In the 200th year of its existence, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) opens its doors again to interested visitors. On Saturday, May 17, 2025, KIT’s Campus South near Karlsruhe city center will turn into a festival mile from 10:00 to 19:00 hrs, celebrating science – visitors are invited to watch, join in, and engage in conversation. The program with more than three hundred individual activities on offer is an event for the whole family. It is rounded off by the KIT Campus Day to show prospective students in various ways what makes studying at KIT something special.
“For 200 years, KIT and its predecessor institutions have not only stood for pioneering scientific achievements and successful graduates, but have also been shaped by our focus on major, pressing societal issues and the fact that we are deeply rooted in Baden,” says Professor Jan S. Hesthaven, President of KIT. “With our Open Day event, we take the opportunity to give something back to society and a plenty of exciting activities on offer will illustrate how we are helping to shape the future with a sense of social responsibility in mind.” Hesthaven sees the Campus Day, which takes place simultaneously, in the same context: “We cannot afford to see that talented and committed young people opting against KIT just because they are strangers to the academic world.”
Science as a Tangible Experience
From intuitive robots to geothermal heat from the underground, from brain computer interfaces to self-driving tractors: More than 300 individual activities on KIT’s Open Day event span a variety of research topics that is second to none. Special focus is placed on different forms of making science intelligible, such as guided tours, exhibitions, interactive experiments, or popular science lectures. A prime example is the “Sustainability Path” where sustainability can be experienced as an interdisciplinary topic of KIT at more than 40 stations.
Another special action is the “Time Capsule” project organized by the KIT Archives. Besides the members of KIT, Open Day visitors are also invited to contribute small objects, memorabilia, or written input, which represent personal messages or collective experiences and wishes. This action in KIT’s anniversary year is meant to create future-oriented memories.
Campus Day
This year’s traditional KIT Campus Day will take place as a combined event with the Open Day. At the Campus Day, the eleven KIT departments will present their more than 100 Bachelor’s and Master’s programs. Through information lectures and individual advice, but also interactive activities, guided tours, and experiments, prospective students and their parents can obtain information about studying at KIT. Of course, practical aspects such as application, admission, funding options, studying abroad, and career opportunities are addressed, and the prospective students gain insights into campus life.
Knowledge Rally for Children and Teens
The numerous join-in activities for children and teens at the booths and in the institutes will be complemented by the knowledge rally again. It consists of 15 stations where children and teens in two age groups can explore various topics in a playful way.
EFFEKTE Science Festival
The KIT visitors’ day is part of the nine-day EFFEKTE Science Festival in Karlsruhe. Therefore, Professor Jan S. Hesthaven, President of KIT, and Dr. Frank Mentrup, Lord Mayor of Karlsruhe, will jointly kick off the Open Day at 11:30 hrs on the Forum stage. Dr. Mentrup will then award the City of Karlsruhe prize to KIT laureates. On May 17 and 18, EFFEKTE, themed “Karlsruhe Visions of the Future” this year, will see a grand opening weekend at the Karlsruhe Palace, only a few steps away from KIT’s Campus South.
Stage Program
Fun, entertainment, and some wow effects are to be expected from activities taking place on the two show stages at the Forum opposite the KIT Library and at the KIT Ehrenhof courtyard. Singer and bass player Loreen Sima with her trio and the student brass band “KAmpus KApelle” will provide the background music for the day. Mirko Drotschmann aka “MrWissentoGo” will give insight into his life as a YouTuber, and the classic quiz show “1, 2, or 3” will particularly appeal to the younger visitors. The program on the main stage at the Forum will be hosted by Christian Thees, SWR radio station presenter.
Catering
A wide selection of food and drink – including many vegetarian and vegan dishes – awaits the guests on the large festival lawn in front of the Audimax lecture hall and at other festival locations.
Program (in German)
For the festival program on the Open Day and Campus Day in German, see the https://www.kit.edu/kit/tag-der-offenen-tuer.php web page. On the very day of the event, a dedicated app will be available to all visitors to stay updated.
Arrival and On-site Parking
Due to the large number of visitors expected, we recommend that all visitors use public transport means, as parking spaces will be scarce. Visitors who register in advance at the German Open Day page https://www.kit.edu/kit/tag-der-offenen-tuer.php (click the “Jetzt registrieren” link on the “Anfahrt” tab) will receive a free electronic day pass for the Karlsruhe public transport network (KVV). A limited number of free parking spaces for cars are available at the Birkenparkplatz car park opposite the Wildparkstadion stadium (10 minutes’ walk to KIT Campus South).
Mobility on Campus South
Three trackless trains (one of them is barrier-free) will transport the visitors on the campus grounds. Bicycle stands have been provided at several places. Large site plans, an information center in the Audimax lecture hall, and mobile info teams will help visitors to find their way on the campus. Access to the Campus with motorized vehicles is not possible. (jha)
More Information
KIT Open Day
KIT Campus Day (in German only)
“200 Years of KIT” anniversary
EFFEKTE Science Festival
Being “The Research University in the Helmholtz Association”, KIT creates and imparts knowledge for the society and the environment. It is the objective to make significant contributions to the global challenges in the fields of energy, mobility, and information. For this, about 10,000 employees cooperate in a broad range of disciplines in natural sciences, engineering sciences, economics, and the humanities and social sciences. KIT prepares its 22,800 students for responsible tasks in society, industry, and science by offering research-based study programs. Innovation efforts at KIT build a bridge between important scientific findings and their application for the benefit of society, economic prosperity, and the preservation of our natural basis of life. KIT is one of the German universities of excellence.
KIT laedt zum Tag der offenen Tuer im Jubilaeumsjahr