SDG4 – Quality Education

Education is the key that will allow many other Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to be achieved. When people are able to get quality education they can break from the cycle of poverty.

SDG 4 aims to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all.

Copyright: United Nations

Lifelong Learning at FAU – Public Access to Knowledge

At Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), we are committed to lifelong learning and to making knowledge accessible not only for our students and staff, but also for professionals and the general public. With the FAU Academy it offers a continuing education platform for lifelong learning with a wide range of programmes for continuing education and knowledge transfer for people of all ages and all backgrounds.

In accordance with the General Regulations on the Use of Bavarian State Libraries, all members of the public – regardless of whether they are enrolled at a university – may apply for a library card and gain access to FAU’s university libraries. This includes access to reading rooms, borrowing services, and information resources. The service is free of charge, ensuring that the wider community benefits from the university’s learning infrastructure.

Every semester, FAU offers a variety of public lecture series (Ringvorlesungen) on topics ranging from science and health to society, culture, and technology. These events are free of charge and open to everyone, fostering lifelong learning opportunities for citizens of all ages and backgrounds.

Lifelong Learning at FAU – Public Events

FAU actively promotes lifelong learning by hosting a wide range of free public educational events.

A prime example is the #FAUwissenwollen series, where FAU researchers present their current projects and findings in an accessible format for a broad audience.

  • Events take place in Nürnberg, Erlangen, or online/hybrid, ensuring wide participation.
  • Admission is free, with registration only required for some sessions due to capacity limits.
  • Events include innovative science communication formats such as science talks, quizzes, outdoor events, picnics, or tram talks.
  • Recordings of selected events are made available via FAU’s video portal (fau.tv), further extending public access.

The Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU) offers a diverse range of vocational and executive education programmes that are open to the general public and professionals:

  • FAU Academy: offers structured, career-focused continuing education seminars, workshops, and certificate courses on a recurring basis, designed for adult learners, professionals, and interested citizens
  • Open online courses: interactive FAU-led courses and free OPEN vhb online courses available to everyone, anytime

Seminars and Short courses: Institute for Lawyers’ Law and Legal Practice (Institut für Anwaltsrecht und Anwaltspraxis):

the FAU Faculty of Law offers a continuing education programme for lawyers and practitioners with seminars and workshops focusing on current developments in law and legal practice. These courses are explicitly designed for professionals in the legal field and are open to external participants.

Chemistry on tour brings chemistry directly into classrooms: with more than 150 experimental lectures held at schools and other educational institutions across Bavaria and neighboring regions, this outreach program has proven to be highly successful.

The events combine exciting experiments, lecture-style elements, and an active scientific discussion with the participants. Our aim is to demonstrate that chemistry can be fascinating and relevant to everyday life – even without fire, explosions, or smoke effects.

The program is primarily aimed at students from grade 9 upwards at grammar schools (Gymnasium) as well as vocational and technical secondary schools (Berufs- und Fachoberschulen).

Lifelong Learning Access Policy

Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU) has a formal policy in place that ensures access to lifelong learning activities for all individuals, regardless of gender, ethnic or national origin, religion or belief, disability, age, or sexual identity.

This is anchored in the FAU Academy Mission Statement:
 “The offerings are open to all interested individuals regardless of gender, national/ethnic origin, religion or belief, disability, age, and sexual identity.“