Prof. Mukherjee, takes over from Professor Dr. Axel Freimuth. At the same time, the newly elected prorectorate has taken over the business areas. For the first time, there is a separate Vice-Rector for Transfer to Society. The office is held by WiSo Professor Werner Reinartz, holder of the Chair of Retailing and Customer Management of the WiSo Faculty.
On 01 October 2023, the new Rectorate took up office under the direction of Rector Professor Dr Joybrato Mukherjee. Among other things, the Rectorate will continue with the cluster proposals as part of the Excellence Strategy and, if the university qualifies for this, will prepare an application for the Excellence University funding line. Other main tasks are the further development of the UoC’s research profiles as well as the degree programmes. The areas of Sustainable Development have also recently been added.
At the same time, five newly elected vice rectors took over their portfolios in the eight-member rectorate. The new members of the Rectorate in addition to the to the economist Professor Werner Reinartz, are the medical professor Dr Claus Cursiefen (Vice-Rectorate for Research), the psychologist Professor Dr Susanne Zank (Vice-Rectorate for Anti-Discrimination and Equal Opportunities), the biochemist Professor Dr Ines Neundorf (Vice-Rectorate for Academic Career and Staff Development) and the lawyer Professor Dr Kirk W. Junker (Vice-Rectorate for Sustainable Development). Professor Dr Beatrix Busse, Anglicist and full-time Vice-Rector for Teaching and Studies, and Chancellor Karsten Gerlof were already members of the previous Rectorate and continue their tenure.
Prof. Dr. Mukherjee thanked the previous rectorate on the occasion of assuming office: “I would like to thank all the previous members of the Rectorate, in particular my predecessor, Mr Freimuth, for their successful work contributing to the benefit of science and the University of Cologne, not least for the excellent organization of the handing-over of office.”
We look forward to working with Prof. Dr. Mukherjee and the entire Rectorate and wish the colleagues a successful 'start in office'.
›It is important that we all see ourselves as members of the university‹
Prof. Dr. Joybrato Mukherjee in interview with Eva Schissler and Jürgen Rees for the Cologne University Magazine.
