Nominated as "University Manager of the Year":
Prof. Dr. Dabbert at the top in Baden-Württemberg in 2020 [23.11.20]
The CHE Centre for Higher Education Development and DIE ZEIT have honored the President of the University of Hohenheim and his management team as one of the six best university managers in Germany.
A university needs many bright minds - and strong management that looks to the future. Since 2012, the agricultural economist Prof. Dr. Stephan Dabbert has been at the helm of the University of Hohenheim in Stuttgart. Now the CHE Centre for Higher Education Development and the weekly newspaper DIE ZEIT are honoring his leadership performance with a nomination as the “University Manager and Team of the Year 2020". This year, the jury focused in particular on the challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic. This is the second time in a row that the University of Hohenheim President is the best university manager in Baden-Württemberg - and together with his management team makes up one of the six best university leadership teams in Germany. Previously, other university managers from Baden-Württemberg had also been nominated: In 2018, the President of the University of Freiburg, Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. Hans-Jochen Schiewer, was among the nominees.
With the establishment of Bioeconomy as a core research field at the University of Hohenheim, Prof. Dr. Stephan Dabbert has already evinced an intelligent and future-oriented strategy and great leadership during his first term of office, praised the selection jury. By focusing on this particular profile, the University of Hohenheim is now an internationally recognized pioneer in the field of bioeconomy and a founding member of the European Bioeconomy University - EBU.
During Prof. Dr. Dabbert's term of office, the President’s Office and the faculties have aligned appointment policies accordingly, a university-wide research center for Bioeconomy has been established, and the unique position of Chief Bioeconomy Officer has been created. In addition, the three faculties of Agriculture, Natural Sciences, and Business, Economics and Social Sciences have established the joint Master's program in Bioeconomy. With his second term of office, the cross-sectional topic of digital transformation was added.
Prof. Dr. Dabbert himself characterizes his management style as focused on potential and not deficits: Orient oneself on unique aspects and use these purposefully, is his credo.
Teamwork of the entire university leadership - essential in the Covid-19 pandemic
"I am grateful for the great amount of support at our university," said the President. "And I am particularly pleased that this year the entire team of the President's Office is being honored as well."
For Prof. Dr. Dabbert, teamwork means employing people with different professional backgrounds and strengths in such a way that decisions are made better thanks to the different perspectives. From the jury's point of view, he had succeeded in an outstanding manner in creating the necessary climate of trust. "The challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic can only be met by working together," emphasized the President.
Responsible, cooperative, and focused on strategy - this is how the members of the management team characterize their President. His leading role in the crisis was perceived above all as a coordinating one: "He keeps an eye on the interests of the different areas at the university and tries to navigate the university through the crisis with the greatest possible transparency, both internally and externally," the CHE quoted a member of the management team. "The incredibly complex communication processes as well as the close coordination with the Vice Presidents and the Chancellor are one of the President’s major contributions. This enabled the university to remain capable of acting and kept it well-positioned."
Prof. Dr. Dabbert "has introduced many important communication formats at the University of Hohenheim in the course of crisis management, which he himself fills with content. It is remarkable how he manages to create a relaxed, friendly and authentic atmosphere," the jury stated. The President had "optimally managed interaction with the various committees at his university during the crisis."
BACKGROUND: "University Manager and Team of the Year 2020"
Since 2013, the Centre for Higher Education Development and the weekly newspaper DIE ZEIT have been awarding the title "University Manager and Team of the Year” (formerly University Manager of the Year) annually to individuals who have shaped the development of their university and initiated innovative change processes with exceptional leadership performance. In a multi-stage selection process, a jury of recognized experts makes the final decision.
In addition to the President of the University of Hohenheim, this year's nominations included the Rector of the University of Applied Sciences Aachen Prof. Dr. Marcus Baumann, the President of the Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin Prof. Dr.-Ing. Dr. Sabine Kunst, the President of the Friedrich Schiller University Jena Prof. Dr. Walter Rosenthal, the President of the Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf Prof. Dr. Anja Steinbeck, and the President of the Hamburg University of Applied Sciences Prof. Dr. Micha Teuscher. The winner will be announced on 2 December 2020.
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Text: Elsner
