Even the small roll-ups, which added a splash of colour as promotional displays on the tables in the Prinz-Moritz-Saal at the Kleve District Administration, were intended to give an initial indication of the particularly favourable timing. “Endowed Chair in Sustainable Land Use Systems” was the key message on them, beneath which appeared ten names – the individuals who, over the past few days, have come forward as the initiators and sponsors of what is now the second endowed chair at Rhine-Waal University of Applied Sciences (HSRW). Listed in alphabetical order were:
- Architect Wilmsen
- Friends of Rhine-Waal University of Applied Sciences – Cleve Campus e.V.
- Karl and Maria Kisters Foundation
- Katjes Fassin GmbH + Co. KG
- Landgard Foundation
- MERA Pet Food GmbH
- PROBAT-Werke von Gimborn Maschinenfabrik GmbH
- Rhein-Maas Savings Bank
- Kleve District Economic Development Agency GmbH in association with Sparkassen and Volksbanken
- ZEVENS Foundation
“From now on, they will all jointly cover the costs of this ‘Endowed Chair in Sustainable Land Use Systems’ for a period of five years,” said District Administrator Silke Gorißen, expressing her delight. “The endowed professorship will then be incorporated into the budget of Rhein-Waal University of Applied Sciences,” the District Administrator said, citing preliminary discussions with the President of Rhein-Waal University of Applied Sciences, Dr Oliver Locker-Grütjen, and his Deputy, Professor Dr Peter Kisters. According to Gorißen, the latter was the first person in the district to be accorded this special honour when the university, which is still in its infancy, was first established. Now, thanks to the efforts of all those involved, it is possible to fulfil the President’s proposal and wish to establish the second endowed professorship.
“I am extremely grateful to everyone involved for enabling us to secure such a professorship in our region, which is characterised by both agriculture and the food industry. Not least, the sponsoring partners are likely to have found their motivation for getting involved right here,” remarked Silke Gorißen in the presence of representatives from companies and associations, as well as the friends and supporters of this project.
The President of Rhine-Waal University of Applied Sciences, Dr Oliver Locker-Grütjen, appeared visibly pleased that morning. Together with Hans-Josef Kuypers, the managing director of the Kleve District Economic Development Agency and the Friends of Rhine-Waal University of Applied Sciences – Cleve Campus e.V., they had approached local businesses and had “found doors open everywhere to this proposal”. Around one million euros were needed to get the project off the ground. Of this, 750,000 euros were to be contributed by private third parties. “We were able to get this off the ground in just a few months together with the Kleve District Economic Development Agency,” said the university president, who provided further background to the project:
The need for the agricultural sector to transform is growing. Environmental and sustainability considerations are playing an ever-greater role and must be taken into account. At the same time, demand is rising for renewable, biogenic raw materials for use in energy generation and other purposes. According to Locker-Grütjen, the Lower Rhine region could play a pioneering role in this structural change – not least with the support of scientific expertise from the “Endowed Chair in Sustainable Land Use Systems”. The president continued: “The Lower Rhine is one of Germany’s leading vegetable-growing regions and, together with the Netherlands, forms one of the largest and highest-quality horticultural regions in the heart of Europe. Agriculture and the processing sector are of outstanding importance to the region. Food production and its marketing are a key economic factor; when it comes to marketing and further processing, the region is well positioned thanks to Landgard and many other companies. Alongside horticulture, the focus is on arable farming and livestock production. To meet the challenges of structural change and transformation, innovative approaches must be developed and implemented. In this regard, the region demonstrated its determination and entrepreneurial initiative in times of crisis as early as the early 20th century, with the founding of the Straelen Fruit and Horticultural Association and the establishment of the first auction – the forerunner of today’s marketing structures – to create new prospects for the regional agricultural and food industries. “In the current situation, too, new, sustainable value chains are needed alongside innovative technologies,” said the President.
That morning, District Economic Development Officer Hans-Josef Kuypers noted that the close and substantial collaboration over the years between the District of Kleve, the Kleve District Economic Development Agency and the Campus Cleve Support Association had once again borne fruit. The Campus Cleve Support Association, in particular, now faces the specific challenge of coordinating the partners’ funding and thereby securing the financing for this challenging project. To this end, Mr Kuypers expressed his particular thanks to Peter Wack, chairman of the association, which has 300 members, as well as to Wilfried Röth, treasurer of Campus Cleve, and Volker Wein, a board member of Campus Cleve e.V..
“This is now the second time that the Friends of Rhein-Waal University of Applied Sciences – Campus Cleve e.V. has faced such a challenge. I am delighted that the full board has given us its wholehearted approval – indeed, its enthusiasm – for taking the university site forward in this way,” said the outgoing Campus Cleve chairman, Peter Wack. According to the lawyer, this endowed chair is the right step at the right time.
The university’s president has no doubts about this either. Speaking at the district administration building, Dr Locker-Grütjen summarised the significant benefits of the endowed professorship – which are already evident today – as follows:
“Rhein-Waal University of Applied Sciences has particularly high expectations of the endowed professorship’s contribution to shaping its own profile, to the development of the university’s first research priority and – like the sponsors – to fostering collaborative relationships between academia and industry. With the endowed professorship, HSRW can respond more quickly and flexibly to new developments. Rhein-Waal University of Applied Sciences also benefits in many ways from the associated cooperation with businesses. The practical relevance of research increases; the university can establish or further develop innovative subjects and tap into new areas of research. In particular, the career prospects of HSRW students can be enhanced through close contact with the business sector, as they are able to gain practical experience at an early stage and make themselves known to potential employers. Through all this, the university can set new priorities and sharpen its profile. This makes it more attractive in the competition for academics and students. This is also taking place in the run-up to the recent accolade awarded as part of the BMBF’s ‘Innovative University’ competition, which recognised the university’s ‘sustainable transformation’ project,” said the President.
The appointment process has begun and the appointment committee has already been set up, said Dr Locker-Grütjen as the meeting with the sponsors at the district administration building drew to a close.
