Cycassel: Student Ideas Become Part of Kassel's City History

A university project by the Institute for Sports and Sports Science is becoming part of Kassel’s city history: The Cycassel Kassel project is featured in the current exhibition “On the Move: Mobility and Transportation in Kassel” at the Kassel City Museum. Its inclusion in the exhibition recognizes the long-standing commitment of numerous students, faculty members, and researchers, as well as non-university partners, and at the same time highlights how research and teaching can have an impact on urban society beyond the university.

Cycassel is a prime example of knowledge transfer in action. Building on university teaching and student engagement, a project has evolved over several years that combines academic perspectives with practical application and societal relevance. The collaboration between the City of Kassel and the Institute for Sport and Sports Science at the University of Kassel, facilitated by the Transfer and Application Center for Sport in Kassel (task), forms an important foundation for this initiative.

Student Engagement as the Driving Force Behind the Project

The long-standing commitment of the students has been particularly significant for the development of Cycassel. They have not only helped shape the project’s content but have also given it its own identity. For example, the name Cycassel was coined by two students (majors: Sustainable Management and Business Education, and Sports). Over many years, students from various departments have been actively involved and have supported the project’s development. In addition, faculty members at the University of Kassel, together with external cooperation and industry partners, have shaped the project and made knowledge transfer and interdisciplinarity both visible and effective.

Continuity and Further Development

Dr. Julia Limmeroth’s assumption of leadership of UNI:Sports is accompanied by a change in the project’s organizational structure: Dr. Lisa Claußen will take over as seminar leader for Cycassel, thereby continuing her long-standing commitment in a leadership role. Dr. Julia Limmeroth will remain associated with the project in an advisory capacity.

The interdisciplinary collaboration with Prof. Dr. Angela Francke and her team from the Department of Bicycle Transportation and Local Mobility ensures continuity for the project and expands it to include perspectives from mobility and bicycle transportation research. In this way, Cycassel combines sports science expertise with issues of sustainable mobility and local urban development.

Inclusion in the City Museum’s exhibition is a special recognition for everyone involved. At the same time, Cycassel underscores the University of Kassel’s commitment to not only developing scientific insights within the university but also putting them into practice in collaboration with societal partners. In this way, the project also embodies the transfer philosophy of UniKasselTransfer: sharing knowledge, strengthening collaborations, and helping to shape societal developments.

The exhibition “On the Move: Mobility and Transportation in Kassel” at the Kassel City Museum traces the historical development of mobility in the city while also offering perspectives on its future design. It will be on view at the City Museum through April 18, 2027:

Further information about the project can be found on the website.