Prof. Dr. Peter Frensch, acting president of Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, will assume the role of spokesperson of the Berlin University Alliance (BUA) from April 1, 2022. Peter Frensch succeeds Prof. Dr Christian Thomsen, whose term as president of Technische Universität Berlin ended on March 31, 2022.

The presidents of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Technische Universität Berlin, and the CEO of the executive board of Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin together form the Board of Directors. It controls the strategic alignment of the alliance and ensures the achievement of the objectives and cross-cutting themes. Peter Frensch will hand over the role of spokesperson to Technische Universität Berlin on November 1, 2022, on a rotational basis.

As a member of the Board of Directors since the foundation of the Berlin University Alliance and as spokesperson since the beginning of the year, Christian Thomsen has promoted the alliance with tireless commitment and established fundamental processes to anchor the BUA in Berlin's academic landscape.

“We are enormously grateful to Mr. Thomsen for his time at the BUA,” says Peter Frensch. “During my time as spokesperson, I will continue these processes and consistently strengthen the alliance. Above all, the BUA stands for joint excellent research in Berlin and the formation of synergetic structures with the partner institutions in order to consolidate the integrated research environment. I will work unswervingly and concentrate my efforts on this elementary task.”

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