed by an opening ceremony, a wine night and a gala evening with live music.
Persons in charge 2024
Executive board
Zara Hölzer (Head of Speaker Relations)
Emma Fähndrich (Head of Eventmanagement & Logistics)
Kilian Lübbing (Head of Company Relations)
Marvin Kelly (Head of Legal & Finance)
Lara Biermann (Head of Human Relations & Participants)
Heads of Department
Amin Abu Ajaj (Speaker Relations)
Dominik Luberto (Company Relations)
Jonas Zehnle (Company Relations)
Nele Moses (Eventmanagement & Logistics)
Lucia Stegmüller (Eventmanagement & Logistics)
Maja Köhler (Marketing)
Maja Schmieder (Marketing)
Daniel Fuhge (IT)
Calvin Lam (IT)
Nathalie Enderle (Human Resources & Participants)
Tobias Fischer (Legal & Finance)
Merle Weber (Legal & Finance)
Mannheim Forum 2023
"Europe - home, continent, confederation of states" - this was the theme of the 11th Mannheim Forum, which took place from March 9-11, 2023. With over 700 participants and more than 40 corporate partners, we were able to reach more people than ever before! At our congress, we debated populism and nationalism in the European Union, banking opportunities and responsibility in the global circular economy. We received exciting impulses from leading forces of the European Union, as well as looked at modern models of the working world. With a look at the heart of our economy, we addressed the problems of small and medium-sized businesses and took a fresh look at Europe's geopolitical opportunities between China and the USA. Finally, the challenges and crises of the last few years brought our attention to the energy crisis, our moral responsibility and development aid. We were thus able to offer our participants three keynote speeches and eight discussions, framed by an unprecedented program of workshops, corporate partners and live music.
Persons in charge 2023
Executive Board
Clemens Kampmann (Head of Speaker Relations)
Aylin Karatas (Head of Eventmanagement & Logistics)
Paul Strawa (Head of Company Relations)
Daniel Tietze (Head of Legal, Finance & Strategy)
Heads of Department
Lena Günnewig (Speaker Relations)
Lukas Halter (Speaker Relations)
Jana Eichmann (Company Relations)
Dan Tsvasman (Company Relations)
Thomas Helzer (Eventmanagement & Logistics)
Julia Kuzovkova (Marketing)
Robin Schilg (IT)
Alexandra Kriecherbauer (Human Resources)
Speakers 2023
Katarina Barley
„So the fact that students themselves think about everything, organise it and put something together like this is really impressive!“ (translated from German)
Vice President of the European Parliament
Pedro Silva Pereira
„I think it is important to have more democratic participation and participation of young people.“
Vice President of the European Parliament
Christian Kühn
„You get an impulse from another generation that you can also take into your daily work.“ (translated from German)
Parliamentary State Secretary at the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection
Mannheim Forum 2022
The 10th anniversary edition of the Mannheim Forum took place from 3 to 5 March 2022 - in a hybrid format with online discussions and workshops as well as an opening ceremony and gala evening in presence. The guiding theme "Future-oriented" provided the framework for discussing the future of various areas of society. Because dramatic changes such as climate change, economic crises, the Corona pandemic and a changing international world order make it more than unclear how our coexistence will develop. But in every uncertainty there is also an opportunity! We as the young generation have the opportunity to leave the outdated behind us, to take a new direction and to change the world. At the Mannheim Forum 2022, we therefore jointly developed a vision for the society of the future, talked about necessary changes in the economy and politics and discussed how we can already lay the foundation for a changed world with our actions today.
Persons in charge 2022
Executive board
Lukas Eyermann (Head of Speaker Relations)
Jana Hauer (Head of Eventmanagement & Logistics)
Lukas Holzinger (Head of Company Relations)
Tim Kühleis (Head of Legal, Finance & Strategy)
Heads of departments
Jennifer Wilhelm (Speaker Relations)
Lukas Halter (Speaker Relations)
Maxim Romanovschi (Company Relations)
Nicolas von Normann (Company Relations)
Katharina Bracht (Eventmanagement & Logistics)
Aylin Karatas (Marketing)
Robin Schilg (IT)
Moritz Bode (Human Resources)
Speakers 2022
Ralph Caspers
„I find it particularly interesting that the Mannheim Forum is organised by students - that is a unique selling point.“ (translated from German)
Former WDR moderator
Michael Roth
„I wish that not everyone would freeze in fear now, but that we would let the principle of hope prevail, even in these dark times.“
Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the German Parliament, former Minister of State
Reem Alabali-Radovan
„My motivation has always been that I can complain, but if I don't get politically active myself and get involved, I can't rely on others to do it.“ (translated from German)
Minister of State at the Chancellery, Federal Commissioner for Migration, Refugees and Integration
Mannheim Forum 2021
Due to the Covid19 pandemic, the Mannheim Forum took place completely digitally for the first time on 12 and 13 March 2021. Under the theme of "Awareness", the topics included the new political role of CEOs and the responsibility of media formats. Through panel discussions, lectures, workshops and company talks, awareness was created for controversial and difficult topics, thus laying the foundation for responsible and future-oriented action on the part of each individual - true to the motto "Sapere Aude", or to put it in Kant's Enlightenment words "Have courage to use your own mind".
