The BTU’s new executive committee begins its work at the start of the semester

Accordingly, BTU President Prof. Dr Gesine Grande will in future work alongside Prof. Dr Uwe Riedel, the full-time Vice-President for Research and Transfer, as well as continuing to work, as has been the established practice, with Prof. Dr Peer Schmidt as Vice-President for Studies and Teaching and Prof. Dr Wolfram Berger as Vice-President for Internationalisation. Orlando Robeck joins the team as Student Vice-President to represent students’ interests. Prof. Gesine Grande was reappointed to her second term by the Minister for Science, Dr Manja Schüle, on 14 September 2026. 

President Prof. Dr Gesine Grande on the new executive committee: “I am convinced that, with this executive committee, we have the best possible conditions to achieve the BTU’s highly ambitious goals and to strengthen the university both internally and externally. We will draw on our diverse expertise and perspectives to further advance the university as a centre of academic excellence – through excellent research, growing student numbers and greater visibility in national and international competition. The BTU has made great strides in recent years. We want to build on this together.”

Prof. Eike Albrecht, Chair of the BTU Senate, emphasises: “I am delighted with the successful election of the vice-presidents. It is a good sign that the university leadership is now fully operational at the start of the new academic year. The vice-presidents’ public presentations to the university community on their goals and ideas have convinced the Senate. We look forward to a successful collaboration with the new executive committee and to supporting the BTU together as it develops and raises its profile.”

New full-time Vice-President elected

Prof. Dr Uwe Riedel takes up the post of full-time Vice-President for Research and Knowledge Transfer. Commenting on his election, he said: “I would like to thank the BTU Senate and everyone involved for the trust they have placed in me. Being elected Vice-President is both an honour and a responsibility for me. My experience of establishing a research institute for the German Aerospace Centre (DLR) in Lusatia has shown just how important strong partnerships, scientific excellence and the integration of research, innovation and societal development are. I would like to bring this perspective to bear on the further development of our BTU.”

The physical chemist and combustion researcher was most recently a professor in the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Electrical and Energy Systems at the BTU and Director of the DLR Institute for Low-Carbon Industrial Processes in Cottbus and Zittau. Prof. Riedel brings to his new role experience in collaborative research, research management and technology transfer. 

Orlando Robeck is the new Student Vice-President. The 20-year-old is ona dual-track study programme in Civil Engineering. He is also actively involved in the student representative council and the faculty council of his Faculty of Architecture, Civil Engineering and Urban Planning – experience which he will bring to his new role. He says: “Student representation on the university management team has been in place here at the BTU for a year now. I consider the opportunity to bring students’ interests to the table and represent them in important decisions made by the university management to be very important. I am looking forward to the role and the responsibility.”

The Student Vice-President represents students’ interests in decisions made by the university management. He is elected by the Senate for a 12-month term after being nominated for the post by the Student Parliament.

Two Vice-Presidents re-elected

Prof. Dr Wolfram Berger has been re-elected as Vice-President for Internationalisation. He has held the Chair of Economics, in particular Macroeconomics, at the BTU for more than 15 years. He has been Vice-President for Internationalisation since January 2024. Prior to this, he spent a total of seven years at universities in France and England, including a role as Vice-President for Research and Academic Development at the ICN Business School in Nancy. His aim is to attract, integrate and retain international talent; to manage partnerships in an evidence-based manner; to strengthen the welcoming culture at the university and in the region; and to make international engagement a natural part of everyday student life and work.

Prof. Dr Peer Schmidt remains Vice-President for Studies and Teaching. The chemist heads the Inorganic Chemistry chair within the Faculty of Environment and Natural Sciences at the BTU. He has held the position of Vice-President on a part-time basis since December 2020. His research group conducts research into energy storage, low-temperature materials synthesis, high-temperature synthesis and crystal growth. In teaching, the focus is on Materials Chemistry. Among the achievements of his term in office to date are an increase in the number of first-year students, the digitisation of teaching, the refinement of degree programme profiles, and the establishment of the “Primary School Teacher Training” study programme at the Senftenberg campus. The overarching aim is to work together to further develop study programmes in such a way that students acquire the skills needed by the technology and society of tomorrow.

Outlook

The new university leadership is set to turn the 2026–2030 University Development Plan into a binding work programme. By 2031, the BTU expects student numbers to rise to as many as 8,400. Strengthening research excellence will be a key priority. Added to this are the opportunities and challenges presented by AI, collaboration within the Lausitz Science Network and with the Medical University of Lausitz – Carl Thiem, as well as the development and utilisation of the Lausitz Science Park to foster growth as a centre for science and innovation. The Cottbus and Senftenberg campuses are set to further raise their profile. With the new Chancellor, Robert Nissen, who will take up his post at BTU Cottbus-Senftenberg on 1 November 2026, the executive committee will once again be complete.