“Higher Education Manager of the Year”: University of Hohenheim has the Best University President in the State  [14.10.19]

CHE Centrum für Hochschulentwicklung and DIE ZEIT honor Prof. Dr. Stephan Dabbert as one of the six best university managers in Germany in this year's competition

Prof. Dr. Stephan Dabbert is one of the six best university managers in Germany in this year's competition | Image: University of Hohenheim / Reiner Pfisterer

Prof. Dr. Stephan Dabbert has given the comparatively small and specialized University of Hohenheim a strong profile, praised the selection jury. His particular strength lies in advancing interdisciplinary developments and overcoming faculty boundaries. The jury particularly referred to the interdisciplinary profile in Bioeconomy, which is Hohenheim’s core topic today, and to the field of digitization.

Prof. Dr. Dabbert sees unique opportunities in shaping a profile university: "My aim is to put the scientists working here in the best possible position to exploit their full potential. In this way, we can live up to our responsibility as a state scientific institution in shaping the transformation processes in society, business, and politics," said the President.

Prof. Dr. Dabbert sees his role above all in initiating strategic developments and motivating University members to make the necessary changes. In doing so, he takes up impulses from the University and is respectful and appreciative, trustworthy and future-oriented, explained the jury in reference to the characterization by the vice-presidents, the University Council, and the chancellor.


Profile leads to success

The University of Hohenheim's focus on this particular profile has enabled it to rise into the league of leading European universities in the field of bioeconomy. They have recently joined forces in the European Bioeconomy University (EBU) network.

The president's strategy has also proved successful in the field of digital transformation: Since 2018, the University of Hohenheim has anchored this as a cross-sectional topic in its Structural and Development Plan. An inter-faculty digital laboratory for the future has been established with the Computational Science Lab, the appointment policy has been geared towards digitization, and online learning platforms have been set up.


International rankings confirm successful strategy

The most important international research rankings prove the success of this strategy: In the subject ranking of the National Taiwan University (NTU), in the Best Global Universities Ranking of the journal U.S. News & World Report, and in the QS ranking, the University of Hohenheim is the leader in Germany in agricultural research as well as in food and nutritional science.


BACKGROUND: Higher Education Manager of the Year

Every year since 2013, the Centre for Higher Education and the weekly newspaper DIE ZEIT have been awarding the title “Higher Education Manager of the Year" to people who have shaped the development of their university and initiated innovative change processes with exceptional leadership performance. In a multi-stage selection process, a jury of eight recognized experts makes the final decision.

In addition to the President of the University of Hohenheim, the following were nominated this year: Dr. Muriel Helbig, President of the Technical University of Lübeck; Prof. Michael Hoch, Rector of the University of Bonn; Prof. Stefan Leible, President of the University of Bayreuth; Prof. Anja Steinbeck, Rector of the University of Düsseldorf; and Prof. Micha Teuscher, President of HAW Hamburg. On October 23, 2019, the prizewinner will be honored at the ZEIT conference "University & Education" in Berlin.

Detailed short profile of Prof. Dr. Stephan Dabbert

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