Persons in charge 2021
Executive board
Isabeau Ammann (Head of Legal, Finance & Strategy)
Leon Burkhard (Head of Speaker Relations)
Benedikt Fabiszisky (Head of Company Relations)
Annika Haas (Head of Eventmanagement & Logistics)
Heads of Department
David Cerrato (Speaker Relations)
Annabelle Bröstl (Speaker Relations)
Moritz Mangold (Company Relations)
Jana Hauer (Eventmanagement & Logistics)
Alina Barth (Communications)
Janine Schmidt (Communications)
Johanna Striegel (Sustainability)
Ben Wehrbein (IT)
Miray Cicek (Human Resources)
Speakers 2021
Dirk Emig
„It was a lot of fun, everyone was very enthusiastic, it was implemented in a highly professional manner and in this respect the online implementation of the Mannheim Forum 2021 was really great.“ (translated from German)
Former Head of Current Affairs, hr-iNFO
Weihua Wang
„There are many things that are special about the Mannheim Forum, but what impresses me the most is that students organise it alongside their studies and do it so professionally, I am impressed every time.“ (translated from German)
Moderator and social entrepreneur
(Photo copyright: Nicole Schramm)
Mannheim Forum 2020
The Mannheim Forum 2020 was planned for 19-21 March but had to be cancelled at short notice due to the spread of the coronavirus.
Under the theme "Responsibility", the aim was to discuss from different perspectives how much responsibility each individual bears for a common future. Because every day we make big and small decisions and thus take responsibility for our actions. In an increasingly polarised world, our decisions have enormous consequences and the question arises: How should we, individually and as a society, live up to our responsibility and make decisions in uncertain times?
Due to complex interconnections among each other, it seems utopian to avoid a certain overall responsibility. What can we orientate ourselves by? What helps us to make the right decisions and find answers? And how can we deal with our responsibility more consciously without giving in to the fear of making the wrong decisions?
Persons in charge 2020
Executive board
Tim Hofmann (Head of Speaker Relations)
Isabel Hovorka (Head of Company Relations)
Alexander Schulz (Head of Legal, Finance & Strategy)
Hanna Viehweger (Head of Eventmanagement & Logistics)
Heads of Department
Leon Burkhard (Speaker Relations)
Julian Metz (Speaker Relations)
Almut Rödder (Company Relations)
Tim von Lücken (Eventmanagement & Logistics)
Christiane Krauss (Marketing & PR)
Niels Hansen (Participant Relations)
Alexander Dideban (IT)
Nils Harries (IT)
Janine Ecker (Human Resources)
Mannheim Forum 2019
The seventh Mannheim Forum took place from 21 - 23 March 2019 under the title "Reorientation". Regardless of the perspective from which we look to the future, in many aspects of our current political, economic and social order, a reorientation seems inevitable. In an increasingly accelerating world, however, a fundamental orientation must not be lacking at first. Timely and at the same time sustainable action is required, but a compromise of both is often difficult to achieve.
Persons in charge 2019
Executive board
Sven Büning (Head of Company Relations)
Veronique Hagmann (Head of Eventmanagement & Logistics)
Anna Pohlers (Head of Finance, Legal & Strategy)
Erik Walkling (Head of Speaker Relations)
Heads of Departments
Lena Schrod (Speaker Relations)
Christoph Reuter (Speaker Relations)
Julian Metz (Speaker Lounge)
Nicole Schulz (Company Relations)
Julian Stroscher (Company Relations)
Pauline Vester (Eventmanagement & Logistics)
Aileen Milewski (Marketing & PR, Design)
Ann-Kathrin Pfleging (Participant Relations)
Malin Ploder (Human Resources)
Speakers 2019
Kevin Kühnert
„The message to the younger generation is probably the same as in every young generation before: You can complain a lot about not being present in the public debate, in parliaments, in governments, but you have to make your voice heard, you have to go out on the streets, just signing something somewhere will not be enough in case of doubt.“ (translated from German)
Former Federal Chairman of the Jusos
Ronald Hall
„I must say one of the big things about being here is that it kind of restores my confidence in the future, seeing so many capable, well-organised and motivated students.“
Former Principal Advisor at the European Commission
Mannheim Forum 2018
Under the title "Networked Worlds", the Mannheim Forum took place for the sixth time from 8 - 10 March 2018. The interconnectedness of the world has not only been progressing since globalisation, but has been taking place since the dawn of mankind and has shaped the way we live together. Nevertheless, we perceive this networking in the most diverse areas of our society more strongly than in the past and feel its effects in a different way.
