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On October 29, 2007, Jacobs University will celebrate its first Founders Day. The campus community – students, faculty, and staff – as well as Jacobs University’s Board of Governors are invited to participate in a presentation of the university’s scientific endeavors and reflect on its recently defined new research foci concerning major global challenges. The program includes a key note from Prof. Dr. Yehuda Elkana, President of the Central European University in Budapest, on the role of European universities in the 21st century, the panel discussion »Coping with Global Challenges: What Jacobs University Can Contribute«, and the bestowal of university awards.
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Oct
26, 2007]
“At least once per year, the university community should meet, not so much with the outside world, but amongst ourselves; to decide on our common goals, who we are, where we want to go,” says Joachim Treusch, President of Jacobs University, about the Founders Day, which is to be held as a yearly event from now on. “My hope,” he continues, “is that the day is used to mix between our two schools as well as the Jacobs Center, to mix between generations, and to mix between nations.”
Starting at 10 a. m., the morning program will see an address from Bremen Mayor Karoline Linnert, amongst others, President Treusch’s report on the progress of the university's scientific ambitions and the development of the university as a whole, as well as the key note address of Prof. Dr. Yehuda Elkana and the panel discussion on Jacobs University’s role in facing global challenges. Another major program part of the morning will be the awarding of the Max Kaase Fellowship and the Gerhard Haerendel Fellowship for outstanding bachelor students continuing their MA studies at Jacobs University, the Award of the DAAD (Deutscher Akademischer Austausch Dienst, German Academic Exchange Service) for outstanding academic and social achievement of foreign students at German universities, the President’s Awards for Community Involvement, as well as the certificates for the new members of the President’s List, which honors students of special academic achievement. Jacobs students will provide several musical interludes during the morning session. After the lunch reception afternoon lectures and lab tours are presented to the Board of Governors, but everyone, who is interested, is invited to accompany the Board. (For the full program please click HERE.)
This year’s first Founders Day almost exactly coincides with the 10th anniversary of the very first founding activities setting events into motion that would eventually create International University Bremen – or, as it is now known, Jacobs University: In October 1997, two men had a telephone conversation for a first exchange of ideas: Prof. Dr. Raymond Wells of Rice University and Prof. Dr. Heinz-Otto Peitgen of the University of Bremen and member of the founding circle of Bremen scientist and politicians. At this point nothing else existed but the ambitious idea to set up a private international university in the heart of Europe, which strives for excellence in research and teaching in a broad range of fields and educates an elite of responsibility, regardless of the social, national, and financial background of the students. While this telephone conversation can be regarded as a kind of founding moment, the university owes its existence and success to a great number of dedicated persons around the world, and many steps and events followed to boost Jacobs University into the institution of renown it is today.
(For a brief history overview please click HERE.)
The upcoming Founders Day therefore is dedicated to all those who have helped to develop the university. Around 1500 guests have been invited, besides the campus community also “all those, who have a certain right to call themselves founders” - according to President Treusch - as the day aims to celebrate the “spiritual founding” of the university. Among these guests will be Founding President Fritz Schaumann and former Rice University President Malcolm Gillis.
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Key Note Speaker Yehuda Elkana |
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A renowned scientist in the fields of Philosophy of Science and History of Science, Prof. Elkana earned a first-rate reputation teaching at some of the world's best universities, including Harvard University, the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and ETH Zurich. He became the rector and president of the Central European University of Budapest, Hungary, in 1999 and has been a member of various scientific advisory boards such as the the Collegium Helveticum. He has been a permanent fellow of the Institute for Advanced Study in Berlin since 1978 an is a corresponding fellow of the International Academy for History of Science. He also is the Founder and editor of the journal Science in Context.
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