Every January, Leipzig University opens selected lectures at its institutes and faculties to the public as part of its Open Day (Tag der offenen Hochschultür). The event offers various formats to help prospective students find their way around the university. This year, ScaDS.AI Leipzig will once again be part of the Open Day, giving interested high school and university students an insight into the opportunities available at the our center.

The Open Day will take place on January 15, 2026 at different locations of the Leipzig University. You can find an overview of the whole program here.

Open Day at ScaDS.AI Leipzig

What Exactly Is Artificial Intelligence, and How Is It Related to Big Data? Can It Be Studied?

ScaDS.AI Leipzig contributes to the program with informative and practical events related to computer science and data science studies. Attend lectures and practical workshops to gain insights into everyday student life and find out if studying in this field is right for you.

Location

All ScaDS.AI sessions take place at:

ScaDS.AI Dresden/Leipzig
Löhrs Carré
Humboldtstraße 25
04105 Leipzig
3rd floor

Program

Discover How Data Makes the Earth Readable in the Master’s Program in Earth System Data Science & Remote Sensing

9:00 – 10:00 am | Lecture and Discussion
Speakers: Prof. Dr. Hannes Feilhauer, Charly Zimmer

Climate change and environmental degradation pose significant challenges to humanity. Global data sets and modern analytical methods are essential to understanding these issues and developing solutions. This international program trains a new generation of Earth system scientists who are familiar with data-driven research tools.

At this event, we will introduce the master’s program “Earth System Data Science & Remote Sensing” and discuss its topics, methods, and career prospects. Following the introduction, Charly Zimmer, a doctoral student at ScaDS.AI Dresden/Leipzig, will present his research. Charly is investigating how deep learning can be used to close data gaps in satellite measurements. He will share insights into his work as a young researcher and answer questions about studying, conducting research, and pursuing a career in data science.

How AI Learns: Deep Learning, Vectors, and Transformer Models

10:00 – 11:00 am | Introductory Lecture and Hands-on Session
Speakers: Dr. Nico Scherf, Dr. Robert Haase

In this lecture, we provide a overview of artificial intelligence, including how it works and its applications in research and teaching today. We demonstrate how computers learn to interpret information from images or texts by converting them into numerical representations, known as vectors. These translations form the basis of machine learning, enabling AI systems to support applications such as language processing and image recognition. Building on this foundation, we will introduce the key principles of current AI models, including neural networks, embeddings, and transformer models. Our focus is not on the technology itself, but rather on understanding the underlying concepts. How can a machine generate language or recognize connections in data? In the subsequent workshop section, we apply what we have learned. Together, we will experiment with “AI agents” and test how such systems work using a specific task.

Coding With AI in Your Team: Pair Programming for School and University Students​

11:00 am – 12:00 pm | Workshop/Hands-on Session (Participation is limited to 40 people.)
Speaker: Oliver Welz

Are you interested in artificial intelligence? Would you like to learn how to program as part of a team with AI? If that’s the case, our workshop at Leipzig University’s Open Day is exactly what you’re looking for.

You will learn alongside other high school and college students how to program with AI. You don’t need to be an AI expert or a programming pro—just bring your curiosity and enthusiasm. In the workshop, we will experiment with AI tools that can help with coding. Step by step, we will use AI to write code for a small application, such as a tool that makes everyday school or university life easier. You will learn how AI generates code suggestions, how to evaluate and adapt them, and the role of effective prompts in this process.