Peter Sitt
Events Management
Who are you and what is your role at HCU?
My name is Peter Sitt, and I was the first events manager at HCU in HafenCity.
When did you work at HCU?
From 1 September 2012 to 14 December 2019.
Could you describe your area of work in more detail?
With the move to the new building in HafenCity in February 2014, I set up the events management team and established the necessary structures on my own initiative. During this time, I drafted an internal and external events handbook, amongst other things. I advised academic staff and students on planning their events and was also available on site to provide assistance. For in-house symposia and conferences, I usually supported the professors by often taking on the coordination of all parties involved, including external service providers.
What does the HCU mean to you and what does the 20th anniversary mean to you?
For me, HCU was far more than just a place of work. It was a fascinating intersection between academic innovation and the enormous interest from politics and the wider community. The early days in HafenCity were particularly intense: we were the city’s new magnet, which was reflected in a flood of political events. Every event was a statement of this university’s relevance.
What are your wishes for HCU for the next 20 years?
For the future, I wish HCU continued success in bringing together academia, politics and society around one table. Above all, I wish the students one thing: that you see HCU as your stage. Don’t be afraid of big questions, network beyond your own departments and use this special place to make your mark on the world. Stay curious, stay critical and, above all: have a brilliant time at your HCU!
Is there a word that best describes your time at and with the HCU?
Interface, because it perfectly describes my role between the HCU, politics and the city.
Udo Ahrend
Procurement
Who are you, and what is your role at HCU?
My name is Udo Ahrend. I work as a clerk in the Procurement department, within the Finance, Accounting, Controlling and Procurement division.
How long have you been working at HCU?
I started in 2007, back then in City Nord in a different role. We set up the Infothek there – a slightly different setup to what it is now, but we laid the foundations. I’ve been in Procurement since 2009 and helped build up this department too.
Could you describe your area of work in more detail?
My area of work is the procurement of goods and services – in other words, everything a university needs. From a rabbit costume and mushrooms to the DVocean, HCU’s surveying boat, we’ve actually procured just about everything. There’s probably not much we haven’t bought yet.
What does HCU mean to you, and what does the 20th anniversary mean to you?
Twenty years is relatively short for a university, but you could say: the child has now grown up. We’re no longer in our puppyhood. Having been here since 2007 – we were founded in 2006, so I joined a year after the founding phase – I’ve accompanied HCU’s journey and, in some respects, helped shape its development. It’s a bit like watching a child grow up.
My personal connection to HCU is that I met a woman here whom I later married. She still works here. So there is definitely a personal connection.
What are your hopes for HCU over the next 20 years?
The path the HCU is currently on is a good one overall. Not just in teaching and research. We have a Christmas party, we have events like the HafenCity Run. These are signs that the HCU is doing something, for the staff as well. I’d like to see even more of that. And I’d like to see more people coming to such events to network and chat with one another.
And colour – I really do mean that visually. There are lots of large grey concrete surfaces here. What’s wrong with green walls, for example, or greening indoor spaces in general? People need colour, and colour can make a huge difference.
Is there one word that best describes your time at and with HCU?
I’d say two words: varied and surprising.
Varied – from the rabbit costume to the mushroom story to the survey vessel. These are a cut above the rest and really interesting things. And the surprises certainly don’t fail to materialise. For example, I helped launch a publication and was mentioned in the acknowledgements. That came as a surprise and was unexpected. I was very pleased about that.
Dr. Nicole Podleschny
Media & Didactics Specialist
Who are you, and what is your role at HCU?
My name is Nicole Podleschny. I work in the IT department as a Media and Teaching Methods Specialist, and for the past few months I have been acting Deputy Head of IT. I am also Chair of the Staff Council at HCU.
How long have you been working at HCU?
My colleague and I both joined in January 2020, just before the pandemic. That was quite tough, as the university was virtually deserted three months later.
Could you describe your area of work in more detail?
The Media & Didactics team operates in what is known as the ‘third space’, meaning we are not assigned to research, teaching or administration. We act as a support service for teaching staff and help to improve the quality of teaching.
What does the 20th anniversary mean to you?
Twenty years – that’s not such a long time for a university. But it’s great to work at such a young, dynamic university.
I sometimes envy my colleagues who’ve been here longer and can talk about the ‘old days’. In any case, I expect to stay at HCU for a while longer.
What are your wishes for HCU for the next 20 years?
I hope that HCU maintains its positive atmosphere and remains just as forward-looking, even though we naturally face a number of challenges. And, of course, I hope for lots of students who feel at home at HCU and get the most out of their studies. And that we become a leading research centre for all the issues currently affecting our society and our environment. I think that’s a wonderful prospect.
Is there a word that best describes your time at and with HCU?
It can’t be reduced to a single word; there are at least three aspects. First of all: no boredom. You simply never get bored here. Secondly: constant change. And best of all: I feel as though I’m working alongside colleagues and friends.
Dana Grenz
Canteen
Who are you, and what is your role at HCU?