Persons in Charge 2018
Executive board
Mara Becker (Head of Eventmanagement & Logistics)
Teresa Kaufmann (Head of Company Relations)
Tobias Schreiner (Head of Speaker Relations)
Jan Stribel (Head of Finance, Legal & Strategy)
Heads of Department
Lena Schrod (Speaker Relations)
Erik Walkling (Speaker Relations)
Malte Zander (Company Relations)
Johannes Breithecker (Eventmanagement & Logistics)
Tobias Palmowski (IT & Design)
Christopher Deifuss (Participant Relations)
Mares Schmalgemeier (Communications)
Jonas Hettich (Strategy)
Speakers 2018
Christian Wulff
„I assume that the student body in Mannheim is relatively colourful and also stands for the colourful Federal Republic of Germany and I believe that there is a good climate here in Mannheim towards foreign things and that people are open to new things. That's why I'm looking forward to the event, because I think there's a lot of open-mindedness here." (translated from German)
Former Federal President
Bernd Riexinger
„If you only discuss in one discipline, you will find few solutions and today we live in a complex world where everything is connected to everything else and this should also be taken into account in science.“ (translated from German)
Former Chairman of „Die Linke“
Mannheim Forum 2017
The Mannheim Forum 2017 started its fifth round under the title "Upheaval for departure?" Upheavals are always accompanied by a change that is fundamental and momentous. It is not only a process of replacement, but under certain conditions a struggle of old and new, characterised by the ambivalence between phenomena of innovation and persistence. We therefore asked the question, where in our society are these profound upheavals taking place and how do we deal with them? Is a new beginning also possible without upheaval? With this highly topical theme, we looked at the upheavals in our world in three days and from six perspectives.
Persons in Charge 2017
Executive Board
Navdeep Kaur Ghothra (Head of Speaker Relations and Eventmanagement & Logistics)
Tim Neumann (Head of Company Relations)
Paula Purps (Head of Legal & Finance)
Heads of Department
Tobias Palmowski (Speaker Relations)
Tobias Schreiner (Speaker Relations)
Lisa Köhnert (Company Relations)
Carolin Tropschug (Eventmanagement & Logistics)
Tilman Schlögl (IT)
Mona Schian (Participant Relations)
Anna Wollmann (Communications)
Speakers 2017
Katja Kipping
„I am very impressed by how professionally the Mannheim Forum was prepared and conducted. It succeeded in bringing together very different positions on current and burning issues, so that I would say: I have gained knowledge from the debate.“ (translated from German)
Former Chairman of „Die Linke"
Martin Wiesmann
„I think you always have to know for yourself what you are really interested in, what you are enthusiastic about and what you burn for. It helps you tremendously on your own path if you deal with different perspectives and if, as in Mannheim, you are in an environment where this comes from the outside or is provided by a diverse student body like the Mannheim Forum.“ (translated from German)
Former JP Morgan
Mannheim Forum 2016
The Mannheim Forum 2016 was entirely under the title "(without) borders?". Borders - a term with which one can associate many different things. Where and how do we encounter which borders in our lives? What kinds of borders are there in business, politics and culture - and how are we influenced by them? With this topic, the Mannheim Forum was able to find convincing and surprising answers.
Persons in Charge 2016
Executive Board
Simon Krause (Head of Speaker Relations)
Lukas Bäuerle (Head of Company Relations)
Jakob Krämer (Head of Event & Logistics)
Iliana Chimarrides (Head of Legal & Finance)
Heads of Department
Jakob Stein (Speaker Relations)
Tim Neumann (Company Relations)
Lukas Krenz (Event & Logistics)
Matthias Fertig (IT & Quality management)
Anna Pautsch (Participant Relations)
Carolin Betz (Communications)
Speakers 2016
Norbert Lammert
„I was very impressed by the Mannheim Forum, because the question "Where are we dealing with borders and which of these borders are avoidable or unavoidable?" is discussed with a view to culture, art and religion. I find that remarkable and highly attractive.“ (translated from German)
Former President of the German Parliament
Natasha Bertaud
„I think it is important that students get to have explanations of the politic decisions that are being taken today, because they are the ones that will be taking them tomorrow!“
Former Spokesperson of Jean-Claude Juncker, President of the European Commission
Mannheim Forum 2015
"Time" occupies many of us, even outside the university and the workplace. How contemporary is our security policy? Can we accurately recognise the change in the media in this day and age? These and other discussion questions around the motto "Time" occupied many participants, speakers and companies at the Mannheim Forum 2015.
