New Rector Inaugurated

Prof. Dr. Gerd Strohmeier has taken office as Rector of the Technische Universität Chemnitz

After being elected on October 1, 2016, Prof. Dr. Gerd Strohmeiher is the 32nd Rector in the 180-year history of the Technische Universität Chemnitz and the institutions that were its predecessors. He took over the position from Prof. Dr. Andreas Schubert, who had occupied the office in a representative capacity since January 1, 2016. This became necessary as the previous Rector Prof. Arnold van Zyl was appointed President of the Baden-Wuerttemberg Cooperative State University in Stuttgart on February 1, 2016. Until the selection of new Vice-Rectors, scheduled to take place on October 11, 2016, the current Vice-Rectors will remain in active office. The future University Management will continue to be overseen by Chancellor Eberhard Alles. The inauguration of the new Rector is scheduled to be celebrated at the TU Chemnitz next year to allow time necessary for preparations. In order to clearly emphasize his goals and priorities for his coming time in office, the new Rector has addressed an open letter to the university public.

Profile: Prof. Dr. Gerd Strohmeier

Gerd Strohmeier was born on April 22, 1975 in Simbach am Inn. After completing his training to become an industrial clerk and an editorial traineeship, he studied Political Science, Psychology and Sociology at the University of Passau. Afterwards, he completed his doctorate and habilitation at the University of Passau. Strohmeier was employed as a research assistant and private lecturer at the University of Passau as well as a contract teacher at the Universität der Bundeswehr München and the University of Salzburg. He completed numerous stays abroad for research and teaching at universities including Cambridge, Durham, Wroclaw and Cluj-Napoca. In February 2009, he was appointed to the Professorship of Governmental Systems in Europe in Comparison in the Faculty of Humanities at the TU Chemnitz, a position which he had already held in a representative capacity since 2008. From 2012 to 2015, he was the managing director of the Institute of Political Science. Strohmeier has been active as an expert advisor in many settings, for example in the German Bundestag and in the Saxon State Parliament, as well as internationally in the Parliaments of Austria and Myanmar. As a commissioned researcher as well as political advisor he has worked for the Federal Government of Germany, the State Government of Saxony and political associations. Moreover, he has been active as a journalist in many ways, including for Zeit, Spiegel Online, the Süddeutsche Zeitung and the Freie Presse, and has been a guest in the Federal Press Conference several times. On June 14, 2016, he was elected to the position of Rector of the TU Chemnitz by the university’s Extended Senate.

(Translation: Sarah Wilson)

Mario Steinebach
04.10.2016

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