Prof. Dr. Michal Kucera

Michal Kucera studied geology in Prague and earned his doctoral degree at the University of Gothenburg in Sweden. He then held positions in Santa Barbara, California, as well as in London and Tübingen, before joining the University of Bremen in 2012 as a professor of micropaleontology and paleoceanography in the Faculty of Geosciences and the MARUM Center for Marine Environmental Sciences. 

As a principal investigator in the “Ocean Floor – Earth's Uncharted Territory” Cluster of Excellence, he explores the impact of climate change on marine environments and their inhabitants in the recent and more distant past. He is a strong advocate for international collaboration and supporting early-career researchers. As president of the Micropaleontological Society and spokesperson of the German-Canadian Research Training Group ArcTrain, he has played a key role in promoting global scientific exchange. He has also contributed to the strategic development of his field through his membership in the German Research Foundation (DFG) Senate Commission for Oceanography and the Senate Commission for Earth System Research. He continues to advise on scientific policy as a member of the Scientific Advisory Boards of the Hanse-Wissenschaftskolleg and the Alfred Wegener Institute. He is actively involved in science communication as a member of the Extended Board of the Society of German Natural Scientists and Physicians (GDNÄ) and as the elected president of the Wittheit zu Bremen society. As the chairperson of Digital Hub Industry e.V., he promotes interaction between academia and industry. 

From 2015 to 2019, he served as Dean of the Faculty of Geosciences. From 2019 to 2022, he was an elected member of the University of Bremen’s Academic Senate. He has held the position of Vice President for Research and Transfer at the University of Bremen since September 2022.