Rhine-Waal awards honorary professorship

Kleve/Kamp-Lintfort, January 26, 2015: In recognition of his outstanding achievements in the field of biomimetics, the Faculty of Technology and Bionics of Rhine-Waal University of Applied Sciences has awarded its first Honorary Professorship to Professor Julian Vincent, who currently teaches Ontology in Biomimetics and Biomimetic Product Design at the faculty.

Prof Vincent is an internationally-renowned researcher in the field of biomimetics, who holds numerous biomimetic-related patents and has received accolades for his work from universities and research organisations around the world. He is widely considered to be a pioneer of the field; in 1991 at the University of Reading, for example, Prof Vincent – then in the Department of Zoology – and Professor George Jeronimidis of the university’s Department of Engineering set up the first Centre for Biomimetics in the world. The successful research centre, with 60% industry funding and 15 researchers and support staff, produced many research papers over a wide range of subjects.

As a respected expert in the field of biomimetics, Prof Vincent has given countless international research presentations, is a member of several research groups and has published a large number of research papers. “The complementary collaboration of universities and business, of students, professors and industrialists, has long been and remains my most important objective. My goal is to ensure that students graduate with a broad academic background and the practical and future-oriented competencies that will give them a strong start in their careers”, says Prof Vincent.

Prof Vincent is currently in his third semester of teaching at Rhine-Waal University of Applied Sciences and has played an important role in developing the university’s Bionics/Biomimetics, M.Sc. programme. “The field of biomimetics is a central theme in almost all of the degree programmes offered by the Faculty of Technology and Bionics. We are delighted to welcome to the faculty, in the person of Prof Vincent, an excellent research and teacher who can communicate with passion the knowledge and interdisciplinary challenges of this field”, says Prof Thorsten Brandt, Dean of the Faculty of Technology and Bionics.

Prof Marie-Louise Klotz, President of Rhine-Waal University of Applied Sciences, formally awarded the Honorary Professorship to Prof Vincent at a ceremony held at the university. The ceremony's laudatory speech was delivered by Prof Brandt.

Photo caption:

(from left to right): Prof Dr William Megill, Professor for Bionics with a focus on Sensory Systems and Robotics; Prof Dr Julian Vincent, Honorary Professor of Rhine-Waal University of Applied Sciences; Prof Dr Marie-Louise Klotz, University President; Prof Dr-Ing Thorsten Brandt, Dean of the Faculty of Technology and Bionics