Strengthening TU Braunschweig and the region Into the future with a dynamic scientific ecosystem
Interview with President Angela Ittel
As part of the university’s development, the regular adaptation of the university development concept is an important step in ensuring that the strategic goals of Technische Universität Braunschweig are agile. In the second version of the university development concept, new strategic focal points were implemented and the basis for the further development of our scientific ecosystem was created. Angela Ittel, President of the TU Braunschweig, reports on the latest developments in an interview.
Professor Ittel, what are the most important elements of TU Braunschweig’s University Development Concept and why was it necessary to adapt it now?
TU Braunschweig President Prof. Angela Ittel. Photo Credit: Kristina Rottig/TU Braunschweig
We live in a world that is changing at an increasingly rapid pace. New conflicts and challenges require rapid adaptation. Therefore, the prioritisation and implementation of our goals remains a dynamic process. The University Development Concept describes our vision for the year 2030 and is based on our holistic development model. It includes several performance and cross-cutting themes.
In the second version of our University Development Concept, we have revised some aspects to reflect the constantly changing environment. The existing chapters on performance and cross-cutting issues have been updated. We have also integrated the principles of the (further) developed strategy papers – including those on diversity, transfer and sustainability. We have also added strategic focus areas for 2025: On the one hand, we want to intensively develop a ‘scientific ecosystem’ that brings the partners in our strong research region closer together. The second is the ‘Changemaker‘ concept, which is aimed at people who are interested in working with us to further develop TU Braunschweig and make a real impact.
TU Braunschweig has set itself the goal of building a strong science ecosystem by 2025. What exactly does this term mean to you?
A ‘science ecosystem’ is a strategic network of close and trustworthy partnerships linking science, industry, politics and society. The guiding principle of such a network is that the future of science lies in collaboration. This means that in our research-intensive region, we will work even more closely together to find solutions to the great challenges of our time. We will pool our resources and knowledge more strongly and with a new sense of purpose. We will develop innovative approaches together, thereby also strengthening the visibility and impact of our university as a centre of science and research.
What is the role of the members of TU Braunschweig in this?
The members of TU Braunschweig are essential to the success of this initiative. Each and every one of them can contribute to strengthening the community here. We will bring people from different institutions into contact with each other in order to shorten processes and paths with new ideas, to exchange experiences and to offer support. We want to encourage scientists, staff and students to look beyond the boundaries of traditional disciplines and actively contribute to the development of our ecosystem in the region through their commitment and expertise. This collective strength gives us the opportunity to further shape one of the most attractive science regions in Germany.
How will these goals be put into practice?
All members of TU Braunschweig should have the opportunity to contribute their ideas. We offer everyone who wants to the opportunity to become a Changemaker. We also use established communication tools such as faculty development meetings, university development days, office hours and informal meetings to discuss these issues and agree on concrete steps. The whole process will be closely monitored by the Executive Board, the Strategic University Development Unit, the Project House and many others. We are all very excited about it.
What does a possible application as a university of excellence mean for TU Braunschweig?
The application is only possible if our applications for the continuation of our two clusters are successful. The decision will be taken in May. The competition is extremely tough this time, so we have to keep our fingers crossed. However, if the two applications to continue the clusters are approved, we will also apply for funding as a University of Excellence. If we are successful, this will help us gain additional resources, reputation and visibility.
In addition to the possibility of competing as a University of Excellence, we have also taken the opportunity to apply for funding for our strategic profile enhancement through the zukunft.niedersachsen research programme. A successful application in the funding programme ‘Potentiale strategisch entfalten’ would enable us to develop TU Braunschweig as part of an efficient research system in Lower Saxony in line with our strengths and potential. The revision of the university’s development concept and our strategic goals were crucial foundations for this application. Positive feedback from the funding agencies – the German Research Foundation (DFG), the Lower Saxony Ministry for Science and Culture (MWK) and the Volkswagen Foundation – on these applications in the first quarter of next year will support our efforts.
Finally, what message would you like to convey to the members of TU Braunschweig?
I would like to emphasise that every member plays an important role in our university. Through shared ideas, efforts and initiatives, we can shape our university, compensate for shortcomings and build on our strengths. Increasing the attractiveness of our science region will help everyone at TU Braunschweig to flourish. It is important that we work actively on the challenges we face every day. We must seize the opportunities that arise so that our university, as a public institution, can continue to fulfil its mission of creating knowledge and finding solutions. Together with our partners in the science ecosystem, we want to live up to this responsibility in an environment characterised by enormously increased competition.
Thank you very much! We are also keeping our fingers crossed for the successful evaluation of all applications.