25 Years of universi: A Publishing House with a History and a Future
With a ceremony in the reading room of the Main Library on the Adolf-Reichwein-Straße campus, the University of Siegen celebrated the 25th anniversary of its university press,universi, together with guests, authors, and members of the university community. Since its founding in 2001, the press has produced a total of 400 publications, 28 series, and three journals. Sabine Boccalini, director of the University Library and the University Press, emphasized in her welcoming remarks: “The publishing house’s success is not only measured by the number of publications, but above all by the quality of the content. For 25 years,universi has provided a forum for publishing innovative research—and it has done so under fair terms for authors.” Rector Prof. Dr. Stefanie Reese praised the dedication of everyone involved: “It is impressive what you have achieved in 25 years. The publishing house was founded in 2001 with the goal of making research visible, and to this day it offers a valuable platform for authors and early-career researchers from all Schools.”
Panel Discussion with Prominent universi Pioneers
The centerpiece of the ceremony was a panel discussion with four long-time supporters about the publishing house’s early years, turning points, and future. Marcel Beyer, a multi-award-winning writer, Georg Büchner Prize laureate, and alumnus of the University of Siegen, is considered one ofuniversi’s earliest editors. Margo Bargheer, director of the university press at the Lower Saxony State and University Library in Göttingen, enriched the discussion as an expert on open access and scholarly publishing.
As the publisher’s founder and former professor of literature, art, and new media, Prof. em. Dr. Peter Gendolla spoke about the early years. Prof. Dr. Daniel Stein, holder of the Chair of North American Literature and Cultural Studies and Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Humanities, currently serves as spokesperson forthe universi Advisory Board, which oversees the publisher’s quality assurance and programmatic direction. The panel discussion was moderated by Sabine Boccalini.
Founding of the Publishing House in 2001: A Platform for Interdisciplinary Publications
The discussion initially focused on the publishing house’s origins. Prof. Gendolla recalled thatuniversi emerged from the fields of literature and the humanities in the 1980s and 1990s—an interdisciplinary environment that also gave rise to media studies. Due to a lack of attractive publication opportunities for all disciplines, there was a growing desire for a university-affiliated publishing house. In 2001, Prof. Gendolla and Prof. Karl Riha were tasked with founding the press. Since then,universi has provided researchers in all disciplines represented at the University of Siegen with an independent platform for publishing their works.
Structural and financial reasons prompted the University of Siegen last year to examine whether the publishing house could continue to operate. “Ms. Boccalini defendeduniversi like a lioness. In the interest of scholarship, teaching, and research, we have decided to continue operating the publishing house in a way that secures its future,” said Rector Prof. Reese.
Early-Career Researchers Benefit from the University Press
Prof. Daniel Stein emphasized how much scholars and early-career researchers can benefit from a university press: through personalized advice, streamlined processes, and close support throughout the entire publication process. Authors retain the rights to their own works and can publish at a low cost.
Margo Bargheer emphasized the mission of university presses to make research visible—especially that of their own institution—and to publish scientifically relevant topics that are often not profitable for commercial publishers.
Looking to the future, the panel also discussed opportunities and challenges for university publishing.
The Future of Publishing: Open Access, AI, and Efficient Plagiarism Checks
Advancing digitization, Open Access, and the use of artificial intelligence are transforming and challenging the work of publishers, thereby enabling, for example, more efficient checks in cases of suspected plagiarism. Thanks to libraries’ strong commitment to free publishing via Open Access, access to knowledge is being facilitated worldwide. University presses play a pivotal role in this as reliable partners for researchers and as the home of quality-assured publications that are permanently freely accessible.
In closing, the guests shared their hopes for the next 25 yearsof universi —ranging from “curiosity and funding” to “a strong publishing team” and a balanced mix of “headwinds and tailwinds.”
The ceremony was accompanied musically by the trumpet ensemble from the Department of Music, conducted by Thomas Kiess.
“25 Yearsof universi” Exhibition
In parallel with the ceremony, the anniversary exhibition “A Future with History – 25 Yearsof universi University Press Siegen” opened in the AR Main Library. It showcases the publishing program and features a diverse selection of covers fromuniversi publications over the past 25 years.
Location: AR-UB 041 (AR Main Library, Level 0)
Exhibition dates: June 11 – August 15, 2026
More information about the exhibition
