Celebratory farewell for the founding president of Rhine-Waal University of Applied Sciences

A celebratory farewell was held today on the Kleve Campus for Professor Dr. Marie-Louise Klotz, founding president of Rhine-Waal University of Applied Sciences.

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Kleve/Kamp-Lintfort, April 30, 2015: After six highly successful years in office, Thursday, the 30th of April marked the final day in office for Professor Dr. Marie-Louise Klotz, founding president of Rhine-Waal University of Applied Sciences. To commemorate and celebrate her time in office, an official farewell ceremony was held on the Kleve Campus, and was attended by students and staff of the university as well as countless guests from industry, science and politics.

The highest praise and recognition

“If Rhine-Waal University of Applied Sciences was and is associated with a single name and face in the time since its founding, then it is the name and face of Professor Marie-Louise Klotz. This is the inevitable result of having a founding president of her caliber: her constant efforts to promote people and issues, her nearly endless supply of energy, and her convictions, from which she drew her considerable persuasiveness – all of these formed the supporting bedrock for university through its establishing phase. I am convinced that we will continue to benefit extensively from her efforts long after she has left. For me, it is difficult to concentrate the full scope of my praise and thanks for her into this one single moment”, reminisced Professor Dr. Peter Scholz, Vice-President for Research and Development at Rhine-Waal University of Applied Sciences.

Undersecretary of the North Rhine-Westphalian Ministry for Innovation, Science and Research, Dr. Thomas Grünewald, relayed thanks and greetings from NRW Minister of Science Svenja Schulze for Prof. Dr. Klotz’s years of successful groundwork since the founding of the university in 2009. “The university is built upon a solid foundation. Not only did the university profit from her experience, her commitment and her expertise, but the entire region and the research landscape of NRW did as well”, stressed Dr. Grünewald, who referenced the impressive figures that the university can presently boast of: “Out of over 5,000 students, approximately a third of them, or close to 1,800 people, are international students with over 100 different nationalities. That is internationality in the flesh.”

Prof. Klotz, who gave a short impromptu speech at the end of the ceremony, spoke about how she was pleased and satisfied with the goals she achieved both here and abroad, giving Rhine-Waal University of Applied Sciences a special place in the landscape of universities of applied sciences in Germany. “The present state of Rhine-Waal University of Applied Sciences, after six years of growth and development, is the result of a successful, team-led process. I wish to thank all professors and staff in research, service and technology for their unparalleled efforts during the establishing phase of the university. I would also like to thank all of our partners and supporters from the spheres of industry, politics, business, society and media for their unparalleled and continued support.”

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