Handover of Chain of Office Rounds Off Change at Top of TU Dortmund University

With the highly symbolic act of handing over the chain of office, the new President of TU Dortmund University, Professor Manfred Bayer, was officially instated on Thursday, 8 October 2020, and Professor Ursula Gather was ceremoniously bid farewell after 12 years in office as rector. Isabel Pfeiffer-Poensgen, Minister of Culture and Science of the German State of North Rhine-Westphalia, acknowledged her services to TU Dortmund University, the Ruhr Science Region and the universities in NRW.

“Professor Ursula Gather took on a lot of responsibility: As rector for many years, she has further developed TU Dortmund University and sharpened its profile; she has also been responsible for the State Rectors’ Conference, on whose behalf she represented the interests of science towards regional politics very efficiently over a long period. And finally, she took on responsibility for Dortmund as a location for science and research through intensive dialog with urban society and the business community. On behalf of the regional government, I thank her most sincerely for her tremendous dedication,” said the minister in her address. “With Professor Bayer, an equally acclaimed academic is now taking over the office of President. I wish him every success in his new role and look forward to working together with him.”

A woman standing at a lectern. — Welcome address by Isabel Pfeiffer-Poensgen, Minister of Culture and Science of the German State of North Rhine-Westphalia, at the handing over of the chain of office.

Because of the coronavirus crisis, the handing over of the chain of office took place in a small circle: About 80 guests sat a long distance apart in the rows of the Main Lecture Hall, among them the members of the University Elective Assembly, the deans of the seventeen faculties as well as the members of the old and the new rectorate. Also present were four former rectors: Professor Erich te Kaat (1976-1978), Professor Paul Velsinger (1978-1990), Professor Detlef Müller-Böling (1990-1994) and Professor Eberhard Becker (2002-2008), who had handed over the chain of office to Professor Ursula Gather.

“Delight in new ideas, tenacity and enthusiasm”

“Why would anyone burden themselves with such an office?” asked Professor Ernst Rank, long-standing chairman of the University Council of TU Dortmund University, in his welcome address: “To organize hundreds of rectorate meetings with thousands of items on the agenda you need creative drive alongside moderating skills as well as special commitment towards the institution,” he said. “Thank you, dear Ursula, for filling this office for twelve years with your delight in new ideas and your tenacity as well as with enthusiasm for ‘your’ university.” That TU Dortmund University has now once more been able to recruit a top researcher from among its own ranks for this office in the shape of Manfred Bayer was a stroke of luck, he added.

Professor Ursula Gather had already handed over the official duties to her successor on 1 September 2020. At her official farewell, she expressed the gratitude with which she looked back at the past twelve years, also mentioning both the situation in the world as well as regional politics and university life: “I’m grateful that I was able to work as a scientist in an international community. Grateful for national, regional and civic support for Dortmund as a scientific location. Grateful for trusting cooperation with the committees at our university,” she said. That is why she was happy to pass on the praise for past successes and ended her speech with the words: “It was teamwork!”

Resounding applause for many accomplishments

TU members and guests in the audience expressed their appreciation for this teamwork with resounding applause. After all, these joint successes include, among others, a place in the Excellence Initiative, a transparent budgeting model for the faculties, the approval of a new building for the Central Library, Dortmund’s “Masterplan Science”, the regaining of university autonomy and – not least – successful crisis management in the coronavirus semester of 2020.

Professor Ursula Gather hands new President Professor Manfred Bayer the chain of office. They both stand on a stage. — Professor Ursula Gather hands new President Professor Manfred Bayer the chain of office.

Professor Ursula Gather then handed over the chain of office to Professor Manfred Bayer at a fitting distance – the new President had to put it round his neck himself due to the coronavirus restrictions. “With its 52 years, TU Dortmund University is still a young university that offers many opportunities for further development,” he said. “I’m taking over a neat and tidy house, and with my work I can build on a solid foundation built over the past years. My thanks go to Ursula Gather and her team.”

“It’s decided on the pitch”

What matters now, he said, is to continue this successful work in the long term and to further advance the university by setting new highlights. In Professor Bayer’s view, the university has long been a “flagship” for Dortmund as a location for science and research; his goal now, among others, is to further accentuate its excellent work in research and teaching at international level too. “Science and research are the basis and benchmark for all our work,” said Bayer, “because, after all, it’s decided on the pitch.”

In the closing words, Professor Lorenz Schwachhöfer, Chairman of the Senate, joined in the thanks on behalf of the entire senate. Himself Professor Bayer’s successor in this capacity, he wished his long-standing companion many successful years at the university: “Anyone who has experienced how Professor Bayer fielded topics and solved problems as chairman of the senate knows that choosing him for the office of President was a good decision. We wish him the same skillful touch in his new role as he demonstrated as spokesman for the senate.”

Model of the Math Tower as a leaving present

As a memento of her work at TU Dortmund University, Professor Gather was given a model of the Math Tower as a gift: As professor at the Faculty of Statistics, she had her office there for 22 years. As rector, she had the TU logo installed on the roof ten years ago, so that the highest building on the campus is meanwhile a kind of landmark in the region. Together with “Jazz in Opera”, bass-baritone Morgan Moody from Dortmund Opera House serenaded her on the stage – naturally at a minimum distance of over four meters from the first row of the lecture hall.

Professor Ursula Gather and Professor Manfred Bayer innext to a model of the math building of TU Dortmund University. — Professor Ursula Gather, former rector of TU Dortmund University, with her successor Professor Manfred Bayer in front of a model of the math building of TU Dortmund University.

Impressions of the Handover of Chain of Office

The ceremonial handing over of the chain of office took place on October 8 in the Audimax.
Prof. Ernst Rank, long-time Chairman of the University Council of the TU Dortmund, welcomed those present.
The handing over of the chain of office was accompanied by music.
Prof. Ursula Gather, ehemalige Rektorin der TU Dortmund, blickte mit Dankbarkeit auf die vergangenen zwölf Amtsjahre zurück.
Den Coronabedingungen entsprechend legte sich Prof. Manfred Bayer die Amtskette selbst um.
Prof. Ernst Rank überreichte Prof. Ursula Gather ein Fotobuch.
Prof. Ursula Gather erhielt ein Modell des Mathetowers.
Prof. Manfred Bayer möchte als Rektor die erfolgreiche Arbeit des bisherigen Rektorats fortsetzen und weitere Akzente setzen.
Der anschließende Sektempfang fand coronabedingt mit genügend Abstand statt.
Rektor Prof. Manfred Bayer (2.v.l.) mit seiner Amtsvorgängerin Prof. Ursula Gather, Prof. Ernst Rank, Hochschulratsvorsitzender, und Prof. Lorenz Schwachhöfer, Senatsvorsitzender (v.l.).