My name is Dana Grenz and I work in the HCU canteen run by the Hamburg Student Union. I’ve actually been here since the very beginning – so for 20 years now.
Could you describe your role in more detail?
I work in food production and am responsible, amongst other things, for making delicious and attractive desserts. I also really enjoy interacting with our guests when I’m working at the serving counter or at the till.
What does the HCU mean to you, and what does the 20th anniversary mean to you?
The HCU is my workplace, and it’s very important to me. I think it’s great that the university exists and that students can study these subjects here.
What are your wishes for the HCU for the next 20 years?
Keep it up! I wish you another 20 successful years!
Is there one word that best describes your time at and with the HCU?
Joy!
Prof. Dr. Joachim Thiel
Urban Economics and Regional Studies
Who are you, and what is your role at HCU?
My name is Joachim Thiel, and my title is named §17 Professor of Socio-Economic Urban and Regional Studies. I work as a member of staff at the Urban and Regional Economics chair.
How long have you been working at HCU?
From the very start. I was previously at TU Harburg in Urban Planning, where I completed my PhD and worked as a postdoc. Then, in the early years, I was immediately in a key role at HCU. I switched from an academic to an administrative position for four years and served as the Academic Affairs Officer on the first presidential board.
Could you describe your area of work and your personal connection to HCU in more detail?
Let’s start with the simplest part: I teach on the Urban Planning degree programme; sometimes this includes Metropolitan Culture – Digitalisation – Metropolis, and sometimes Urban Design. I supervise projects there and am involved in lectures for various core modules. I also supervise a relatively large number of final-year theses.
I also work on my own research topics, though at the moment I am not involved in any externally funded research project of my own. This is because Professor Grabher is about to retire, and I do not yet know exactly what will happen next.
And the third point, which is relatively important: I am one of the so-called Principal Investigators in the research training group Urban Future-Making; I am currently involved in five PhD supervisory processes there and participate in the supporting programme. Until last year, I was also the deputy spokesperson for the group.
Because I played a relatively central role as the President’s right-hand man during the HCU’s initial development phase, the HCU is also a bit like my baby. That’s why I have a particularly strong interest in the university’s well-being. I was also on the staff council for six years, which made me all the more concerned that the culture at the HCU had become so difficult at times and that there was so little appreciation for academic work. It felt as though we were being treated like a government department.
What does the 20th anniversary mean to you?
It’s amazing that it’s already been 20 years. That’s 20 years of my professional career. I joined TU Harburg in 1997; nine years later, HCU was founded, and it’s been 20 years since then. I have spent more than two-thirds of my professional life in this organisation, and naturally a bond has formed, especially as I was involved in the strategic development during the early stages. So it means a great deal, because it really is part of my life.
What are your wishes for the HCU for the next 20 years?
Stability and the opportunity to develop as freely as possible. And a culture that does justice to the many wonderful people here at all levels. A culture of appreciation, of trying things out together, a culture of looking ahead together and treating one another with respect.
Is there one word that best describes your time at and with the HCU?
Always surprising, passionate and yet somehow warm too.
Marcus Illguth
Construction laboratory
Who are you, and what is your role at HCU?
My name is Marcus Illguth and I am the Head of the Construction Laboratories and Workshops. In this role, I am responsible for ensuring the smooth running and development of these facilities.
How long have you been working at HCU?
I’ve been at HCU for almost 10 years now and remember the current building from a time when there were only construction pits all around it.
Could you describe your role in more detail?
My role involves managing the laboratories and workshops, as well as being a bit of a ‘jack-of-all-trades’. This includes organising operations, development and expansion, as well as procuring materials. But it also involves advising on experimental questions, for example, how we can carry out experimental investigations and what options are available to us. Of course, there is also a bit of teaching involved, both in practical sessions and lectures.
What does the HCU mean to you, and what does the 20th anniversary mean to you?
My personal connection to the HCU is that, within certain limits, I have the freedom here to satisfy my curiosity and give free rein to my creativity.
The 20th anniversary – indeed, even the announcement of the celebrations – first made me realise that I’ve been here for 10 years and have also been able to help shape half of that time. On the one hand, I found that interesting, and on the other, it was also a bit frightening to see how quickly time flies.
The HCU has certainly evolved over the past 20 years. During my time here, I have had the opportunity to work with a wide variety of personalities in HCU’s management, administration and academic departments. In the laboratories and workshops, I have personally seen four colleagues retire and hired eight new staff members. We have also been able to acquire a great deal of new equipment, so we are truly at a fantastic standard and well-equipped for the future.
What are your wishes for HCU for the next 20 years?
What I wish for the HCU is that it remains a small but excellent place. We don’t need to compete with large universities, but rather play to our strengths. And our strength lies in the fact that we are in one place with different disciplines close together and can quickly develop new creative ideas. I hope the HCU stays that way and that we can continue to embrace creativity and interdisciplinarity.
Is there a word that best describes your time at and with the HCU?
For me, it’s the word ‘expedition’. Why? Because there’s something new every day. You never know where it will lead.