Get involved

Introducing societies and clubs at FAU

No matter whether you prefer to tinker with cars, help refugees or organise a film festival: the university has a lot to offer even away from the lecture theatre and the library.

A haven of creativity

Whether you want to build a USB sound card or make a birthday present for your gran, the FabLab at FAU is the place to go. Anyone can use the high-tech workshop and professional equipment. You don’t even need any special skills, just an idea and a willingness to learn.

The FabLab team – most of them students at FAU – will show you how to work the machines and plan how best to implement your project.

The equipment in the FabLab includes a laser cutter, several 3D printers, a vinyl cutter and a CNC milling machine, to name just a few. Many students who visit the FabLab are students at the Faculty of Engineering. After all, the computer programs and tools give them the perfect opportunity to apply what they have learnt in lectures – and learn something new at the same time. However, the FabLab team hopes to be able to encourage creative users as well. There is no charge for using the FabLab or advice from the student experts. All that needs to be paid is a small contribution towards materials used and machine run time.

Consulting? By students, please!

If getting involved in projects in talent development, financial management, process optimisation or providing consulting services to regional and international companies is your thing then you are perfect for the Junior Consulting Team (JCT), the student consultancy service run by FAU and Nuremberg Tech.

JCT acquires consultancy projects and forwards them to its members. The young entrepreneurs then form teams and tackle the projects independently. Clients include both start-ups and well-established corporations listed on the German Stock Exchange or DAX. Past JCT projects include competitive analysis, organizing innovation workshops and marketing consultations.

The areas covered are just as diverse as the members of the society. Physicists, economists, computer scientists or mechanical engineers – JCT unites experts from a number of fields with a wide range of different perspectives. JCT looks for new dedicated students to join them at the beginning of each semester. Why not apply?

A hospital for teddy bears

Teddies with toothache, cuddly tortoises with a sore tummy or dolls with a broken arm: students of medicine and pharmacy organize the teddy bear hospital once a year in the Schlossgarten at FAU for cuddly toys who are not feeling well. Over three days, the FAU students treat cuddly toys children bring, helping children get used to going to a doctor through play. The patients are examined carefully, given plasters and bandages and sent back home to recover after visiting the pharmacy.

Several stands are available where the young visitors can try their hand at being a doctor themselves: putting on a bandage, taking an x-ray or assisting in the operating theatre. The cuddly toys can even go for a check up to students studying dentistry in Erlangen, showing children how to keep their teeth clean and healthy.

Funklust had a look around the teddy bear hospital for you:

Volunteering for refugees

Students at FAU have set up the Refugee Law Clinic Erlangen-Nürnberg (RLC). They advise asylum seekers preparing for their hearing as part of the asylum process. The non-profit association has over 70 members, most of whom are students. Nevertheless, the RLC team would welcome even more volunteers. You can get involved in various different areas, for example providing advice, organizing events, public relations or translation. Members meet once a month to get to know each other, chat and share ideas. The dates are published on Facebook.

Pit stop

Get a feel for racing with High Octane Motorsports, a student group that takes part in the Formula Student every year. These summer events see the Octanes travel to races across Europe and pit themselves against teams from other universities. But the races are actually the smallest part of the project. Before they even reach the race track, the High Octanes have to finance and build their own cars. In addition to conventional racing cars, the team have built a driverless vehicle. As well as needing tech-savvy students to help with the construction, the team also needs members who can handle sponsorship, marketing, and the business plan – which, incidentally, also gets a score in the Formula Student. With that in mind, students from any faculty are welcome to join the group, share their knowledge and learn.

Roll cameras!

Seeing your own film on the big screen is a dream for many film-makers – and Kitaso makes it happen. The student initiative organizes a short film night featuring regional films in the ‘Lamm Lichtspiele’ cinema in Erlangen city center once a semester. Members choose the films and are responsible for the technical side of things during the evening. During the lecture period, students organize various advertising campaigns, take care of sponsoring or design the new Kitaso logo, which changes every semester. Would you like to take part? All the latest information is available on the Kitaso Facebook page.

Politics

Discussing current political issues with delegates from different countries and making decisions about draft resolutions are tasks normally reserved for high-level diplomats, but students from universities around the world, including FAU, get to do this too at the National Model United Nations Conference (NMUN). You could be there at the negotiations in New York City representing a country in various bodies, specialised agencies and committees of the UN. Preparations for various model UN conferences within the framework of the interdisciplinary FAUMUN project start at the beginning of the winter semester. You can learn about negotiating strategies or how to write a captivating speech for a large audience. You will also find out about the United Nations, gain specialist knowledge about the country you’re representing and gain key skills which will also stand you in good stead in your future career. Applications for the FAUMUN program must be submitted by a deadline.

Digital journalism

Budding journalists as well as all those who love to write can get involved in V – the student magazine. Students from all subjects are invited to write articles on topics related to student life. There are no limits to your creativity – the magazine covers everything from recipe ideas and features to reviews. Keen photographers can also contribute to the magazine. If you want to see the articles before everyone else, you can become a proofreader. If you’d like to support the editorial team of around 20 students, just come and introduce yourself at the next meeting.

Backstage at a concert

If you enjoy going to the cinema or attending cultural events, you should join Reflex. The online magazine features reports about all types of cultural events in the region from concerts and exhibitions to readings. All students, regardless of what they are studying, can take part. You can decide yourself which events you want to go to and what you write about. If you don’t have time to write an article because you’re studying for exams, it’s not a problem. You can just take a break. If you’d like to interview your favorite singer or writer or write reports about culture in the region in general, you can find out more on the Reflex website.

FRISCH! at FAU

Here you’ll find everything you need to know about starting your studies. From service facilities to reports on faculty projects and extracurricular activities at the university to alumni interviews, it’s all here.

FAU freshman magazine „frisch“ (June 2021) (in German)