Some 3,000 parents used the opportunity to enjoy Mainz's unique lifestyle and become acquainted with research "made in Mainz"

The Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (JGU), Mainz University of Applied Sciences, Mainz's Catholic University of Applied Sciences, the city and its administration invited students' parents to the first Parents' Weekend on the third weekend of November 2011. They came from the far north and south of Germany and even from beyond the borders of the country; 3,000 parents of students studying in Mainz used the opportunity to get to know Mainz city and to gain insights into the everyday life of their student children. "Our students' parents were very impressed by what the JGU campus, the university of applied sciences and the city itself have to offer. That we were able to welcome guests from throughout Germany, not to mention Vienna and Prague, demonstrates just how attractive our city of science, research and teaching is, where carnival, football and a unique style of life are at home," was the view of the instigator of the PARENTS' WEEKEND project, municipal administrator Klaus Hammer. "Our Mainz PARENTS' WEEKEND exceeded all our expectations and I would like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude to all those who participated and those businesses that provided their support."

Issued with a "Mainz Card", parents were able to discover Mainz's museums and participate in guided tours of the city free of charge. Mainz's mayor, Jens Beutel, invited them to visit the main council chamber of the town hall, where they were able to obtain an impression of the focal point of Mainz politics and administration and admire the stunning work of the Danish architect and designer, Arne Jacobsen. "I was pleased that so many parents decided to use this chance to visit where their children are studying, a city that is one of the oldest and most attractive in Germany and has one of the country's best living environments," stated Mayor Jens Beutel. "Of course, a weekend is nothing like long enough to explore the whole of Mainz and all its places of interest. But they will have gained a first impression and we can only recommend that parents return to visit their student children outside the PARENTS' WEEKENDS."

Many of the program items were fully booked well before the start of the weekend. The reception held for the visitors on the Friday evening in the Frankfurter Hof was one of the highlights of the PARENTS' WEEKEND. Current aspects of higher education policy were debated by Rhineland-Palatinate's Minister of Science, Doris Ahnen, and the Chairman of the General Students' Committee, Wolfgang Schärfe, under the supervision of Professor Dr. Jürgen W. Falter of the Institute of Political Science of JGU. Taking as his subject "Research and science meet carnival and football", the comedian Herbert Bonewitz gave parents an introduction to Mainz's own particular brand of humor. Jasmin Stocker, jazz singer and student of the School of Music, provided musical accompaniment for the evening with the help of her ensemble. The three Mainz institutes of higher education used guided tours, lectures, exhibitions and concerts during the Parents' Weekend to illustrate the diversity of their research and teaching programs.

Among other things, JGU invited parents to concerts at the School of Music, to guided tours of Mainz's TRIGA research reactor and Botanic Garden and to a literary performance of "mainz1184" and also gave them insight into aspects of medicine in a "Dr. House" course. For the President of JGU, Professor Dr. Georg Krausch, the PARENTS' WEEKEND was a great success in terms of an "open day" for the parents of the university's students: "The widely ranging program provided parents with insight into the diversity of our teaching and research activities and they themselves were able to experience the positive atmosphere at our vibrant campus university."

At Mainz University of Applied Sciences, parents were familiarized with the disciplines of technology, design and business through lectures and tours. "This was the perfect opportunity for us to show the parents of our students at first hand where their children are studying and also to introduce to them our new building and many of our projects - from Career Center through e-learning to a 'best of' presentation of the work of our media designers. The response to our program was outstanding", concludes Professor Dr. Gerhard Muth, President of Mainz University of Applied Sciences.

In addition to presenting current subjects from its curriculum, Mainz's Catholic University of Applied Sciences also offered parents a light meal of typical Mainz specialties under the maxim "Talk and eat Bologna". "Using tours and short talks, we were able to demonstrate the advantages that a small institute of higher education such as our university can have. Parents were also particularly interested in the specific nature of a religiously-affiliated university. This was a successful beginning," stated Professor Ruth Remmel-Fassbender, Vice Rector of the Catholic University of Applied Sciences, Mainz.

The Parents' Weekend concluded on Sunday, 20 November 2011 with a matinée performance of an opera at JGU's School of Music, followed by brunch in the students' canteen on the campus.