Bremen's new Senator for the Environment, Climate, and Science, Henrike Müller, addressed a wide range of topics during her inaugural visit. The conversation covered everything from cutting-edge research and the importance of high-profile academic areas to the challenges of teacher training, the new transfer strategy, and internationalization. Senator Müller is very familiar with the University of Bremen as she studied Political Science there and also received her doctorate from the university.
Milestones Achieved by the University of Bremen to Date
During the conversation, University President Jutta Günther spoke about the milestones achieved during the University Executive Board's term of office to date. These included the university's new mission statement and sustainability strategy, as well as the reintroduction of the Sports degree program.
Another important step was the relocation of the Faculty of Law and other institutes to Forum at Domshof in the city center. This was a major undertaking for everyone involved, but one that was well worth the effort, as Jutta Günther emphasized: “The University of Bremen has found its place in the city center, which is very much in line with the new role of universities: moving away from the “ivory tower” and toward increased science communication in and with society. We would also like to make our mark in socio-political debates.”
Henrike Müller agreed with this vision of a university of the future: “I think it's great that the University of Bremen is getting involved in socio-political discussions. The university's move to the city center is very important in terms of how we integrate science into social discourse and reach people who rarely come into contact with a university.”
Excellence Proposal as Northwest Alliance
The meeting also focused on the federal and state governments' Excellence Strategy. Together with the University of Oldenburg, the University of Bremen is applying for the title of University Excellence Consortium. The two universities have entered the competition together as the Northwest Alliance. The decision will be made in October 2026.
The two universities already achieved historic success in the first part of the current Excellence Strategy: A total of four Clusters of Excellence will be based at the two universities for the next seven years – including the “The Ocean Floor” cluster, which is a joint research project.
Senator Henrike Müller pledged her full support to the Northwest Alliance for the next steps in the application process. All parties are looking forward to working together in the future.
