The economic climate index in East Brandenburg has risen by two points to 90 compared to early summer, but remains below the growth threshold of 100 points. The development varies greatly depending on the sector and company size. The situation is particularly critical in industry, where weak demand due to geopolitical uncertainties coincides with rising costs.

On Sunday, 19 October, Prof. Dr. Karl Schlögel will receive the Peace Prize of the German Book Trade in Frankfurt's Paulskirche in Frankfurt am Main – a tribute that will be followed with appreciation by numerous current and former members of the European University Viadrina Frankfurt (Oder).

In many places, German cities and municipalities are facing a dilemma: on the one hand, the municipal budget situation is precarious, while on the other, the energy transition requires considerable investment. The new reference work from the Agency for Renewable Energies (AEE) shows examples of how municipalities can overcome these challenges.

This year's STADTRADELN in Frankfurt (Oder) has come to a successful end. From September 8 to 28, 39 teams with a total of 500 cyclists actively participated. Together, they covered 91,088 kilometers by bike – and thus avoided 14 tons of CO₂ emissions. The participants contributed to the overall achievement with a great deal of commitment and creativity.

Mario Clemens and Dr. Christian Hochmuth from the Institute for Conflict Management at the European University Viadrina are offering a discussion on Thursday, October 16, on conflict management as a challenge at universities. They will discuss cases in which tensions arise at universities between the right to freedom of expression and the need for protection from discriminatory positions.

On Thursday, October 16, beginners will learn step by step how to create their first open educational resources. Open educational resources (OER) offer the opportunity to freely share, use and further develop teaching and learning materials.

On Wednesday, October 15, 4 p.m., a Viadrina Debate will take place for the first time. The topic of the first edition of the new event series is "Shifting power through AI: who benefits, who loses?"

At the German-Polish Senior Citizens' Academy on Tuesday, October 14, cardiologist Prof. Dr. med. Alexander Wutzler will speak on the topic "Treatment of atrial fibrillation – How good are the chances and what do I have to pay attention to?" The lecture will be simultaneously interpreted into Polish.

In the Viadrina Museum, Dr. Agnieszka Lindenhayn-Fiedorowicz follows the traces of a forgotten cultural landscape.

This year's motto for the nationwide Mental Health Week is "Let confidence grow - mentally strong for the future". The focus will be on the target group of young people in particular and preventative and psychosocial services will be highlighted.