At the inaugural meeting of the new Senate of Rhine-Waal University of Applied Sciences, Professor Dr Achim Kehrein was re-elected as Chair. The Senate members present elected Jana Wirtgen, a student at the Faculty of Society and Economics, as Deputy Chair.
The inaugural meeting of the new Senate of Rhine-Waal University of Applied Sciences took place on the Kleve campus under unusual circumstances. Owing to social distancing rules, the hygiene plan drawn up in advance meant that only a limited number of participants were permitted, even in the main lecture theatre. Guests were therefore unable to attend. Entry to and exit from the building were strictly regulated; to cast their votes, the senators had to follow designated routes. During the meeting, Professor Dr Achim Kehrein was re-elected as Chair. The Senate elected student Jana Wirtgen as Vice-Chair. “I am delighted by this renewed vote of confidence from the Senate members. Ms Wirtgen and I will do our utmost to support our university, particularly in these challenging times,” said Professor Kehrein.
The professor of Applied Mathematics at the Faculty of Technology and Bionics has served as an elected representative for the academic staff group since the Senate’s inception. Born in Goch, Professor Kehrein has strong ties to the region whilst also possessing international experience. After studying mathematics with a minor in physics at the University of Duisburg – including a one-year Erasmus placement at the Catholic University of Leuven in Belgium – he spent three years working towards his PhD at Auburn University in the USA. He subsequently held posts at, amongst others, the University of Hohenheim in Stuttgart, Dortmund Technical University and Wildau Technical University before returning to his home region in 2011 following his appointment at Rhine-Waal University of Applied Sciences.
Alongside his role as a professor, he is a liaison lecturer for the German National Academic Foundation and a voluntary lecturer at the annual summer academy organised by the North Rhine-Westphalia State Association for Mathematics Competitions in Kranenburg (www.soak-nrw.de). He is also involved in a partnership between the university and Goch Grammar School, through which pupils take part as junior students in the university’s lectures and examinations.
Jana Wirtgen, born in Dinslaken, has been studying International Relations at the Faculty of Society and Economics since the 2018/2019 winter semester. Since March 2019, she has been working as a student assistant in the faculty’s international office and, since December 2019, has been chair of the student council. She is a student member of the faculty’s Commission on Decentralised Quality Improvement Funds and the Senate’s Commission on Planning and Structure. In addition, Wirtgen is involved in the UNICEF university group and the Fairtrade university group.
