‘These are difficult times for all of us’, said Professor Axel Freimuth, Rector of the University of Cologne, in his video address to all students and employees. The rapid spread of the novel corona virus is threatening our society and – beyond that – the whole world. ‘Our task is to react to this situation appropriately. Overcoming this crisis requires all our efforts and solidarity’, Freimuth added.
In recent weeks, the University of Cologne has already implemented a number of measures to deal with the situation and prepare for the future. The latest of these measures is the creation of a central platform for digital teaching, which was launched today.
The video address by the Rector of the University of Cologne can be found with English subtitles at: https://youtu.be/rkHCzrsmElU

Platform for digital teaching created

‘The University of Cologne is doing everything in its power to ensure the success of its students in the summer semester of 2020, and to fulfil its mission in research, teaching, and transfer’, said Professor Beatrix Busse, Vice Rector for Teaching and Studies.  

Face-to-face studies in North Rhine-Westphalia will be largely suspended until 20 April 2020. However, since the development of the corona crisis continues to be highly dynamic, it is possible that the University of Cologne cannot directly resume classroom teaching after 20 April, and has to rely on online teaching and learning formats throughout the summer semester. For this reason, the task force ‘Digital Teaching’ is developing flexible digital solutions together with all central and decentral actors – the Competence Centre E-Learning, the Regional Computing Centre Cologne (RRZK), the Centre for University Didactics, and NetzwerkMedien. Today, a new website went online as the central platform for digital teaching at the University of Cologne:

http://portal.uni-koeln.de/digital-education

In addition to the most important tools, you can also find tutorials, for example on how to use ‘zoom’, as well as handouts, information on support and advice facilities, legal requirements, and the contact details of experts and responsible persons in the Faculties.
‘Digital education is a great opportunity for us to create easy-access opportunities for teaching and learning together, and to use them with courage, openness, commitment, and full empathy for each other and our teams’, said Busse.  

Information:
Comprehensive information about the current situation and the measures taken can be found on our website: https://portal.uni-koeln.de/en/coronavirus. Please check regularly for updates. 

Media contact:      
Professor Dr. Beatrix Busse
Vice Rector for Teaching and Studies
+49 221 470-7234 (office)
prorektorat-lehre-studiumverw.unikoeln.de

Press spokesperson:
Patrick Honecker
+49 221 470-2202
p.honeckerverw.uni-koeln.de