Current events
Free Hygiene Products at HSMW: New Dispensers installed in Building 39
A Symbol of Equal Opportunity in Everyday Student Life
Access to hygiene products should not be a luxury, but a given. By installing permanent dispensers for tampons and pads in Building 39, Mittweida University of Applied Sciences is sending another strong signal in support of equal opportunity and active support in everyday student life.
From Inspiration to Implementation – A Project by Students, for Students
The initiative was launched by the Social Work Student Council, which had previously provided free hygiene products in the restrooms. This initiative demonstrated just how great the need is—and how important low-barrier services can be for students. The Media Student Council took up the idea and decided to invest remaining funds from the 2024 budget wisely. Following an official resolution, it was decided: The purchase and installation of hygiene dispensers would be implemented. The goal was to make everyday student life a little more accessible and to provide students with straightforward assistance in unexpected situations.
Staying the Course for a Good Cause
Even though the idea came about quickly, putting it into practice required patience. It took about nine months to finalize all the coordination with the various levels of the university. Identifying suitable locations proved particularly challenging. This makes the success of installing the first two dispensers in December 2025 all the more gratifying.
Here's how the offer works
- Target audience: This service is available to all HSMW students—especially for situations where students have forgotten their personal hygiene items or need them on short notice.
- Locations: The first two dispensers are located in Building 39 (1st floor), one in the women’s restroom and one in the men’s restroom.
- Funding: During the current launch phase, the project is funded by the Media Student Council in cooperation with the Student Union. The ongoing content is also funded jointly from the budgets of the Media and Social Work Student Councils.
- Organization: Due to limited staff resources, the student body is responsible for refilling the dispensers. Starting in the summer semester of 2026, members of the Social Work and Media student councils will volunteer to refill the dispensers on a regular basis.
A Look to the Future
The installation in Building 39 is intended as a pilot phase—and at the same time as a starting point for further steps. The long-term plan is to install such dispensers in every building and all restrooms on campus. The Student Council and the student representative councils are prepared to continue providing the necessary funding. In the long term, shared funding would be desirable, as access to hygiene products is considered a fundamental right. Logistical integration—such as having regular cleaning staff refill the dispensers in the same way they do with towel dispensers—would also be an important step toward ensuring the sustainable implementation of this service.
Through this project, dedicated students are once again demonstrating how diversity management and student initiative can go hand in hand—for a university that actively promotes inclusion and mutual support.
Empower your Change – Energy in every phase of life
Online event series promoting women's health and equal opportunities
Equal health opportunities and the well-being of all university members are central concerns at Mittweida University of Applied Sciences. In this context, we would like to draw your attention to a special offer from Techniker Krankenkasse, which specifically addresses the challenges and potential of women's health in everyday working and university life.
To mark International Women's Day in March 2026, Techniker Krankenkasse is hosting an exclusive online event series entitled "Empower your Change – Energy in every phase of life." The offer is aimed at both employees and students of Mittweida University of Applied Sciences. The focus is on topics that are of particular importance to women in different stages of life – scientifically sound, practical, and empowering.
Participants can look forward to inspiring sessions focusing on topics such as:
• The female brain – recognizing strengths and using them effectively
• Menopause and career – understanding challenges, seizing opportunities
• Cycle power – using the cycle as a resource in everyday (working) life
• Diversity leads – female leadership qualities as a factor for success
Experienced experts provide valuable insights for greater well-being, self-confidence, and professional success. In addition, the series of events offers space for exchange, networking, and new perspectives—also with regard to a diversity-sensitive and health-promoting university culture.
Participation places are limited. Register now and join in!
If you have any questions or are interested in finding out more, please contact the health management team at Mittweida University of Applied Sciences. We hope you will take advantage of this offer and recommend it to others.
Call to Action - Your experience matters!
Your experience matters!
The largest survey on discrimination in Germany to date
From November 12, 2025, to February 28, 2026, the Federal Anti-Discrimination Agency will conduct the largest survey on discrimination in Germany to date. The aim is to publish a detailed report in 2027 containing current data on how people in this country experience discrimination and how they deal with it. On this basis, recommendations will be developed on how to improve protection against discrimination.
The survey covers discrimination in all areas of life and takes into account all grounds for discrimination. Nearly 400 civil society actors contributed to the development of the questionnaire to ensure that it reflects the experiences of their communities.
Anyone aged 14 or older who has experienced discrimination can take part in the survey. Participation is anonymous, accessible, and available in many formats and languages: online, via chatbot, on paper, in simple language, in several foreign languages, and also in German sign language.
In order to attract as many participants as possible, the survey will be promoted through a nationwide campaign, both in public spaces and on social media. The Federal Anti-Discrimination Agency is calling on people to promote the survey and is providing printed flyers, postcards, and posters, as well as digital materials for use in newsletters or on social media.
Further information on the survey can be found here: www.diskriminierung-umfrage.de
Self-learning tool "KNOW HOW": Raising awareness of sexual violence at university
With "KNOW HOW," the University of Göttingen is providing a new online self-learning tool dedicated to the prevention of sexual violence in the university context. The tool is aimed at all interested parties within and outside the university and helps to better recognize boundary violations, promote role reflection, and make the topic more openly discussable.
The tool is based on short, animated video sequences depicting typical university situations. Supplementary reflection questions invite users to consider their own options for action and encourage discussions about sexual violence in studies, research, and administration. The modular structure allows the tool to be used in courses as well as in training sessions or for individual reflection.