University Council welcomes the strategic development and future viability of TU Braunschweig under the leadership of President Angela Ittel Statement by the University Council of TU Braunschweig
The University Council of TU Braunschweig during a tour of the Open Hybrid LabFactory (OHLF) on the joint campus in Wolfsburg (from left): Prof Lothar Hagebölling, Prof Simone Kauffeld, Prof Dorothea Wagner, Dr Oliver Blume, Dr Gabriele Heinen-Kljajić, and Prof Christian Thomsen. Photo credit: Kristina Rottig/TU Braunschweig
On July 1, the University Council of TU Braunschweig held a regular meeting at the Open Hybrid LabFactory (OHLF) in Wolfsburg. Under the chairmanship of Prof Dr Lothar Hagebölling, strategic topics were discussed regarding the university’s future positioning.
The agenda included the recently published results of the Excellence Initiative. The University Council praised the success of the “QuantumFrontiers” cluster and emphasised the fact that the research focus on mobility will continue to be developed, even without an Excellence Cluster, in close coordination between Science Minister Falko Mohrs and TU President Angela Ittel. In a statement adopted specifically for the occasion, the committee emphasised: “The University Council expressly supports the strategic development of the university under the leadership of President Prof. Dr Angela Ittel, and endorses the concept presented at today’s meeting for identifying and further developing promising areas of focus.” (Full statement: see below).
The University Council used the opportunity of the meeting at the OHLF Wolfsburg to discuss the prospects for further expanding the “Wolfsburg Campus of TU Braunschweig” in detail. The OHLF is already a unique research campus focusing on the economically relevant topic of the circular economy, where more than 550 degrees and doctorates have been awarded. Through close collaboration between academia and industry, practical solutions for the future are being developed there, particularly in the areas of vehicle dismantling, plastics recycling and battery disassembly. The OHLF forms part of the City of Wolfsburg’s future science concept.
On the sidelines of the meeting in Wolfsburg, home to Volkswagen’s main plant, University Council member Dr Oliver Blume, Chairman of the Volkswagen and Porsche Boards of Management, said: “Anyone who wants to survive in international competition needs a vision and perseverance. Volkswagen and TU Braunschweig have both of these qualities. President Angela Ittel should be credited for positioning TU Braunschweig on multiple tracks, including research excellence and areas of potential such as the circular economy. The Open Hybrid LabFactory (OHLF) clearly demonstrates how cooperation can give rise to a future model for collaboration between science and industry.”
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Statement by the University Council of TU Braunschweig
University Council welcomes the strategic development and future viability of TU Braunschweig under President Angela Ittel
The University Council of TU Braunschweig is delighted with the successful results of the Excellence Strategy, particularly the award of further funding to the “QuantumFrontiers” cluster, which is jointly supported by Leibniz University Hannover and the Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt. Through this cluster, the university is demonstrating its commitment to innovation and has secured an Alexander von Humboldt Professorship and seven ERC grants for TU Braunschweig.
The “SE2A – Sustainable and Energy Efficient Aviation” cluster is part of the TU Braunschweig’s highly relevant social research focus on “mobility.” The University Council expressly welcomes the commitment of Science Minister Falko Mohrs and President Prof Dr Angela Ittel to promote and develop this promising research focus. Even though the cluster has not been proposed for a second funding period, the research focus will be further developed in close cooperation with its national and international partners.
The University Council expressly supports the university’s strategic development under President Prof Dr Angela Ittel and endorses today’s meeting’s concept for identifying and developing promising areas of focus. Following the highly successful acquisition of the “Ecoversity” funding project as part of the “Strategically Unlocking Potential” call for proposals, work has already begun on identifying new research priorities.
The Ecoversity initiative brings together numerous strategic projects with the aim of modernising the university comprehensively in the areas of research, teaching and learning, knowledge transfer, and governance and administration. This is supplemented by cross-cutting themes forming a holistic development model.
The University Council considers TU Braunschweig to be in a strong position and will continue to provide constructive support for its further strategic development.