Jacobs University Celebrates Founders Day 2008

Jacobs University celebrated its second Founders Day yesterday. The day began with a poster competition in the morning about the university's study and research focus "Waterfront Megacities", which will be presented at the Expo 2010 in Shanghai. Founders Day continued with the annual ceremony and awards presentation in the Campus Center. The evening's Founders Day Ball concluded the day's events. Special guests of the day were the Jacobs Foundation's Board of Governors, who held their annual meeting and dinner on campus.

[ Oct 28, 2008] 

Print - Web Dr. Max Kaase, Max Kaase Fellowship winner Martin Palovic, President Joachim Treusch, Dr. Gerhard Haerendel, Gerhard Haerendel Fellowship winner Constantin Jucovschi.		Print - Web Dr. Max Kaase, Max Kaase Fellowship winner Martin Palovic, President Joachim Treusch.		Print - Web Dr. Max Kaase, Max Kaase Fellowship winner Martin Palovic, President Joachim Treusch, Gerhard Haerendel Fellowship winner Constantin Jucovschi, Dr. Gerhard Haerendel.
Print - Web Dr. Ronald Wells, Claus Halle Scholarship winner Jessica Ice, President Joachim Treusch.		Print - Web Dr. Karin Lochte, DAAD Award winner Taylor Hartrick, President Joachim Treusch.		Print - Web Jan Eichhorn, President Undergraduate Student Parliament and Stefan Anca, SES Secretary General, Graduate Students Association.
The note "© Jacobs University Bremen" must be included when a picture is used.

"At least once a year, the university community gathers to review the past year, who we are, and where we want to go," said university president Prof. Dr. Joachim Treusch about Founders Day. "Founders Day also pays tribute to all the dedicated people who have helped the university into existence and those who continue to contribute to its present success."

This year's welcome addresses was made by Ralf Nagel, Bremen Senator for Economic Affairs and Ports, and by Dr. Christian Jacobs, Chairman of the Jacobs Foundation, Zurich.

In his president's address, Joachim Treusch reported on the progress of the university's scientific ambitions and the development of the university as a whole.

The keynote address "The Many Faces of Global Climate Change" was given by Prof. Dr. Karin Lochte, Director of the Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research Chair Jacobs University's Board of Governors.

The faculty address, "Global Challenges From Bremen to Shanghai" was made by Prof. Dr. Michael Bau, Professor of Geoscience together with Prof. Dr. Matthijs Bogaards, Professor of Political Science.

The annual student address "Drifting Or Steering Through Jacobs University?" was made by Jan Eichhorn, President Undergraduate Student Parliament and Stefan Anca, SES Secretary General, Graduate Students Association.

Another highlight of Founders Day was the bestowal of university awards:

The Gerhard Haerendel Fellowship awarded to Constantin Jucovschi and the Max Kaase Fellowship awarded to Martin Palovic for outstanding bachelor students continuing their MA studies at Jacobs University, the Award of the DAAD (Deutscher Akademischer Austausch Dienst, German Academic Exchange Service) awarded to Taylor Hartrick for outstanding academic and social achievement of foreign students at German universities, the Claus Halle Scholarship awarded to Jessica Ice for an outstanding American student, the President’s Award for Community Involvement awarded to Amina Özelsel, and the Bunsen Bücherpreis awarded to Khadga Karki (Bunsen Book award) by the German Bunsen Society for Physical Chemistry for an outstanding physical chemistry master thesis.

Moreover, the winner of the poster competition, who will be part of Jacobs University's representative delegation at the Expo 2010 in Shanghai, was announced.

Music was provided by Jacobs University students and faculty. A reception followed the ceremony.

Overview of important dates in Jacobs University’s history 1997 - First exchange of ideas between representatives of Rice University, University of Bremen and Bremen State 1999 - Founding as International University Bremen and state approval 2000 - Start of the conversion of the 30-hectare premises of former Roland Barracks into a university campus 2001 - Accredited by German Science and Humanities Council - Positively assessed by Donors’ Association for the Promotion of Science and Humanities in Germany - Start of academic activity with about 130 freshmen 2004 - Bologna accreditation of all Bachelor programs - Graduation of the first class 2005 - Inauguration of the second laboratory complex fort the natural sciences and the loboratories for social and behavioural sciences 2006 - Winner of the national Key Qualifications plus competition of the Mercator Foundation and the Donors’ Association for the Promotion of Science and Humanities in Germany - The university receives a 200 Millionen-euro donation from the Swiss Jacobs Foundation 2007 - International University Bremen changes its name into Jacobs University Bremen 2008 - Reaccreditation by German Science and Humanities Council for the next 10 years - The campus community mourns the passing of patron Klaus J. Jacobs Currently 1204 students, 681undergraduates and 523 graduates, from 93 nations study at Jacobs University in almost 40 different study programs. They are taught by 113 professors plus additional 164 research staff members.