The BTU has a new Chancellor

Following an application process and a public hearing in the University Senate, BTU President Prof. Gesine Grande has appointed Robert Nissen as Chancellor. As a member of the executive committee, the Chancellor heads the university’s central administration and is responsible for the budget.

Prof. Gesine Grande explains: “With Mr Nissen as our new Chancellor, our executive committee is now complete. I am very much looking forward to working with him and am convinced that we will benefit from his many years of experience in higher education management at universities in Berlin and Brandenburg. As a lawyer and with his experience in managing various administrative areas, he is ideally placed to contribute to the many major development tasks facing the BTU. Together with him, we will achieve our ambitious goals and take the BTU forward.”

Robert Nissen is looking forward to his new role at the BTU: “Lusatia is undergoing profound change and, in the process, is demonstrating impressive dynamism. The BTU Cottbus-Senftenberg is a key driving force behind this development and has the potential to play a decisive role in shaping the region’s future. I look forward to actively supporting this new chapter and, together with the staff, further developing an efficient, service-oriented and forward-looking administration that provides the best possible support for research, teaching and knowledge transfer. Open communication, mutual trust and a shared commitment to shaping the future are particularly important to me in this regard.”

About the individual
Robert Nissen, a native of Berlin, served as Chancellor at the European University Viadrina in Frankfurt (Oder) from March 2023 to October 2026. A lawyer by training, he completed his studies at the Free University (FU) of Berlin between 1994 and 1998. Following his legal training at the Berlin Court of Appeal, he passed the Second State Examination in Law in 2002. This was followed by roles as a research assistant in the German Bundestag, as personal adviser to the Vice President of the Free University of Berlin, and as deputy head of the Central Services division at the Free University. From 2009 to 2013, he was Head of Administration at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at the University of Technology (TU) of Berlin. At the same time, he completed a supplementary management programme at the Helmholtz Academy. From 2013 to 2016, he was Head of the Chancellor’s Office and, from 2016 to 2023, Head of the Admissions and Registrar’s Office at TU Berlin.

The aim of the university management is to turn the University Development Plan 2026–2030 into a binding work programme. By 2031, the BTU expects student numbers to rise to up to 8,400. Strengthening research excellence will be a key priority. In addition, there are opportunities and challenges arising from 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.