To mark the anniversary, the university welcomed numerous companions, representatives from politics and business as well as committed donors. As part of the celebrations, Gert Wölfel, founding member and long-standing Chairman of the Board of the Foundation, retired from his position. He will be succeeded by Dr. Bernd Waffler, who previously served as Deputy Chairman. Wölfel spent a quarter of a century building bridges between the university and industry, students and sponsors. In his speech, Prof. Dr. Ralph Schneider, President of OTH Regensburg, paid tribute to Wölfel's tireless commitment: "You not only co-founded the foundation, but also shaped it with passion and foresight. I would like to thank you from the bottom of my heart on behalf of the entire university."
A new chapter for the foundation
President Schneider emphasized the importance of the foundation for the university: "Your commitment makes our university vibrant, efficient and future-oriented. The Foundation makes a decisive contribution to ensuring that our university remains a place of excellence, equal opportunities and shaping the future."
"The Foundation has always been a matter close to my heart. The success and growth of the past 25 years show what is possible when people work together towards a common goal. I am grateful for the trust and support of all our partners and am delighted to now hand over responsibility to the capable hands of Dr. Waffler," explained Gert Wölfel on the occasion of his farewell.
Dr. Bernd Waffler, who is taking over the position, looks to the future with confidence: "The foundation has achieved a great deal over the last 25 years - now it is time to continue this success story and provide new impetus. I am very much looking forward to this task and to working with our donors." In a laudatory speech, he paid tribute to Gert Wölfel's drive, energy and idealism. The guests present showed their respect for Wölfel's great achievement with a standing ovation. Dr. Waffler explained how he would like to develop the foundation further: "We want to make the foundation even better known in the East Bavarian SME sector and also involve the healthcare sector as well as finance and business administration more closely. To this end, we will expand the Board of Directors to three people."
Joe Kaeser praises cooperation between OTH Regensburg and industry
A highlight of the event was the keynote speech by Joe Kaeser, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Siemens Energy AG and alumnus of OTH Regensburg. In his lecture on “The transformation of an industrial conglomerate using Siemens as an example”, Kaeser highlighted the challenges and opportunities of industrial change. Kaeser recalled his time at Regensburg University of Applied Sciences and how much had changed since then. He attributes the entrepreneurial success he achieved at Siemens to the credo “What does my company offer society?”. Kaeser praised the cooperation between the university and industry as a “decisive success factor for innovation and progress.” Offers such as dual study programs are key factors in connecting bright minds and companies at an early stage.
Jörg Recklies, Senior Vice President at Infineon Technologies, the evening's moderator and Chairman of the Foundation's Board of Trustees, also made this point: "The foundation is a strong foundation for the future of OTH Regensburg. Together with our partners, we want to continue to promote young talent and drive innovation."
A success story with a future
The Foundation for the Promotion of OTH Regensburg was established in 2000 by OBAG AG (now Bayernwerk AG), KRONES AG, Maschinenfabrik Reinhausen GmbH and REWAG KG. Since then, more than 150 donors have joined to support students, research projects and international cooperation. The foundation's assets now amount to 1.4 million euros.
The foundation's funds are used to award scholarships, provide financial and content-related support for doctorates and regularly award prizes: Every year, the best graduate is awarded 1500 euros and an outstanding doctorate is awarded 2000 euros. Every two years, the prize for good teaching, endowed with 3000 euros, and the prize for special achievements in cooperation between business and science are awarded. In addition, the foundation promotes contacts with foreign universities, particularly in Central and Eastern European countries, supports individual events and conferences as well as activities in the areas of marketing and public relations. It is also involved in the Germany Scholarship. In order to enable foreign students to spend time at OTH Regensburg or do an internship, the foundation has also awarded over 300 scholarships since its inception.
In addition to members of the founding companies, the foundation's board of trustees includes representatives of the BMW Group, Siemens AG, DV Plan GmbH, Continental Automotive GmbH and Infineon Technologies AG. Joerg Recklies is the Chairman of the Board of Trustees.
