University of Mannheim: University celebrates 75 years of the new business school and University of Mannheim

Around 100 invited guests from science, business and society celebrated University Day of the University of Mannheim on Tuesday in the auditorium of the palace. Rector Prof. Dr. Thomas Puhl took the opportunity to take stock of his tenure so far.

The first half of his rector’s office was largely shaped by the corona pandemic that began in 2020, according to Puhl. In contrast to the other universities, Mannheim was already teaching at the time and had to switch to online teaching in the middle of the semester. That was a great challenge, but thanks to the efforts of the teachers and students, it worked out very well. Last year, however, it also became clear that online teaching could not replace presence in the long term. “We need interpersonal contact,” says Puhl. “It is therefore good and important that we were able to largely return to campus this fall semester.” In his address, Puhl thanked the lecturers and researchers, all employees, the students as well as the friends and sponsors of the university for their great commitment. Thanks in particular to this commitment, the university has mastered the corona pandemic so well over the past two years and has continued to achieve great success.

The great successes of the last three years have included the establishment of the Collaborative Research Center (SFB) Transregio “Accounting for Transparency” – the nationwide first SFB in business administration -, the founding of the European University ENGAGE.EU under the direction of the University of Mannheim and the acquisition of three Prestigious ERC grant from the European Research Council by Mannheim scientists. The outstanding quality of research and teaching is also regularly demonstrated by excellent ranking results and the recently published DFG funding atlas. This certifies that the University of Mannheim in the considered funding period 2017-2019 in the social and economic sciences, which make up the core of the Mannheim profile,

Despite the previous successes, however, we must continue to look to the future. One of the major objectives for the next few years is to maintain the university’s research strength and to establish itself even more on the international playing field. To do this, the university must continue to develop its strengths and bind even more outstanding scientists to the university and win them over to them. “In doing so, we are not only allowed to create individual lighthouses, but also have to initiate promising joint projects that form the basis for success in the next round of excellence,” said Puhl. The University of Mannheim will set important thematic priorities for the future in the areas of digitization, internationalization and sustainability.

In the further course of the evening, Prof. Dr. Philipp Gassert, holder of the chair for contemporary history and dean of the philosophy faculty, traces the 75-year success story since the re-establishment of the University of Mannheim. You can find more information about the anniversary in the interview: https://www.uni-mannheim.de/newsroom/forum/ausgabe-1-2020/profil/75-jaehriges-jubilaeum-der-neubegruendung/

Award of two honorary senators
During the event, Dr. Lorenz Näger was honored with the honor of an honorary senator. Näger has had close ties with the University of Mannheim since he was a student. He graduated from Mannheim with a degree in business administration and received his doctorate from the chair for general business administration and business taxation. Since April 2012, Näger has been a member of the board of the University of Mannheim Foundation. As a graduate and representative of HeidelbergCement, he was also involved in the “Partner der Mannheimer Betriebswirtschaftslehre eV” association and helped set up the Mannheim Business School.

Even Dr. Hans-Peter Wild was made an honorary senator for his services to the university. Wild studied business administration with a degree in business administration at the University of Mannheim and received his doctorate from the law faculty on “The dominant company in French law”. Wild has been committed to the University of Mannheim since 2007. He particularly supports them in recruiting top scientists with whom the international competitiveness of the university is to be further expanded. In 2016, Dr. For this purpose, Wild started the “Best Minds Program” together with the University of Mannheim Foundation by means of a large donation.

Awarding of medals university
Prof. Dr. Dorothee Karl has been associated with the University of Mannheim for many years as a graduate. She has been Deputy Chairwoman of the Board of Trustees of the University of Mannheim Foundation since 2016, and took over as Chair in 2020. Through her numerous contacts in the Rhine-Neckar metropolitan region, she has supported the foundation and thus the university in a variety of ways. As deputy chairwoman and chairwoman of the board of trustees, she was always a guarantor for the close and trusting cooperation between the foundation and the university.

Prof. Dr. Dr. hc Karl Ulrich Mayer has been closely associated with the university for many years. From 2013 to 2019, as a member and last year as chairman of the University Council, he not only supported the University of Mannheim in an advisory capacity, but also supported it constructively in its structural and scientific development. His close connection is also evident in his personal history. Mayer completed his habilitation at the University of Mannheim on social mobility in the Federal Republic and in 1979 became director of the Center for Surveys, Methods and Analysis in Mannheim.

Awards for outstanding teaching performance
in recognition of their outstanding teaching performance received two lecturers teaching award at the University of Mannheim: Prof. Dr. Daniel Roggenkampf, holder of the chair for mathematical physics, and Dr. Caroline Mary. The awardees convey the respective content in a practical way with great commitment and didactically varied. In addition, they succeed in motivating the students to a particularly high degree and in achieving very good learning successes.

Appreciation of first aiders
At the University Day, five first aiders – Jana Berkessel, Dr. Tobias Ebert, Ursula Horn, Maria Pesthy and Vera Vogel – honored for their great commitment. It was only through the joint efforts of a total of nine colleagues – five of whom were able to be present on the University Day – that a university member who suffered a serious medical emergency was saved and has since recovered completely.