Prof. Dr. Christian Thomsen, president of Technische Universität Berlin, will assume the role of spokesperson of the Berlin University Alliance (BUA) for the following two years at the beginning of 2022. He succeeds Prof. Dr.-Ing. Dr. Sabine Kunst, who has resigned from her position as president of Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin and all related offices as well. Christian Thomsen thus continues his work on the Board of Directors of the excellence alliance, which manages the Berlin University Alliance and steers the strategic measures of the alliance.

As a member of the Board of Directors since the founding of the Berlin University Alliance and as its spokesperson since November 2020, Sabine Kunst has played a key role in shaping the alliance and is committed to the joint Berlin research environment. "During my tenure as spokesperson of the Berlin University Alliance, we continued to breathe life into the alliance project together, for example through the framework agreement on teaching and learning, the first two Einstein Research Units, or the 'Grand Challenge Initiative on Global Health'. With the resilient structures and processes now in place, the BUA will become even more visible," says Sabine Kunst. "I would like to thank the scholars and scientists who, with their commitment and enthusiasm, are advancing the important research priorities of the alliance. And I would like to thank the administrative staff who is providing such dedicated support for this major project. Together, the three universities and Charité will achieve their goals. Christian Thomsen will reliably continue to steer the BUA in this direction."

The spokesperson of the Berlin University Alliance rotates every two years, with the heads of the four partner institutions taking turns in this role. Christian Thomsen is looking forward to his time as spokesperson of the Berlin University Alliance and the ongoing collaborations in the Berlin research environment and worldwide. "It is a great pity that we are losing one of the most distinguished science managers and a highly valued colleague with the resignation of Sabine Kunst," says Christian Thomsen. At the same time, I am looking forward to being the spokesperson of Technische Universität Berlin for the Berlin University Alliance. For me, it is important that we give our scholars and scientists even more room to participate in shaping the alliance with their own objectives. With the recently approved topic identification process for a third 'Grand Challenge initiative', we are doing just that. These are sure to be exciting discussions at, in, and with our universities and Charité."

The Berlin University Alliance

The Berlin University Alliance is a consortium consisting of three major Berlin universities – Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Technische Universität Berlin – and Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, established to shape research and education in Berlin. The four partners joined forces to further develop Berlin as a research hub with international drawing power. Together the partners explore major societal challenges, increase public outreach, promote the training of junior researchers, address issues of quality and standards in research, and share resources in the areas of research infrastructure, teaching, diversity, equal opportunities, and internationalization. The Berlin University Alliance is funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) and the state of Berlin under the Excellence Strategy of the Federal Government and the Länder.

Joint press release from Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Technische Universität Berlin along with Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin

Press contact
Suhana Elisabeth Reddy, press spokesperson for the Berlin University Alliance
Email: medien@berlin-university-alliance.de