AI is now delivering what people have been anticipating since the 1980s: it writes, speaks, translates and advises. What is more, it apparently does so in a flawless, quick and tireless manner for a wide range of audiences. Amid the general sense of amazement at the error-free texts generated by AI tools, the idea has spread that language learning, language teaching and language professions in general will soon go the same way as the dinosaurs. What is overlooked is that the machines simply imitate language use rather than understanding their output or taking responsibility for it. The more language is mass-produced by machines, the more people will be required to manage these machines, initiate, refine and review their output and take responsibility for the way language is used. This necessitates strong language awareness in new fields of activity.

A project of the ZHAW School of Applied Linguistics illustrates how this second linguistic turn can be conveyed in teaching at BA right through to MA and PhD level, drawing on the example of the multimodal teaching materials used in the MOOC “Applied linguistics for language professions.” During the workshop, Prof. Daniel Perrin delved into and explored hot topics in relation to teaching materials together with the participants. The event also set out the contribution that teaching can make during the AI transformation, with the objective of providing inspiration during the training process and making an impact on both the professional field and society itself.

Language matters: further information on the workshop at Berlin Science Week.

The event was hold on a hybrid basis and recorded (in German): 

Packaging helps keep food fresh for months, but it often harms the environment. How can we find a balance? In his presentation, Prof. Selçuk Yildirim from the ZHAW School of Life Sciences and Facility Management explored the environmental challenges of traditional packaging and innovative sustainable ways to address these issues:

• Environmental Problems: Major environmental problems caused by current packaging solutions, including plastic waste, pollution, and excessive resource use were highlighted.
• Sustainable Strategies: Different strategies to reduce the environmental impact of packaging were presented. These approaches range from biodegradable materials to circular packaging designs and new technologies that aim to minimize waste while maintaining safety and quality standards.
• Sustainable Packaging Materials: Examples of sustainable packaging materials from research were showcased.

Sustainable packaging: further information on the event at Berlin Science Week

In her presentation, Prof. Christine Brombach from the ZHAW School of Life Sciences und Facility Management showed how the choices we make in our kitchens can have a profound impact on both our health and the climate. Based on the innovative ideas from the “Klimatopf” cookbook, the presentation explored the connection between sustainable food practices and long-term wellbeing.

Participants learnt more about the Planetary Health Diet and how simple, enjoyable recipes can help reduce their carbon footprint while promoting a balanced, nutritious diet. 

Cooking for the future: further information on the event at Berlin Science Week

The event took a look at the future of the real estate industry through the lens of the megatrends of sustainability, digitisation and financialisaton. Proceedings were kicked off with a welcome address by Corine Mauch, Mayor of the City of Zurich, and Prof. Michael Jaensch from the HTW Berlin – University of Applied Sciences.

Following this, two specialist presentations by Prof. Thomas Richter from the ZHAW School of Management and Law and Prof. Florian Koch from the HTW Berlin, provided in-depth insights into these key areas for the real estate industry. A subsequent panel discussion looked at the resulting opportunities and challenges.

Megatrends in real estate: further information on the event at Berlin Science Week

The event was hold on a hybrid basis and recorded (in German):