21.05.2026 CZS Network German Foundation Day 2026: The Carl-Zeiss-Stiftung contributes insights on AI, academic freedom, and funding practices

On May 20 and 21, 2026, the German foundation landscape will meet in Hamburg for the German Foundation Day - the largest foundation congress in Europe. Under the motto "Acting on Freedom", foundation representatives and participants from civil society, academia, politics and the media will discuss the role of foundations in times of social, technological and democratic challenges.

The Carl-Zeiss-Stiftung is also actively involved in shaping the Foundation Day and is contributing to the debates on artificial intelligence, scientific freedom and the future of funding practice with several contributions.

Every year, the German Foundation Day brings together several thousand participants and offers a platform for networking, professional exchange and new perspectives with over 100 sessions. Topics such as democracy, social cohesion, sustainability, digitalization and AI are particularly prominent at this year's event.