Warm welcome to Mercator’s new college masters

The first change at the top of Mercator College has taken place: Nicole Brauch and Vikram Unnithan assumed the college master position from the dedicated “pioneers” Mandy and Klaus Boehnke. For more than four years, the Boehnkes and their little son Philip have lived in Mercator College and helped to provide a “home away from home” for 177 students from 42 nations.

[ Feb 16, 2007]  Living in Mercator College meant: “50 months of personal growth, rewarding, demanding, and exhausting at the same time, all in all a great time for both of us,” say Mandy and Klaus Boehnke. They enjoyed this unique cultural experience. Klaus Boehnke stays on as Professor of Social Science Methodology at Jacobs University, whereas Mandy Boehnke now concentrates on her job as full-time Research Associate at Uni Bremen.

The new college masters Nicole Brauch and Vikram Unnithan are looking forward to college life: “We are looking forward towards a wonderful five years of close and intense contact with Meractor students and we hope to be able to provide them with a a pleasant and enjoyable time while staying with us,” said Nicole Brauch. Internationality is nothing new to this couple. After having lived for a few years in Ireland and the UK, Vikram Unnithan joined Jacobs University faculty in April 2004 as Professor of Geosciences. His wife Nicole followed him to Bremen in April 2006, she is currently writing her thesis on representation of women’s work in museums in the UK and Germany. While Nicole is from Southern Germany, Vikram is of Indian-Dutch descent. He was born in India and after his schooling there, spent most of academic career in Europe.

Jacobs University’s concept of residential colleges is still unique for German universities. All undergraduate students live together on campus in three colleges: Alfried Krupp College, Mercator College and College III. The colleges provide students with accommodation as well as a place to study and spend leisure time. Each college is headed by a Jacobs University professor and their partner who live in the college.