Persons in Charge 2015
Executive Board
Ben Christian (Head of Speaker Relations)
Gabriel Bartke (Head of Company Relations)
Nina Böhm (Head of Event & Logistics)
Sarah Lämmlin (Head of Legal & Finance)
Ressortleiter im Jahr 2015 waren
Janika Drews (Speaker Relations)
Felix Brehmer (Event & Logistics)
Felicitas Luis (Participants Relations; successor Jasmin Rein)
Matthias Fertig (IT & Quality management)
Dustin Faustmann (Communications)
Speakers 2015
Georg Restle
„I like to donate my time to the Mannheim Forum because I was a student myself, organised congresses myself and know how difficult it is and I think it's great that such initiatives still exist today!“ (translated from German)
ARD journalist
(Photo copyright: WDR/Klaus Görgen)
Peter Bofinger
„The exciting thing about such events is simply the questions you are asked, and that's what's nice about students, that they are fresh, unused questions and that gives you something to think about. And when you think about it, you also get new ideas.“ (translated from German
Former Business wise man
(Photo copyright: Council of Experts)
Mannheim Forum 2014
The topic of "power" plays an important role in many areas of everyday life. And it was precisely this topic that was in the foreground at the Mannheim Forum 2014. How do states deal with the power upheavals in the Arab world? What kind of power do religions have in the 21st century? Or is the power of the media changing due to the internet? These questions offered the speakers and companies plenty of material to successfully master disputes and workshops and make them a platform for discussion.
Persons in Charge 2014
Executive Board
Louisa Plasberg (Head of Speaker Relations)
Christian Granz (Head of Company Relations)
Ulrike Holder (Head of Event & Logistics)
Nico Förster (Head of Legal & Finance)
Heads of Department
Janika Drews (Speaker Relations)
Tim Pieplau (Company Relations)
Sabrina Ramos Christiansen (Event & Logistics)
Jonathan Bünemann (Participant Relations)
Julia Katrina Boltz (Communications)
Speaker 2014
Christian Lindner
„The Mannheim Forum is superbly organised, gives a lot of great impulses in the matter with top-class speakers and that this is possible is certainly thanks to the initiative here! Very professionally implemented, many a professional provider could learn something from it.“ (translated from German
Federal chairman of the FDP
Peer Steinbrück
„In any case, I find it admirable that the students themselves are getting such an event going here at the university in Mannheim. That's something I haven't experienced in my previous experiences with student life. Therefore, great respect!“ (translated from German)
Former Federal Minister of Finance and Minister-President
Mannheim Forum 2013
400 students, three days of events, 50 speakers - the premiere event of the Mannheim Forum was able to bring the topic of "resources" closer to the participants with lively debates, professional organisation and an attractive supporting programme. For many, this is a highly topical subject and leads us to many questions in society. How can companies deal with scarce resources? What role do start-ups play in this? Or what impact does climate change have on our lives? In addition to the numerous discussions with minds from business, politics and society, the Mannheim Forum 2013 offered enough space for interesting conversations and new contacts with a start-up lounge and the company stands.
Persons in Charge 2013
Executive board
Florian Schulze (Head of Speaker Relations)
Hannah Rupalla (Head of Company Relations)
Carolin Czaja (Head of Event & Logistics)
Felicitas Seibold (Head of Legal & Finance)
Ressortleiter im Jahr 2013 waren
Felix Hannemann (Company Relations)
Carlo Schwarz (Speaker Relations)
Jan Müller-Dethard (Speaker Relations)
Elisabeth Klioner (Eventmanagement)
Tatjana Kast (Logistics)
Bianca Linneweber (Logistics)
Vivienne Brando (Communications)
Sebastian Müller (Communications)
Alexander Schätzel (Participant Relations)
Speakers 2013
Ernst Ludwig von Thadden
„At Mannheim University […] we would like our students to get involved into social, political, and economic affairs and to take a broader approach to life than just university. This is exactyl what the Mannheim Forum is standing for!“
Former President of the University of Mannheim