Investiture

On 3 July 2023, Mittweida University of Applied Sciences celebrated the inauguration of its new Rector, Professor Volker Tolkmitt. Many members of the Mittweida University of Applied Sciences community – from the fields of study, teaching, research and management – as well as numerous representatives from Saxon and international universities, the business sector and the political sphere, gathered that afternoon in the late-Gothic nave of the Protestant town church ‘Unser Lieben Frauen’.

The Chair of the University Council, Iris Firmenich, a member of the Saxon State Parliament, opened the ceremony and spoke of her first encounters with Tolkmitt’s predecessor, Professor Ludwig Hilmer, and with Tolkmitt himself. She first noticed him “as a dynamic economist with strong ties to the region”. During his time as Vice-Chancellor for Education, he “mastered the mammoth task of system accreditation with his team with flying colours, thereby setting an important course for the university’s future”.

In a reference to Professor Reinhard Schmidt, the university’s first rector following reunification, whose commitment to the university as a centre of learning led the Ministry of Science to coin the term ‘Schmidtweida’, Firmenich expressed his curiosity as to “whether people in Dresden will soon be talking about ‘Tolkmittweida’ as well”.

Sebastian Gemkow, Saxony’s Minister for Science, presided over Professor Volker Tolkmitt’s inauguration and offered his congratulations: “With your appointment, a new chapter has begun in the history of Mittweida University of Applied Sciences, which has been adapting to changing circumstances for more than 150 years through its spirit of innovation and inventiveness. I wish you every success and strength as you continue to shape the future of the university.”

In an interview with MDR, Gemkow went on to elaborate: “Mittweida is an enormously important university town – not only for Saxony, but also beyond the region, because Mittweida has developed an outstanding profile over the last few decades that fits perfectly with the times we live in. The issues that are of such great importance to our society are brought to life here.”

Before Professor Ludwig Hilmer handed over the chain of office to his successor, he looked back, speaking of the many people who had accompanied him in Mittweida since 1994 – as a professor, as Dean of Media Studies and, finally, as the youngest yet longest-serving Rector – including the ‘Club of Former Rectors’ with Reinhard Schmidt, Werner Totzauer and Lothar Otto, the ‘Rector’s Office as a living space’, the students and the top athletes, who ‘will always be close to my heart’, and finally the Lord Mayor and District Administrator: ‘We are the university town that everyone envies’. 

Events also leave their mark: “The 150th anniversary was the highlight of my professional life.” However, the “temporary structures” include not only the anniversary mirror tent in 2017, but also the testing and vaccination tent on campus during the coronavirus pandemic and the refugee accommodation in the Lothar-Otto Sports Hall in 2015 – all of which were defining events of his term of office between 2012 and 2023.

In his inaugural address, Rector Volker Tolkmitt emphasised, with regard to his predecessor, that his former mentor – the source of ideas and inspiration – had become his guide – and ultimately the person who had passed on the chain of office, and not merely in a symbolic sense. “Not only did you shape the university extremely successfully as the rector with the longest tenure, but you also left your mark on it in many ways over almost 30 years.”

Tolkmitt, who now serves as rector of the university, describes its ethos as its “DNA”: “Being curious about the future. Trying things out, and doing things differently from elsewhere. Thinking ahead: that’s what defines Mittweida University of Applied Sciences. That’s our DNA. It gives rise to ideas for new degree programmes. It fosters research and innovation. It creates a sense of community, even when things don’t work straight away.”

Earlier, keynote speaker Professor Marlies Mosiek-Müller had already attested to Mittweida University of Applied Sciences’ future viability on the basis of five key areas: internationalisation, sustainability, digitalisation, artificial intelligence and social skills. “The outcome of my five assessments can be briefly summarised as follows: Mittweida University of Applied Sciences is currently successful and well-positioned for the future, not least because it is prepared to constantly reinvent itself.”

Mosiek-Müller knows the university and its new rector well. The former Hessian Minister for Social Affairs and judge at the Federal Social Court served as chair of the University Council at Mittweida University of Applied Sciences from 2010 to 2020. She said: “As I have known Volker Tolkmitt for many years – and hold him in high regard for his friendly, open and youthful demeanour – I know that he is devoting, and will continue to devote, all his strength, energy and ambition to leading our university … towards a successful future.”

Samuel Frenzel, the new head of the Public Relations Department of the Mittweida University of Applied Sciences Students’ Union, began by talking about his own arrival in Mittweida, but then spoke on behalf of all students: “Everyone comes from somewhere and is heading somewhere, and each has their very own story to tell. Everyone is shaped by Mittweida and can continue to develop here. Naturally, this results in incredible diversity – lots of different opinions. But what everyone, or at least the majority of students in Mittweida, agrees on is that the Mittweida model is brilliant. Practical relevance, responsibility, community.”

Frenzel continued: “Here, you can get involved in things – be it the radio, TMM or the Media Forum – which make the theory tangible and understandable. … I’m grateful for that. … Mittweida University of Applied Sciences is something very special. It means a great deal to me personally because it has shown me the way.”

The ceremonial ‘accompanying music’ in the church held a few surprises: Frank Czrener, Professor of Law in Social Work, played the Ladegast-Jehmlich organ during the processions in and out, whilst also showcasing the town church’s new celesta. Thanks to his colleague Christian Schulz from the Faculty of Engineering Sciences, the celesta can also be played from the organ console using electronics developed at the university.

The event concluded on a completely different note – though also ‘made in Mittweida’ – with the ‘students’ gift’: A four-piece band performed the new Mittweida anthem, which was created as a parody of the party hit ‘Layla’ and has attracted nationwide attention as a declaration of love for the university town.

Volker Tolkmitt (55) has held the post of Rector of Mittweida University of Applied Sciences since 15 February 2023. The Extended Senate elected him by a large majority on 14 December 2022.

Prof. Dr. rer. oec. Volker Tolkmitt (55) studied economics and business administration at the Technical University of Berlin, where he obtained his doctorate at the Chair of International Economic Relations on the subject of European integration and financial markets. From 2000 to 2006, he was Head of the Banking Studies programme at the Saxony Vocational Academy, State Study Academy Leipzig. Since 2006, he has been teaching and conducting research as Professor of ‘General Business Administration, with a particular focus on Risk and Financial Management’ at Mittweida University of Applied Sciences, and served as Dean of the Faculty of Economics (now: Faculty Industrial Engineering) from 2009 to 2015. As Vice-Rector for Education and Deputy Rector, he has been a member of the university’s executive board since 2017.