Rome Seminar
Insofar as mathematical propositions refer to reality, they are not certain;
and insofar as they are certain, they do not refer to reality.
Albert Einstein (1879–1955)
Founded in 1993 by Rainer Nagel, a professor of mathematics at the University of Tübingen, the Rome Seminars have been organized jointly since 2006 by Prof. Dr. Markus Haase (University of Kiel), Prof. Markus Wacker (Dresden University of Applied Sciences), Prof. Gregor Nickel (University of Siegen), and Prof. Rainer Nagel (University of Tübingen).
The Rome Seminars can also be found on the University of Tübingen’s website.
Concept
The Rome Seminars are an experiment—one that never ceases to surprise—in an interdisciplinary, open-format seminar in which mathematics students engage intensively with the connection between mathematics and a wide variety of sciences and areas of society (such as the arts).
The pedagogical concept, developed and tested over several years, is characterized above all by the unusual way in which it encourages students to engage in independent reflection on both content and methodology—something that is by no means a given in contrast to conventional seminars with predetermined topics. During an intensive, one-semester preparatory phase, the overarching theme is first explored through lectures and discussion sessions, during which participants—depending on their own interests—select individual aspects and independently define specific subtopics. These topics are then prepared—if necessary, after consulting experts from outside the Schools or university—and finally presented during a one-week intensive session in Rome. For many years, the seminar has been held at the renowned Accademia dei Lincei.
In addition, the diverse network of contacts in Rome enables a fresh and exceptional program of sightseeing and cultural encounters each time. Notable examples include: The Pontifical Academy of Sciences, the Gregorian University and the University of St. Anselmo, the German Academy of Arts Villa Massimo, the German Archaeological Institute (DAI), the MPI for Art History Bibliotheca Hertziana, the Casa di Goethe, and the German Embassy to the Vatican. The self-organized cultural program ranges from readings to (art) history tours and concerts to theater performances.
Through the Rome seminars, the university—in a way rarely experienced in regular degree programs—can be experienced as a “universitas.” (↗Poster for Teaching Day 2018 in Siegen)
All programs from 1993–2023 available for download
The Rome Seminar 2026
Between Doubt and Trust—Computer Science, Mathematics, and Dealing with Uncertainty.
March 1–8, 2026
Our era seems to be dramatically affected by a crisis of trust. This is evident not least in the growing concern about the stability of democratic society and the rise of populist and extremist forces, but also in widespread skepticism regarding the effectiveness of modern conventional medicine or in the protests of a “last generation” that no longer trusts political leaders to effectively tackle the looming climate catastrophe.
In this complex situation, mathematics and computer science play very different roles. On the one hand, the objectivity and reliability of a “thoroughly calculated and verified” solution can strengthen fundamental trust in a socially stable order; on the other hand, the arguments of mathematics and the algorithms of computer science—beyond a certain level—are completely incomprehensible to most people, and so doubts may remain about the integrity of the experts responsible for these opaque calculations.
Previous Rome Seminars (2007–2025)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|