Statistics comes alive on campus

On 10 February 2026, more than 300 students visited TU Dortmund University for the annual Dortmunder Tag der Statistik, turning the campus into a lively space of curiosity, discussion, and discovery. Organized by the Faculty of Statistics – the only independent faculty of its kind in the German-speaking world–the event once again demonstrated how relevant and accessible statistics can be.

Inspired by the United Nations’ World Statistics Day initiative, the Faculty has hosted its own Day of Statistics since 2012. The aim is simple yet ambitious: to show how statistical thinking shapes modern society and why it matters for everyone.

Participants were offered a diverse program of lectures, discussions, and hands-on activities. Talks ranged from sports data and graphical analysis to statistics in the natural sciences, education, and health. Students learned how statistical methods help detect fake news, how medicines are evaluated before reaching the market, and how data-driven reasoning informs real-world decisions. A panel discussion provided direct insights into studying statistics and career perspectives.

In the afternoon, interactive sessions brought theory into practice. From live data analyses and sampling experiments to a catapult experiment demonstrating precision and probability, students experienced statistics as an active and creative discipline rather than an abstract school subject.

Among the co-organizers was Markus Pauly, Professor of Statistics at TU Dortmund University and a founding director of the Research Center Trustworthy Data Science and Security (RC Trust). His involvement highlights the close connection between the Faculty of Statistics and the broader research mission of RC Trust, where robust statistical foundations are central to developing trustworthy data science and AI methods.

While the RC Trust was not formally hosting the event, the Day of Statistics reflects one of its core principles: strong methodology begins with education. Inspiring young people to think critically about data, uncertainty, and evidence is a prerequisite for responsible innovation.

By welcoming hundreds of students to campus, the Faculty of Statistics not only showcased its study programs and research areas but also demonstrated how statistics empowers society–from science and medicine to media and public debate.

In times when data-driven decisions influence nearly every aspect of life, events like the Dortmunder Tag der Statistik remind us that statistical literacy is not a niche skill–it is a societal necessity.