The University Council of Universität Karlsruhe has two new members: Ministerial Governor Bärbel Brumme-Bothe and Professor Dr. Hubertus Christ. Both belong to the supervisory board of the Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe. On the way to fusioning in the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Universität and Forschungszentrum thus intensify their cooperation. In this new formation, the University Council will work up to September 30, 2009. Its chairman is Professor Troe.
 
The council is an executive body which consults, plans and supervises. It makes decisions about the plans for structure and development at the university and oversees the administration of the Office of the President. It also suggests measures which will enhance the university's profile and increase its competitive advantage and performance.

The Council shares the responsibility for the University's development with the Senate and the Office of the President. The members of the Council are internationally renowned representatives from industry, law and science.

The members of the University Council

Professor Jean-Claude Badoux, who was born in 1935, is president of the Swiss Network for Innovation and former dean of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne. He previously served as a professor of civil engineering at the University of California in Davis and the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne. He has overseen numerous projects in the industry and been responsible for several tasks in international committees.

Bärbel Brumme-Bothe, who was born in 1954, Ministerial Governor and Head of Section 7, Precaution for the Future – Research for Culture, Fundamentals and Sustainability, of the Federal Ministry of Education and Research, is chairwoman of the Supervisory Board of the Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe. Furthermore, she presides supervisory boards of several Helmholtz Centers (Forschungszentrum Jülich, Alfred-Wegener-Institut für Polar- und Meeresforschung, Helmholtz Zentrum Potsdam – Deutsches Geoforschungszentrum, Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron).

Professor Dr. Hubertus Christ, who was born in 1936, chairman of the German Confederation of Technical and Scientific Associations (DVT) and member of the Supervisory Board of the Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe, got his diploma in Mechanical Engineering, his Ph.d. and his State doctorate at the Universität Karlsruhe. Christ has been Technical Director of the ZF Friedrichshafen AG, member in several supervisory boards and President of the Association of German Engineers (VDI).

Hans Fahr, who was born in 1949, holds degrees from the Technical University of Munich (mechanical engineering) and the University of St. Gallen (business).

Dr. Christine Hohmann-Dennhardt, who was born in 1950, is a judge at the federal constitutional court and received her doctorate in law in 1979. In the early 1990s she became the city of Frankfurt's representative for social welfare, youth and housing. She was the Hesse Minister of Justice until 1995 and then served as the Hesse Minister of Science and Art until 1999.

Roland Mack, who was born in 1949, is the founder, CEO and stakeholder of Europa-Parks Rust and a stakeholder of Heinrich Mack GmbH & Co. He is an alumnus of Universität Karlsruhe. He earned his degree at the faculty of mechanical engineering. He was awarded the German Presidential Service Medal of Honor and was dubbed a knight of the French Ordre National du Merité.

Dr. Wolfgang Müller, who was born in 1957, is the chairman of the executive board of the BB Bank eG; he is also a Universität Karlsruhe graduate. He received a graduate degree in business engineering and completed his doctorate in 1991. He then held a variety of posts, most recently as the deputy director, at SGZ Bank in Frankfurt before joining the BB Bank in 1999.

Stefan Quandt was born in 1966; he is an independent entrepreneur and the deputy chairman of the BMW AG supervisory board.  He studied business engineering at Universität Karlsruhe from 1987 to 1993.

Professor Dr. Jürgen Troe, who was born in 1940, is the chair of Physical Chemistry I at the Institute of Physical Chemistry at the University of Göttingen and one of the directors of the Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry in Göttingen. Previously he also served as a professor at Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne. He was a member of the German scientific council Wissenschaftsrat for many years.

Dr. Dieter Zetsche, who was born in 1953, is chairman of the board of management of Daimler AG and head of the Mercedes Car Group. He earned his degree in electrical engineering at Universität Karlsruhe. In 1976 he joined the research division of what was then Daimler-Benz AG and in 1982 he completed his doctorate at the University of Paderborn. He became a member of the board of management at Mercedes-Benz AG in the field of sales in 1995.