Academic Advisory Council (AAC)
The Academic Advisory Council was founded in 2006 during the planning of the institutional strategy; its role is to advise on strategy for Heidelberg University in connection with the Excellence Initiative. It gave institutional form to existing longstanding contacts between the University and numerous eminent international scholars and representatives of industry.
Terms of reference
The implementation of the third funding line of the Excellence Initiative cannot be separated from the general strategic development of the University, and so the advisory function of the Council has now been extended to cover strategy concerning the whole institution. The ACC monitors and accompanies the implementation of the institutional strategy along with general developments at the University, advising the Rectorate in all questions relating to further conceptual planning for its future. The ACC’s members bring with them international and economic expertise. At the Council's meetings, the Rectorate reports on current developments and plans at the University and discusses fundamental strategic issues.
Composition
The members of the ACC are eminent scholars from internationally esteemed universities and research institutions, high-ranking representatives of industry and senior academics from the University of Heidelberg.
Members
The AAC currently has 12 members:
7 external members from academia
1 external member from the business community
4 internal members from Heidelberg University
Prof. Geoffrey S. Boulton – Senior Honorary Professorial Fellow, former Vice-Principal and Regius Professor of Geology Emeritus, School of GeoSciences, University of Edinburgh (AAC Chairman)
Dr. Rainer Dulger – Executive Vice President, CTO ProMinent AG; Chairman Suedwestmetall: Association of the metal and electrical industry of Baden-Württemberg; President Gesamtmetall, Member of the Presidential Council of BDA, Member of the Board of Trustees of the University of Applied Sciences, Mannheim
Prof. Dr. Louise Gunning-Schepers - President, Executive Board of the University of Amsterdam and the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences
Prof. Sir Colin Lucas – Trustee, The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation (New York), former Chairman of the British Library, former Vice-Chancellor of Oxford University
Prof. Marja Makarow – Vice President for Research, Academy of Finland; Professor of Applied Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Helsinki; former Chief Executive, European Science Foundation (ESF), Strasbourg
Prof. Dr. Peter Malanczuk – C. V. Starr Professor of Law, Co-Director, Center for Research on Transnational Law, Peking University School of Transnational Law
Prof. Douglas D. Osheroff – Professor Emeritus of Physics and (by courtesy) Applied Physics, J. G. Jackson and C. J. Wood Professor Emeritus of Physics, Stanford University
Nobel Prize in Physics 1996
Prof. Dr. Manfred G. Schmidt – Institute for Political Science, Heidelberg University
Prof. Dr. Bernd Schneidmüller – Professor of Medieval History, Director of the Department of History and the Institute for Franconian and Palatine History, Heidelberg University
Prof. Dr. Christof Wetterich – Institute for Theoretical Physics, Heidelberg University
Prof. Dr. Felix T. Wieland - Heidelberg University Biochemistry Center; Chairman of SFB (Collaborative Research Centre) 638
Prof. Dr. Margret Wintermantel – President of the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD); Member of the Board of the European University Association (EUA); former President of the German Rectors' Conference (HRK)