Dr. Stephan Becker remains chancellor: success story at Bielefeld University!

Dr. Stephan Becker remains chancellor: success story at Bielefeld University!

On June 13, 2025, Dr. Stephan Becker was confirmed as chancellor for another year by the university election meeting at Bielefeld University. This decision was made at the express request of Rector Professor Dr. Angelika Epple as well as the voting bodies, the University Council and the Senate. Becker's current term runs until August 2026 and already includes two previous terms in office from 2014 to 2020 and from 2020 to 2026.

In a warm speech, Professor Dr.-Ing. Dr. Dr. h.c. Sabine Kunst, Chairwoman of the University Council, Becker's contributions to the reorganization and expansion of the university. Also Professor Dr. Silke Schwandt, Chairwoman of the Senate, appreciated his invaluable services and support of the Rector's program. “The continuation of the chosen path of profile building, especially with regard to the consolidation of the financial budget, was and is important,” said Rector Epple. Becker himself expressed his thanks for the trust and emphasized the need for further profile building as well as his expertise in university-related management issues.

Dr. Becker's challenges and successes

During his tenure, Dr. Becker has overcome a number of significant challenges. This includes, among other things, the renovation of the main university building, the further development of the support areas and the planning of the new medical faculty. Dealing with crises such as the corona pandemic and the energy crisis required particular attention, as did budget consolidation due to financial cuts.

A central project is the modernization program “University Administration 2025”, which deals with topics such as process management, digitalization and leadership development. The Chancellor's duties include, among other things, management of administration, the role of superior to non-scientific staff and responsibility for the budget, construction matters and legal and administrative tasks.

Electoral procedure and background

The choice of Dr. Becker in the university election meeting took place with an even distribution of votes, both from Senate members and external members of the University Council. This reflects the great trust he enjoys in the academic community. Dr. Becker was born in Hanau in 1960, studied law in Würzburg and received his doctorate at the Humboldt University in Berlin. Before returning to Bielefeld, he was Chancellor of the Berlin University of Applied Sciences (HTW) from 2008 to 2014.

The area of ​​university administration has become increasingly important in recent years. Various initiatives and programs support universities in optimizing their administrative structures and processes. This includes “Science Management Online”, a network and library portal to support universities and research institutions, as well as the integrated campus management system CampusNet, which is intended to help increase efficiency in university administration. The digital transformation that Dr. Becker is actively promoting this is in line with current demands for more flexibility and cost awareness in higher education.

With the confirmation of Dr. Becker as Chancellor of Bielefeld University makes it clear that the university relies on his experience and expertise in a constantly changing academic landscape.