ATHENE launches public ‘Distinguished Lecture Series’ with leading experts from research, industry and administration
Germany’s largest research centre for applied cyber security, ATHENE, is launching its new series of discussions on cyber security with a high-profile kick-off event. The series will be launched on 3 November 2025 by Hesse’s Minister of the Interior, Prof. Dr Roman Poseck, with a lecture on ‘Internal security in the digital space – priorities for a sovereign and resilient Germany’.
The ‘ATHENE Distinguished Lecture Series’ offers a public forum for exchange between cutting-edge research and practice. National and international experts from science, industry and government will discuss current developments, challenges and solutions in the field of cybersecurity. The aim is to communicate complex research topics in an understandable way and to promote direct dialogue with the interested public.
Exchange between science, politics and society
As part of the series, renowned experts will be regular guests in Frankfurt until spring 2026. Contributions are planned from Ralf Stettner (CISO of the Hessian State Government), Prof. Dr Antonio Krüger (CEO of the German Research Centre for Artificial Intelligence, DFKI), Claudia Plattner (President of the Federal Office for Information Security, BSI) and Lucas Schmitz (Member of the State Parliament, spokesperson for the CDU parliamentary group for science and art). Further dates will be announced in the coming weeks.
The events will take place at 1 p.m. on the Westend Campus of Goethe University Frankfurt am Main. A keynote speech will be followed by a moderated discussion, during which the audience will have the opportunity to engage directly with the speakers.
Knowledge transfer at the highest level
‘The ATHENE Distinguished Lecture Series is a unique platform for promoting dialogue between research, politics and practice,’ explains Prof. Dr. Haya Schulmann, member of the ATHENE Board of Directors and professor at Goethe University Frankfurt am Main. ‘Especially in view of increasing digital threats, it is crucial that scientific findings and practical experience flow together directly.’
ATHENE, which is funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research, the Hessian Ministry of the Interior, the Hessian Ministry of Science and Research, Art and Culture and the Federal Ministry of the Interior and Homeland, is considered a key player in the German cybersecurity ecosystem. With the new series of events, the research centre is strengthening its role as a mediator between theory and practice.
Participation and registration
Participation in the ATHENE Distinguished Lecture Series is free of charge, but registration is required.
Further information and the complete programme are available at www.athene-center.de/dls.
