Professor Michael Kühl, a biochemist from Ulm, will succeed Professor Michael Weber on 1 October. At a joint meeting of the University Council and the Senate held yesterday, Wednesday, the current Vice-President for Cooperation and Head of the Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology was elected as the new President of Ulm University at the first ballot.
By an overwhelming majority, the Senate and University Council elected Professor Michael Kühl as the new President of the University of Ulm. Prior to this, the candidate had introduced himself to the committees and the university community in the lecture theatre of the TTU Teaching Hospital and outlined his ideas for his presidency. “As the new President, I would like to build on the successful and dynamic development of the University of Ulm since its foundation and lead it into a positive future,” said Kühl in his campaign speech.
Challenges and risks such as stagnating student numbers, a backlog of renovation work and scepticism towards science in society must be addressed. Added to this is the need to address the partly unmet targets in the Excellence Strategy, as well as the necessity of securing funding for new Collaborative Research Centres. Kühl advocated for a strategic approach to research: focusing on areas where the University of Ulm has unique selling points at its location, such as quantum cryptography and trauma research, with even more topic-specific collaborative projects and strategic appointment management. In doing so, he aims to continue the successful path of his predecessor.
Research-oriented teaching serves not only to impart specialist knowledge but also to shape the character of future leaders. Due to high demand, a new degree programme in Pharmacy is to be established. AI expertise is also to be an integral part of the curriculum. Furthermore, Kühl intends to intensify efforts to attract international students, for example through bilingual degree programmes. Knowledge transfer is to be strengthened, and research findings with transfer potential are to be systematically highlighted. The Entrepreneurs Campus is to be further developed into a Technology Transfer Office. “Social responsibility is not just about generating knowledge, but also about its targeted dissemination within society,” Professor Michael Kühl is convinced. The future President emphasised his commitment to fostering an active, appreciative university culture and a spirit of cooperation.
The President chairs the Executive Board, i.e. the university’s governing body, and represents the university both internally and externally. Professor Kühl will benefit from his many years of experience on this body: he has been Vice-President for Cooperation since 2021. His remit includes strategic cooperation, knowledge and technology transfer, as well as innovation and start-up activities. Michael Kühl has also been helping to shape the University of Ulm for around 20 years through numerous other roles. Professor Michael Weber, who is retiring on 30 September, congratulated his successor: “I congratulate Michael Kühl wholeheartedly on his election and wish him every success in the further development of our university together with all its members.”
Long association with the University of Ulm
The 60-year-old Kühl has a long history with the University of Ulm: after studying biochemistry at the Free University of Berlin, he completed his doctorate in Berlin and Ulm. He then took up a postdoctoral position in the city on the Danube in 1995. His academic career took him on to Seattle and Göttingen, where he qualified as a professor. In 2002, Michael Kühl became a C3 professor in Ulm and was finally awarded a tenured professorship here in 2006. Since then, he has headed the Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. His research focuses on the molecular mechanisms of early embryonic development and intracellular signal transduction, as well as issues in systems biology. Among his greatest achievements is the establishment of the International Graduate School in Molecular Medicine Ulm as part of the German Federal and State Excellence Initiative, of which he was spokesperson from 2006 to 2019. Together with his wife, Professor Susanne Kühl, he is also committed to communicating current research findings to the general public, particularly on the topics of environmental protection, sustainability and climate change.
In addition to research and teaching, Michael Kühl has long been involved in various roles both within and outside the university: as Dean of Studies for Molecular Medicine (2016 to 2021), he played a key role in shaping the degree programme, which combines natural sciences and medicine. From 2014 to 2021, the biochemist was an elected member of the University Senate, and from 2011 to 2016 a member of the Ethics Committee at the University of Ulm. From 2016 to 2022, Kühl was also a member of the Senate and Funding Committee for Research Training Groups at the German Research Foundation (DFG). Since 2021, he has been a member of the climate advisory boards for the cities of Ulm and Neu-Ulm.
Text and media contact: Christine Liebhardt
Photos: Elvira Eberhardt / University of Ulm