On May 24, 2024, the Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences, the Oberlausitz-Niederschlesien cultural region and the Institute for Cultural Infrastructure Saxony organized the conference "Gegen den Strich - Against the Grain. Cultural Policy in the Past and Present of Saxony" . The occasion was the double thirtieth anniversary of the Saxon Cultural Areas Act (1994) and its support in research and teaching by the Institute (1994).

Rector Alexander Kratzsch bid farewell to Professor Matthias Theodor Vogt after 27 years of cultural policy teaching and research in the Culture and Management degree program. State Parliament President Dr. Matthias Rößler, former Minister President Prof. Georg Milbradt, Minister of State Sebastian Gemkow and the Mayor of Görlitz Octavian Ursu conveyed their congratulations.

District Administrator of the district of Görlitz Dr. Stephan Meyer outlined current problems and expectations of local cultural policy in Saxony.

External suggestions for Saxony's cultural policy were provided by "Culture and Management" graduate, former State Secretary Una Sedleniece; Prof. Kimura Goro, Sophia University Tokyo, Prof. Gregor Vogt-Spira, Marburg; Dr. Róża Zuzanna Różańska, Krakow; Prof. Stefan Garsztecki, TU Chemnitz, Dr. Beate Sibylle Pfeil from the Council of Europe and Prof. Luigi Ferrara, University Federico II Naples.

The conference concluded with a keynote speech on the future of cultural spaces in Saxony by Prof. Vogt and a discussion on "30 years of cultural spaces in Saxony", moderated by Dr. Annemarie Franke, Cultural Secretary for Upper Lusatia-Lower Silesia, with participants from the Saxon State Parliament, the Saxon Cultural Senate, cultural associations and the Mayor of Zittau, Thomas Zenker.

The Mayor of Görlitz, Benedikt Hummel, gave the closing speech as a representative of the "Culture and Management" graduates.