At today’s meeting of the Extended Academic Senate of the Berlin University of the Arts, Prof. Dr. Markus Hilgert was elected as the new President by a clear majority in the first round of voting.
Image above: Foto: Michel Buchmann.
“I am delighted with the trust placed in me with this election result. In the challenging times ahead, which are challenging in many respects, I can think of nothing more important than fighting in close alliance with the committees against any curtailment of freedom. As President of the UdK Berlin, the cohesion of the university will be a central concern of mine, and so I will strive for agile processes that are characterized by mutual appreciation,” said Prof. Dr. Markus Hilgert following the election.
Since 2018, Prof. Dr. Markus Hilgert has been the Executive Director and Secretary General of the Kulturstiftung der Länder. From 2014 to 2018, he was the Director of the Vorderasiatisches Museum at the Pergamon Museum of the Staatliche Museen zu Berlin – Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation. From 2007 to 2014, Hilgert was a Professor of Ancient Near Eastern Studies at Ruprecht-Karls-University Heidelberg. Hilgert has been actively engaged in the fields of science and culture for years, including serving as a board member of the German UNESCO Commission since 2018.
After the Academic Senate made a preliminary selection of the applications received, four candidates were up for election.
The current president, Prof. Dr. Norbert Palz, will complete his term on March 31, 2025. The candidate elected today will be appointed by the Senate of Berlin. They will assume office at the earliest opportunity, with a term of five years. The terms of Prof. Dr. Ariane Jeßulat and Prof. Dr. Rebekka Hüttmann, who have served as First Vice President and another Vice President during Prof. Dr. Palz’s presidency, will end with the departure of the president on March 31, 2025.
