DHV ranking: Prof. Dr. Stephan Dabbert once again the most popular university president in the state  [28.03.23]

Professors vote President of the University of Hohenheim into first place in Ba-Wü and second place in Germany / National winner is Prof. Dr. Michael Hoch of the University of Bonn

For the seventh time, Prof. Dr. Stephan Dabbert from the University of Hohenheim in Stuttgart is once again the most popular university presidents in Baden-Württemberg. That is the result of the University President Ranking published today by the German Association of University Professors and Lecturers (DHV). The award for Germany's most popular "Rector of the Year" goes to Prof. Dr. Michael Hoch from the University of Bonn. Third and fourth place went to Prof. Dr. Manfred Beyer from the TU Dortmund University and Prof. Dr. Thomas Puhl from the University of Mannheim. As the most popular university president in the state, Prof. Dr. Dabbert had already topped the state list from 2015 to 2020. In 2016, he also received the title of the most popular university president nationwide.

Nearly 80 percent of the participants attest to him being the “ideal person for the position” or a “very good person for the position.” The President of the University of Hohenheim, Prof. Dr. Stephan Dabbert, is ranked second nationally and first in the state in this year's University President Ranking by the German Association of University Professors and Lecturers (DHV).

The ranking is based on a scale ranging from "ideal person for the position" to "worst possible person for the position." From the evaluations its members, the DHV determines a ranking using the German school grading system. In this form of evaluation, the professors at the University of Hohenheim awarded their president the school grade 1.70.

The top places in this year's ranking are also occupied by Prof. Dr. Michael Hoch from the University of Bonn (first place, grade 1.60) and Prof. Dr. Manfred Beyer from the TU Dortmund University (third place, grade 1.78). Fourth place in the nationwide ranking once again goes to Baden-Württemberg with Prof. Dr. Thomas Puhl from the University of Mannheim (school grade 1.81). Also among the top five is Prof. Dr. Birgitta Wolff, Rector of the University of Wuppertal and member of the University Council of the University of Hohenheim (5th place, school grade 1.94).


“President Dabbert understands how to work and act in a way that integrates people"

In its announcement of the results, the German Association of University Professors and Lecturers emphasized that it was not only the ratings of the top-ranked presidents that were remarkable. He also said that the majority of comments here were positive.

As an example, the DHV cited a comment from the University of Hohenheim: “President Dabbert understands how to work and act in a way that integrates people, and he will hopefully run for a third term of office.”


“Leading of the unique University of Hohenheim is a once-in-a-lifetime privilege"

"I heartily congratulate my colleagues Hoch, Bayer, Puhl, and Wolff on their success in the DHV ranking,” stated Prof. Dr. Dabbert in his reaction to the news. "I am pleased to work directly with such esteemed individuals as Prof. Puhl on the State Rectors' Conference and Prof. Wolff on the University Council. And I am very pleased that our scientists have given me so much recognition and support again after ten years in office.”

He believes that “leading of the unique University of Hohenheim is a once-in-a-lifetime privilege”: "I am proud of the fact that we in Hohenheim have jointly succeeded in creating a constructive culture of discussion and a lasting spirit of optimism. Instead of silence, we cultivate factual discourse that always leads to a solution that makes us even better as a university."

He said he would continue on this path if re-elected to a third term: "Important goals are to advance internationalization, to increase our attractiveness for students – including with new degree programs – and to expand our position as a research university."


Minister of Science of the Year: Katharina Fegebank from Hamburg

At the same time as the election of the Rector of the Year, the DHV traditionally also holds the election for the "Minister of Science of the Year". This year, the first place among the politicians is held by Katharina Fegebank, Hamburg's Senator for Science, Research, and Equality. Prof. Dr. Armin Willingmann, Minister of Science, Energy, Climate Protection and the Environment of the State of Saxony-Anhalt.

This year, third place goes to Theresia Bauer, who has since left office and served as Baden-Württemberg's Minister of Science, Research and the Arts until the end of September 2022. Since her successor had been in office for less than 100 days by the end of the survey, in accordance with the "rules of the game," the participants from Baden-Württemberg were only able to vote on the minister who had left office.


BACKGROUND: The award “President of the Year”

Only universities whose rectors or presidents had been in office for at least 100 days at the beginning of the voting period and who received at least 30 ratings were ranked. The direction and execution of the ranking, which included 51 universities this year, lies with the Center for Evaluation and Methods (Zentrum für Evaluation und Methoden) at the University of Bonn. Detailed results can be found in the April issue of the journal "Forschung & Lehre" and can be downloaded from the link https://www.hochschulverband.de/fileadmin/redaktion/download/pdf/presse/ranking-dhv_2023.pdf.

The "Rector of the Year" award will be presented at the German Science Gala, which will take place on 3 April 2023, on the eve of the 73rd DHV Day in Berlin. The prize money of € 10,000 donated by Santander Universities is to be used by the prize winner to finance a university-related project.
More information can be found at https://www.hochschulverband.de/en/


Overview of all winners of the award “Rector of the Year”:

2023 Prof. Dr. Michael Hoch, University of Bonn
2022 Prof. Dr. Thomas Puhl, University of Mannheim
2021 Prof. Dr. Michael Hoch, University of Bonn
2020 Prof. Dr. Michael Hoch, University of Bonn
2019 Prof. Dr. Lambert Koch, University of Wuppertal
2018 Prof. Dr. Johannes Wessels, University of Münster
2017 Prof. Dr. Lambert Koch, University of Wuppertal
2016 Prof. Dr. Stephan Dabbert, University of Hohenheim
2015 Prof. Dr. Helmut J. Schmidt, TU Kaiserslautern
2014 Prof. Dr. Lambert Koch, University of Wuppertal
2013 Prof. Dr. Jan-Hendrik Olbertz, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin
2012 Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Herrmann, TU München
2011 Prof. Dr. Lambert Koch, University of Wuppertal
2010 Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Schareck, University of Rostock
2009 Prof. Dr. Elmar Weiler, Ruhr-Universität Bochum