Create added value with knowledge
Rector Prof. Dr. Arnold van Zyl takes a positive view of recent developments and thanks all the members and partners of TU Chemnitz
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Prof. Dr. Arnold van Zyl, Rector of Technische Universität Chemnitz Photo: Steve Conrad
Dear students and staff of Technische Universität Chemnitz,
Dear alumni, friends and graduates of our University,
Dear cooperation partners and sponsors of TU Chemnitz,
the Advent season has begun and the year of 2014 is slowly coming to an end and Christmas and New Year are nearing. I am, therefore, looking forward to the next days as you are. Let us look back together on a successful year for our university. Many figures show the positive development of TU Chemnitz. In the winter term nine new courses were introduced and five more are currently being prepared and will start next year. A total of 3,148 students were newly enrolled for the winter term 2014/2015 at Technische Universität Chemnitz – more than ever before. Compared to the preceding year, this represents an increase by 14 percent. In particular, there is an increasing demand for Master degree programs with the number of enrolments increasing by 129 percent when compared to 2013. The high number of enrolments at Master’s level confirm that we are successfully carrying out our intention of expanding our range of demand-oriented Master’s programs. Overall, more than 11,000 students continue to study at our university.
Equally successful is our achievement in research. External funding remains at the same level as last year. Our university is increasingly collaborating with companies and research institutions in the city and beyond. In close cooperation with other research institutions and affiliated institutes of the university, the city administration and
many business partners, we create ideal conditions that combine practical training as well as basic and applied research.
At the end of October, the Center for Young Researchers was established at the TU Chemnitz as an institutional organization for supporting doctoral candidates, post-doctoral students, habilitating scholars and assistant professors.
The transfer of knowledge and technology to the economy and society is demonstrated by around 100 spin-off companies eminating from the university to in the past eight years. As a result of our cooperation with the Technology Center Chemnitz 180 spin-off enterprises have been accompanied helpfully since its foundation in 1991 until today, and generated about 900 sustainable employment opportunities. To support this activity the Centre for Knowledge and Technology Transfer has been created at TU Chemnitz.
In addition to the advanced building projects – such as the construction of the research building for the Federal Cluster of Excellence MERGE – the expansion of the university presence in the inner city play an important role in the social development of the city of Chemnitz. The upcoming renovation of the Alte Aktienspinnerei building to the Central Library will contribute to the improvement of study and research conditions at our university in the coming years.
These and many other achievements would not have been possible without the contribution of many TU Chemnitz members, without intensive networking of our university with business as well as other partners and international exchange.
On behalf of the University Management, I would like to thank you for your work in the past year and your support for the benefit of the TU Chemnitz. In the future, we will demonstrate our excellent research as well as the social relevance of our work. I wish you and your families a tranquil Christmas, good health, personal well-being and all the best for the coming year.
Prof. Dr. Arnold van Zyl
Rector of Technische Universität Chemnitz
Mario Steinebach
16.12.2014
