School of Medicine and Health Sciences founded

The University of Oldenburg has a new School: School V - School of Medicine and Health Sciences VI has been established with the appointment of the founding Dean's Office by the Presidential Board.

"This is a historic day that the University of Oldenburg has been waiting almost 41 years for," explains University President Prof Dr Babette Simon. The founding committee for the University of Oldenburg had already set up a "Planning Commission for Medicine" in 1971. However, the state government rejected the establishment of a School of Medicine for financial reasons at the time.

The Lower Saxony state parliament cleared the way for the current establishment of the School of Medicine and Health Sciences on 20 June: with an amendment to the Lower Saxony Higher Education Act (NHG), which creates the legal framework for the European Medical School Oldenburg-Groningen. The law came into force on 15 July.

The Presidential Board appointed Prof. Dr Eckhart Hahn, who had already been the founding dean since August last year, as the full-time dean of the new School. "The founding of the School of Medicine is one of the most important milestones on the way to the opening of the European Medical School in October," emphasises Hahn. Now the formal conditions have been created for first-class medical research and teaching to take root at the university.

In addition to the dean, the founding dean's office includes three vice deans: Prof. Dr Dr h. c. Hans-J. Appelrath (Health Services Research), Prof. Dr Reto Weiler (Neurosensory Science) and Prof. Dr med Hans-Rudolf Raab from the Oldenburg Clinic (Clinical Focus). The Dean of Studies is Prof Dr Djordje Lazovic (Pius Hospital Oldenburg).

The tasks of the Faculty Council - as stipulated by the NHG - will be carried out by the University Senate until 2015. Its decisions are based on the opinions of an advisory board, whose members are appointed by the Presidential Board.
The European Medical School Oldenburg-Groningen will be officially opened on 23 October. Lower Saxony's Minister President David McAllister will be among the guests.