Get involved!

The General Student Committee (AStA)

Would you like to make a difference at the central KIT level? Do you have good ideas for student services? Then how about joining the AStA?

> What does the AStA do for you?

The AStA represents the student body vis-à-vis the university and state-wide institutions. It strives to create good conditions for all students. The AStA and the student associations also offer counseling services, support for socially disadvantaged students, and services such as sprinter rental.

For example, you can get involved as a representative or as part of the extended board. Representatives are responsible for a specific area of responsibility, while members of the extended board can provide support and get a taste of what it's like without any major commitments. You can see which departments there are here. There are also topic-based working groups that are closely integrated into the AStA (see below). You can also get involved in these in a low-threshold manner.

No problem! We also aim to represent all the international students at KIT but non-German perspectives are still underrepresented at the AStA and the student parliament. You can help and change this. While most internal communication is currently in German, we will try to be as inclusive as possible. Also check out the Intercultural Working Group, our first English-speaking working group.

The amount of work varies greatly and depends on how you want to get involved. The best thing to do is to talk to the representatives in the AStA.

The budget for the AStA is determined by the student parliament. Each semester, a total of around €500,000 is available for the AStA and departmental student councils (Fachschaften). There will be no shortage of funds for good projects or initiatives.

No one expects you to have any special qualifications or previous volunteer experience. The main thing is that you want to support your fellow students and future students. To participate, e.g., in the extended board, it is sufficient to have stopped by a few times. If you would like to take on a "Referat" position (or share one) with responsibilities, you must be elected by the student parliament. This usually happens at the beginning of the winter semester, but vacant positions can be filled at any time.

The AStA can pay its representatives and extended board members a volunteer allowance. Financial reasons should not prevent anyone from getting involved at the AStA.

Then just send us an email or drop by the AStA. There are countless ways to get involved, and you won't be left on your own. The team includes several experienced AStA representatives who can support you. 

You can find more information under the “AStA” tab on the left side of the navigation bar on the individual department pages. Feel free to send us an email at info@asta-kit.de or, even better, come to a meeting in the AStA container. You can find the current meeting dates here.

Always remember that the AStA is exactly what its members make it. You can play a big part in shaping it here.

The Unifest

The Unifest is one of the biggest festivals in Karlsruhe, with a huge team of students coming together to plan and run the festival and several thousand guests coming to the campus to celebrate.

Would you like to help plan and organize the festival and perhaps contribute your ideas? Then just come to the next meeting of the festival committee.
You are also welcome to contact us in advance by email at unifest@asta-kit.de.

Working Groups

Here is a list of the (more or less) current working groups. These offer a low-threshold way to get involved in a particular topic. Some working groups, such as the AKK, the AK Fahrradcampus, the Repair Café, and the Campusgarten, work more autonomously, while others, such as the AK Technikethik, AK Politischer Campus, AK Interkulturalität, and Arbeitskreis Nachhaltige Transformation, work closely with the AStA.

The working groups are always looking for new members, so if something appeals to you, just drop by.

University groups

University groups are associations of students who pursue common interests or hobbies, engage in projects, or simply seek regular meetings with like-minded people. The range is huge. There are political, cultural, social, sporting, technical, economic, religious, and many other university groups. There's something for everyone!

Just take a look at the list of registered university groups. You're sure to find something that suits you. Get involved!

Get involved now!

If you are interested in getting involved alongside your studies, please get in touch with us. Don't worry, no one will be pinned down to a specific role from the outset. We are looking for motivated individuals who are interested in taking on tasks within the student body that match their expectations.

Want to start a new project? Introduce something to the campus that's missing? Just get in touch with us (asta@asta-kit.de). We're open to suggestions and always happy to welcome committed colleagues.