DAAD General Assembly elects new Executive Committee and new Board of Trustees for the 2012-2015 term of office

Bonn, 21.6.2011. The President of the German Rectors’ Conference (”Hochschulrektorenkonferenz” – HRK), Professor Dr. Margret Wintermantel, is to be the new President of the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) as of 1st January 2012. The new Vice-President will be the President of Justus Liebig University of Gießen, Professor Dr. Joybrato Mukherjee. Margret Wintermantel and Joybrato Mukherjee were elected by a large majority of the representatives of all 235 member higher education institutions and 125 member student bodies of the DAAD at their General Assembly in Bonn. Since Sabine Kunst stepped down in February 2011, having been appointed Brandenburg’s Minister of Higher Education and Research, long-standing Vice-President Prof. Dr. Max G. Huber has carried on with official duties. With Wintermantel’s election, a woman will be heading the largest academic exchange organisation world-wide for the second time.

Prof.Dr. Margret WINTERMANTEL

Margret Wintermantel studied psychology and publishing at Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz from 1966 to 1970. In 1972, she first did her Dr. rer. nat. in psychology. Afterwards, she completed her “Habilitation” (German qualification for a university lecturer) in psychology at the University of Heidelberg in 1986. Before being elected HRK President in March 2006, Wintermantel had already been HRK Vice-President for Research and Junior Scientists and Scholars and, from 2000 to 2006, President of the University of the Saar. She is also a member of numerous national and international bodies.

Prof. Dr. Joybrato MUKHERJEE

Prof. Joybrato Mukherjee studied English language and literature, biology and education science at RWTH Aachen from 1992 to 1997. In 2000, he did his doctorate in English linguistics at the University of Bonn and completed his “Habilitation” in English philology in 2003. Before Mukherjee, who was 36 years old at the time, became President of the University of Gießen in December 2009, he had already been Vice Dean of the Department of Languages, Literature and Culture there from 2004 to 2008 and First Vice-President from 2008 to 2009.

The General Assembly also elected 12 further members of the Executive Committee, including three student representatives, who start their term on the 1st January 2012, too.