Invitation to the lecture series “Democracy Meets Medicine”
Magdeburg University Medical Center cordially invites you to its new lecture series “Democracy Meets Medicine”. In this series, leading experts from the fields of medicine, the natural sciences, the humanities, the social sciences, politics, and industry will discuss the significance and responsibility of medicine for the future of our society.
Next date of the lecture series
- April 27, 2026 | 5:00–7:00 p.m. | Lecture Hall 7
- Prof. Dr. med. Hans-Jochen Heinze, Chairman of the Hospital Board and Medical Director: Brain Health, Freedom, and Responsibility – Medical Foundations of Democratic Action
- Prof. Dr. med. Thomas Nickl-Jockschat, Director of the University Clinic for Psychiatry and Psychotherapy Magdeburg: How free are we really…? – Contributions to free will from psychiatry and brain research
What is it about?
Prof. Dr. med. Hans-Jochen Heinze – Brain Health, Freedom, and Responsibility – Medical Foundations of Democratic Action
In his lecture, Professor Heinze highlights the fundamental significance of freedom, self-determination, and responsibility as the cornerstones of democracy and explores the question of whether free will even exists from a neuroscientific perspective. He demonstrates the role brain health plays in self-determined action and how medical insights shape our understanding of responsibility and decision-making capacity.
Prof. Dr. med. Thomas Nickl-Jockschat – How Free Are We Really…? – Contributions to Free Will from Psychiatry and Brain Research
Freedom is a central concept—for our society, but also for us as individuals. But how free is our will really? Is free will merely an illusion, or can we actually make free decisions? And what can we learn from people with mental illnesses who, for example, feel that their will is controlled by an external force and no longer obeys them? In his lecture, Thomas Nickl-Jockschat examines this question from the perspectives of neurobiology and psychiatry—a question that affects not only our view of humanity but also our democracy like almost no other. The focus is not only on scientific foundations but also on medicine’s potential to promote individual freedom through brain health.
Background on the lecture series
Our society is at a turning point: technologies such as artificial intelligence, genetic engineering, robotics, and digital virtuality pose unprecedented challenges to the biological, cultural, and ethical integrity of humanity. Used correctly, they can pave the way to a stable and sustainable future. Misused, they threaten to shake the very foundations of humanity, freedom, and responsibility.
The lecture series therefore focuses on the intersection of medicine and democracy: While politics is responsible for shaping our world, medicine bears responsibility for the health of the brain and body—the prerequisite for conscious, empathetic, and responsible action.
Following the event, we invite you to join us for refreshments in the foyer to foster dialogue between science, medicine, and society.
We look forward to your participation and stimulating discussions.
Further dates will be announced shortly.