The University Senate and the University Council have voted in favour of appointing University President Ralph Bruder for a second term of office ahead of schedule and without a call for applications. Bruder, an ergonomist, began his first, six-year term of office on 1 August 2021. The University Senate’s vote, together with the University Council’s statement, will now be submitted to the Lower Saxony Ministry of Science and Culture for the final decision.
“The re-election of Professor Bruder sends a strong signal for a university that has made excellent progress in recent years and aims to implement further bold plans in the future. The University Council sees in him an outstanding personality offering a convincing combination of academic excellence, innovative energy and social responsibility," said Felix Thalmann, Chair of the University Council. “The vote by the University Senate and University Council testifies to their confidence in Bruder’s high level of expertise and strategic foresight."
Bruder thanked both the University Senate and the University Council for their trust – and also expressed his gratitude to all those who work to advance the University of Oldenburg day after day in many different ways. “The positive progress of our university is largely due to the close collaboration and strong commitment of its employees and students. As part of this special team, I very much look forward to ensuring that the University of Oldenburg continues to raise its profile as an excellent university with a strong focus on social responsibility."
Bruder emphasised to the University Senate that he wants to use his second term to further enhance the international profile of the Northwest Alliance as a research and transfer area, within which the University of Oldenburg is a key player. “I am convinced that we can consolidate our successes and add to them,” said Bruder, adding that the university’s culture is equally important to him: “The University of Oldenburg is a place of mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and diverse openness – now and in the future,” he stressed.
In recent years, the University of Oldenburg has delivered impressive results attesting to its excellence in research, including the fact that the federal and state governments' 2025 Excellence Strategy funding programme approved all three of its Clusters of Excellence. “Bolstered by this success, we decided to jointly apply with the University of Bremen for the status of University Excellence Consortium – a unique opportunity in the history of the University of Oldenburg. Many people at both universities put a great deal of effort into the application process, including the proposal and the on-site visits. It makes me proud to see what we have already achieved – and what we could still achieve,” Bruder explained, with reference to the decision in the Universities of Excellence funding line, which will be announced in October.
Founded at the beginning of 2025, the Northwest Alliance comprises the universities of Oldenburg and Bremen, with the University of Groningen as a privileged partner, and is one of the milestones of Bruder's presidency to date. Firmly anchoring the university in the city and the region has been and continues to be one of his main objectives. In 2023, the university and the City of Oldenburg concluded a strategic cooperation agreement to intensify their long-standing collaboration and the coordination of their activities in areas such as climate neutrality and internationalisation.
Bruder emphasised that the university had always been able to count on the support of the city and the region, also in its efforts to secure University Medicine Oldenburg (UMO) on a permanent basis, which was recently crowned with success. As an example, he pointed out that since 2024 the state budget includes the additional funding needed to raise the intake of medical students to 200 per year and to finance the corresponding buildings and facilities.
Lower Saxony’s Minister for Science and Culture, Falko Mohrs, warmly congratulated Bruder on his re-election. “This clear vote is a convincing sign of confidence in his successful work. The University of Oldenburg has made outstanding progress in numerous areas in recent years, from the development of its medical school and its international networking within the Northwest Alliance to its bid for the title of University of Excellence,” said the Minister. “I am convinced that it will continue on this successful path under his strategic leadership and further raise its profile as a high-performing and internationally networked university."
