For their 65th anniversary, our friends from Johns Hopkins University in Bologna are visiting the Ball of Sciences again. They left us a message:

“Johns Hopkins University’s School of Advanced International Studies (JHU SAIS Europe) is pleased once again to participate in the Vienna Ball of Science.  An essential yearly tradition for SAIS, the preparations at the Bologna Center start early in the fall, not only with planning and purchasing airline tickets but also with taking waltzing lessons. This year almost the entire school is coming to Vienna: approximately 200 students, faculty, staff and alumni are travelling from Bologna to the Rathaus, underscoring the importance of this event for the Viennese academic community.

For many JHU students – hailing from more than 40 countries – the Ball will be their first trip to Vienna and their first in-person encounter with this time-honored tradition.  In addition to the Ball, SAIS students will participate in a “Cultural Trek,” touring essential Viennese sites and museums; a “Career Trek” to meet with potential employers; and an alumni event for the Austrian Alumni Chapter, an important group of more than 400 strong.

The Ball is especially significant to SAIS this year, because it is the first event in a year-long celebration of SAIS Europe’s 65th anniversary, with later events in cities throughout Europe and the United States, including Amsterdam, London, Paris, New York, and Washington DC, in addition to Vienna. The spring events will culminate in our Alumni Weekend celebration in May at the SAIS Europe Bologna Center, at which we are expecting 600 former students and guests.

JHU SAIS Europe is an American graduate institution with a strong focus on Europe and European perspectives on global affairs. The school’s mission is to provide an interdisciplinary professional education that prepares a diverse graduate student body for internationally-related positions of responsibility; to foster research, scholarship and cross-cultural exchange; and to contribute knowledge, expertise and leadership to the global community.

Current students study and analyze today’s most pressing international issues, from migration and human rights to renewable energy and cybersecurity. The curriculum is rooted in international economics with a strong focus on regional studies and languages. A unique feature of JHU SAIS Europe is the opportunity it provides its students to study and debate global issues as part of a closely-knit international community with classmates from five continents. The majority of Master of Arts candidates continue their second year of study at the school’s campus in Washington, DC, further broadening their exposure to different ideas and perspectives.

JHU SAIS Europe has always had a special relationship with Austria, the fourth most-represented nationality among the student body, with between four and six Austrian students attending the program each year. Since 2008, JHU SAIS Europe and the Diplomatic Academy of Vienna have offered a dual-degree program in which students can spend one year at each institution.

The Ball of Sciences is a natural fit for university and research communities. JHU SAIS Europe is honored to take part in this event and grateful for the special occasion it offers to continue to build friendships with our Austrian alumni, friends and colleagues.”

Photo: (c) JHU SAIS

P.S.: You can find this and many other texts in our ball magazine, which will be distributed to all guests at the end of the ball and can be found as a pdf online the next morning.

Another premiere at this year’s Ball of Sciences: We are happy to announce that Leonore Gewessler will be our guest on Saturday! She is the new minister for climate, environment, energy, mobility, infastructure and technolog.

Photo: (c) Stephan Wyckoff

You hire the right DJs for the disco!

MEL MERIO started off as moderator within the Puls/Pro-7 group and has been working as DJane and singer for many years. She is a constant face in the Viennese scene and became known as designer and performance artist (at the Life Ball and other events). This year she will present her uplifting sounds in the ball disco. Her musical pallette? Very broad but always including good vibes, lots of energy and three main ingredients: Love, passion and lust for life. 21.20-00.00; Volkshalle

TEX RUBINOWITZ AND MAIK NOVOTNY are known as eloquent writers, illustrators and journalists for FM4, Falter and beyond – and as gifted disc jockeys with a preference for rare and classy tracks. Born in Germany, they have made Austria their home since many years, meddling with the local club scene at Club U on Karlsplatz or for the yearly Bachmann award (which was awarded to Rubinowitz in 2014). When Maik and Tex bring on their vinyl box, danceable beats and the finest sound are guaranteed.  00.30-end of the ball; Volkshalle

P.S.: You can find some inspiration for your dance moves from a 30 meter long decoration, designed by students of the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna with motives from flora and faune. Looking towards the turntables you will see transmissions straight from the beehive stemming from Martin Kampel, Computer Vision Lab (TU Vienna).

