Foundation Board

The Osnabrück University of Applied Sciences University is, as one of the first universities of applied sciences nationwide since 2003, a corporation under public law maintained by the Stiftung ‘Fachhochschule Osnabrück’ whose organs are the University Steering Committee and the Foundation Board. Thus, the State of Lower Saxony transferred former State tasks to the Foundation and granted a greater autonomy and self-responsibility to the university.

Tasks of the University Steering Committee in accordance with the Niedersächsisches Hochschulgesetz [Lower Saxony University Regulation] (NHG):

The Foundation Board advises the university, decides on affairs of the Foundation of fundamental importance and monitors the activities of the University Steering Committee. It specifically has the following tasks:

• Nomination, appointment or and dismissal of the members of the University Steering Committee of the university,
• Decision on changes and encumbrances to the basic assets as well as the taking out of loans,
• Approval of the development planning of the university and the budget of the Foundation,
• Receipt of the accountability report of the University Steering Committee,
• Determination of the annual financial statement as well as approval of the University Steering Committee of the Foundation,
• Consent for the founding of companies or participation in companies by the Foundation,
• Legal supervision of the university,
• Decision on amendments to the statutes of the Foundation, as well as adopting, amending and repealing other statutes of the Foundation.

The Foundation Board can take a position on the drafts of target agreements which are to be concluded with the competent ministry.

Members in accordance with the Niedersächsisches Hochschulgesetz [Lower Saxony University Regulation] (NHG):

The Foundation Board consists of seven members, of which at least three should be women. Members are

1. five people familiar with higher education, but not affiliated with the university primarily from the fields of Business, Science, Culture or other socially relevant areas, which are appointed in agreement with the Academic Senate of the university by the competent ministry and can be dismissed for cause by the competent ministry.
2. a member of the university who is elected by the university Academic Senate as well as
3. a representative of the competent ministry.

The members of the University Steering Committee, a representative of the student body, the equal opportunities officer and a member of the Staff Council normally attend the meetings of the Foundation Board in an advisory capacity.

Chairperson of the Foundation Board

Dipl.-Ing. (FH) Manfred Hülsmann, Osnabrück, is Chairperson of the Board of the Stadtwerke Osnabrück AG. Manfred Hülsmann studied Electrical Engineering at the Osnabrück University of Applied Sciences. After graduation with a Dipl.-Ing. (FH) degree, he held various positions at RWE Gas in Cottbus, Dortmund and Prague. He was member of the Board of rhenag Rheinische Energie AG with headquarters in Cologne. Since January 1, 2005, Hülsmann is chairperson of the Board of the Stadtwerke Osnabrück AG.

Other members of the Foundation Board

Undersecretary Birgit Clamor, Hanover, is the representative of the Lower Saxony Ministry for Science and Culture (MWK) on the Foundation Board. She heads the universities of applied sciences - universities of cooperative education specialist unit in the MWK.

Professor Dr. Christa Cremer-Renz, Lüneburg, is a former professor of the Leuphana University of Lüneburg. From 1996 to 2004, she was President of the University of Applied Sciences North-Eastern Lower Saxony and in 2005 and beginning of 2006, President of the University of Lüneburg. Ms. Cremer-Renz taught in the Social Sciences area.

Professor Dr.-Ing. Wolfgang Stelzle, Alfhausen, is representative of the Osnabrück University of Applied Sciences on the Foundation Council. After graduating with a degree in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Stuttgart, he received his doctorate in Mechanics at the University of Duisburg (today University of Duisburg-Essen). From 1998 to 2004 he was employed at the internationally active automotive supplier Johnson Controls in Burscheid, most recently as Head of Research and Development. Since March 2004, he has been Professor of Technical Mechanics and Mathematics at the Osnabrück University of Applied Sciences. Mr. Stelzle has been a member of the university Academic Senate since March 2011.

Professor Dr. Swetlana Franken, Bielefeld, studied Business Management and Engineering in Russia. After receiving her Ph.D. in Business Management in the area of Innovation Management, she worked as a Professor of Management and Organization at the State Technical University in Nizhny Novgorod. She was also active as a management consultant for various international companies, in particular in the areas of business management, innovation management and intercultural communication. Since March 2008, she has worked as a Professor of Business Administration, in particular, Human Resources at the Bielefeld University of Applied Sciences.

Dr. Andreas Mainka, Lingen (Ems), has been the Managing Director of the construction company August Mainka GmbH & Co. in Lingen since 1996. After studying Business Administration at the University of Bayreuth and the University of Nebraska, in Lincoln, Nebraska (United States), he received his doctorate at the Department of Economics at the University of Bayreuth in the field of Economic Theory. From 1994 to 1996, he worked as commercial project manager in the international business of a construction company.

Professor Dr. Joachim Metzner, Cologne, studied philosophy, Germanistics and theology at the Universities of Frankfurt am Main and Tübingen. He graduated in 1975 as Dr. phil. at the University of Tübingen. Since 1978, he has been a Professor of Linguistics and Language Pedagogy at the University of Applied Sciences Cologne. He was Dean, Prorector and Rector and President of the University of Applied Sciences from 1989 until 2012. Mr. Metzner was Vice President of the Hochschulrektorenkonferenz [university rector's conference] (HRK) for IT infrastructure and information supply.