Shaping the Future Together Closed-door meeting of the Senate, Deans and Executive Board of TU Braunschweig

What do we need for effective collaboration within the newly appointed committees? What opportunities do we see in strengthening our regional ecosystem? What makes us a resilient university? These questions formed the basis of the closed-door meeting of the Senate, Deans and Executive Board, held at the end of April 2025. The aim was to discuss strategic decisions and formulate ideas for cooperation together.

The Executive Board would like to thank everyone involved for their active participation in the meeting, the constructive discussions, and the successful start to working with the new committee members. Photo credit: TU Braunschweig

The development of a regional scientific ecosystem through cooperation is a firmly anchored goal in the University Development Initiative 2030. Together with our partners, we are seizing opportunities to further develop all performance and cross-sectional dimensions. In this way, we are strengthening our resilience as a university in times of change. During the meeting, the participants discussed the unique features of the Braunschweig ecosystem and how TU Braunschweig could utilise the “Ecoversity” initiative to its advantage.

The theme of “cooperation” recurred throughout the sunny day in Riddagshausen, which the participants spent in a constructive and relaxed atmosphere. In the second half of the day, the focus shifted to the “synergy of committees”. The President of the German Association of University Professors and Lecturers, Prof. Lambert T. Koch, opened the event with a keynote speech on joint effectiveness. How can cooperation structures that promote development be created? What paths do we want to pursue, and what changes do we envisage? The participants then discussed the goals and values that could be established as part of the transformation of our university into an Ecoversity, based on these questions.

Trust and transparency as the basis for strategic cooperation

The intensive exchange made it possible to consolidate common goals, make well-founded decisions, and continue with strategic planning – an area for which senate meetings do not allow enough time. Members of university committees repeatedly face major challenges due to the time they spend on ‘normal’ meetings and their preparation. However, this time is well invested in the future of our university. The Executive Board would like to thank all members of the university committees for their commitment and willingness to further develop our university.

The closed-door meeting demonstrated a strong commitment to working together to develop TU Braunschweig sustainably. Our common goal is to strengthen our resilience by presenting the TU Braunschweig as an ecoversity within the regional scientific ecosystem. This cooperative self-image is the basis for our development planning. The strategic cooperation between the Senate, the deans and the Executive Board will be further strengthened in the spirit of open, participatory and goal-oriented university development.