“As biologist and biology educationalist, I am especially happy about the motto for the ball. This year, those who don’t normally have a big lobby, are being heard: insects! Their image as ‘annoying naggers’ has long been outdated: 80% of our most important plants are pollinated by them, amongst them not only fruit and vegetables but also favourites of ball visitors like wine and coffee. 20.000 bee species are flying through the air, one of them the honey bee, which is the third most important livestock animal (just after cattle and pigs). The global decline in insects is therefore not only massively threatening biodiversity but also our nutrition and way of living. As humans we need to tackle the decline of more than 75% of insect populations (in protected natural areas). No surprise that the according study made it into the Global Risk Report 2018 by the World Economic Forum.  Be(e) educated: At the ball you can learn more about our environmental education project Bee.ed at our stand. We will show you how to protect wild bees and will introduce you to the language of bee dance, which was discovered by the Viennese biologist and Nobel prize winner Karl von Frisch. And who knows, maybe the bee dance will inspire your moves as well!”

Andrea Möller heads the Austrian Education Competence Centre for Biology (AECC Biology) and is professor at the Department for Evolutionary Biology (University of Vienna). At the AECC she is training most of the aspiring biology teachers in Ausria and researching the development of children’s knowledge and attitudes about the environment. As expert for ‘bee didactics’ and former Visiting Researcher at Yale University, she also leads the cross-national and award-winning environmental education project Bee.ed.

Photo: (c) Joseph Krpelan, www.derknopfdruecker.com

This season our ball office is located at the bookshop Kuppitsch/Thalia on Schottentor. Thanks to their hospitality we can be found at this central spot between the main university building and the Juridicum on working days starting on the 7 January 2019 until 24 January 2019 between 15.00 and 18.30. You will find us in their science department, located in the lower floor where we will be giving out ball tickets. Unfortunately we can’t accept credit cards but only cash. The exact address is Schottengasse 4 (1010 Vienna). You can reach us with public transport: underground U2; tram D, 1, 37, 38, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 71; busses 1A, 40A.

Photo: (c) Gregor Hofbauer

“The Vienna Ball of Sciences is the party of the year, which brings together what belongs together – but doesn’t manage to come together often enough. Scientists from all disciplines are celebrating a colourful, diverse night with “an attitude”. Modern research is meeting classic ball tradition and a rather sober academic gaze is enraptured by the cityhall’s fantastic scenery. In an environment known for its brain power, shaking one’s legs stands in the foreground, elegance has priority over function – even in the changing room. The Science Ball is bringing together the community of the curious, in a place it belongs: the heart of Vienna and of society.”

Jörg Menche is Principal Investigator at the CeMM Research Centre for Molecular Medicine , which is part of the Austrian Academy of Sciences in Vienna. His team is research molecular networks and how disturbances can cause diseases. Visitors can dive into this network through a virtual reality installation at this year’s Science Ball.

Photo: (c) Wolfgang Däuble

„One of the goals at the ZOOM children’s museum is to give children a sensory  approach to art and science. Touching, smelling, tasting, seeing and hearing makes complex topics more attainable. Children have a natural curiosity which stands at the basis of every learning process and scientific research. Already at a young age they get to know that all living spaces and organisms on Earth are connected. Biodiversity – one of the foci of this year’s Ball of Sciences – shows that humanity is also a part of this complex system.  Let’s celebrate the diversity of life with this ball, sustained by pillars of openness, tolerance and respect!”

Andrea Zsutty is the new director of the ZOOM children’s museum. As a studied art historian she is working in communication of art since 1996, most recently at the Bank Austria Kunstforum. The ZOOM children’s museum located at the Vienna Museumsquartier was founded in 1993 and welcomes over 120.000 visitors every year.

Photo: (c) ZOOM Kindermuseum