The University Election Assembly consists of the members of the Senate and the University Council. Both groups have the same voting weight. The assembly is chaired by the Chair of the Senate, Prof. Dr. Cornelia Richter.
After Rector Hoch had already been unanimously elected for a third term of office of four years in January 2024, the assembly has now also confirmed the Vice-Rectors he proposed.
All previous incumbents stood for a further term of office. The only new appointment was the Vice-Rector for Research and Early-Career Researchers. Prof. Dr. Andreas Zimmer has decided to step down from office on August 1, 2024, for personal reasons. Prof. Dr. Ilona Grunwald Kadow will succeed him at the suggestion of the Rector.
During the last term of office, the Rectorate was one of the first university boards in Germany to have gender parity. Now the female members of the Rectorate form the majority.
The following people were (re-)elected to the Vice Rectorates:
Vice-Rector for Digitalization and Information Management: Prof. Dr. Maren Bennewitz, Professor of Humanoid Robots, Institute of Computer Science
Vice-Rector for Equal Opportunity and Diversity: Prof. Dr. Irmgard Förster, Professor of Immunology and Environment, Life & Medical Sciences (LIMES) Institute
Vice-Rector for Research and Early-Career Researchers: Prof. Dr. Ilona Grunwald Kadow, Professor of Physiology, Institute of Physiology II
Vice-Rector for International Affairs: Prof. Dr. Birgit Münch, Professor of Art History, Department of Art History
Vice-Rector for Teaching, Learning and University Development: Prof. Dr. Klaus Sandmann, Professor of Financial Market Economics, Institute of Finance and Statistics
Vice-Rector for Sustainability: Prof. Dr. Annette Scheersoi, Professor of Didactics of Biology, Nees Institute for Biodiversity of Plants
The Chair of the University election assembly, Senate Chair Prof. Dr. Cornelia Richter, gave the Rectorate her best wishes for the coming term of office: "Michael Hoch has succeeded in bringing the University together in all its diversity under a common vision. It fills us with joy that he will continue to boldly forge ahead with a top-class Rectorate team."
The Chairman of the University Council, Prof. Dr. Dieter Engels, said: "The Rectorate team around Michael Hoch has already achieved a great deal, but still has a lot to do. The task now is to continue on the path of success and maintain the University's excellent position. I am convinced that the Rectorate will certainly succeed in this."
Rector Prof. Hoch thanked the outgoing Vice-Rector Zimmer for his work: "Andreas Zimmer is one of the architects of the success of excellence. He has made a significant contribution to the University of Bonn's leading position in the competition today. I would like to thank him from the bottom of my heart, both on behalf of the University and personally."
The Rector also thanked the University election assembly for following his proposals with an overwhelming majority: "With this great result, the members of the Senate and the University Council are strengthening my team and me for the tasks ahead of us. Together with all status groups, we want to continue to attract the best minds at all career levels to further establish the University of Bonn as a University of Excellence in the global competition. I am looking forward to this together with my team!"
