After we receive the donated devices, they are first cleaned and technically checked. The employees of the IT department of the Thuringian University and State Library then prepare them so that students can work with them: Any remaining data is securely and reliably deleted in accordance with the standards of the Federal Office for Information Security (BSI) and the computer is equipped with the open operating system Ubuntu and some basic software (e.g. LibreOffice, internet browser).
Students can then send a request to laptopspende@uni-jena.de. If devices are available, they can be collected and borrowed free of charge for one semester. If necessary, the loan can also be extended.
Through the laptop donation campaign, we can help to ensure that all students can participate in online teaching, regardless of their financial situation. This now makes up a large part of university teaching and the availability of internet-enabled devices is essential for success in both studies and research.
The campaign also helps to increase the lifespan of old devices by reusing and regularly refurbishing them, thus saving resources for the production of new devices.