Synergies for research, teaching and continuing education
The Bavarian Academic Forum – BayWISS is the cooperation platform for all 13 Bavarian universities, 19 universities of applied sciences (HAW/TH) and 6 universities of the arts. Our 38 member universities use the range of expertise, profiles and ideas of the Bavarian universities to solve common problems and represent common interests. We strengthen the culture of collaboration between research, teaching and continuing education – and the scientific location of Bavaria as a whole.
Since its founding in 2015, BayWISS has grown into a one-of-a-kind instrument in Germany for institutional exchange between universities, universities of applied sciences and – since 2023 – also the universities of the arts. Our expert forums and working groups create platforms and networks for experts, achieving synergy effects benefitting the whole of Bavaria.
With our currently ten BayWISS Joint Academic Partnerships of the Expert Forum for Consortial Doctorates we set new standards for quality-assured cooperative doctorates: structured, transparent and predictable paths towards obtaining a doctorate, networking of Bavarian researchers across all types of universities, non-material and financial support – that is how we strengthen and accompany outstanding graduates, especially from universities of applied sciences, on their journey towards becoming excellent researchers.
Our Expert Forum Strategy & Networking is a think tank, incubator, discussion forum and network all rolled into one: our working groups unite the diverse expertise and experience of professors, employees and scientific managers of Bavarian universities according to subject area and jointly develop specific solutions and recommendations for Bavarian higher education policy.
The meeting of members, consisting of the presidents of all Bavarian universities, universities of applied sciences and universities of the arts is the highest decision-making body of the Bavarian Academic Forum – BayWISS. A seven-person steering board, which is made up of representatives from all types of universities, governs and coordinates BayWISS – supported by the management, which all members, expert forums, working groups, Joint Academic Partnerships, external partners as well as media can turn to. The currently ten Joint Academic Partnerships are each coordinated by one or several scientific managers.
Olja Kovalenko
Assistant to the Managing Director BayWISS
Telephone: +49 89 95474067
kovalenko [ at ] baywiss.de
Dr. Lena Eich
Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg
Coordinator Joint Academic Partnership Energy
Mandy Fox
University of Passau
Coordinator Joint Academic Partnership Communication and Media
Telephone: +49 851 5092999
kommunikation-medien.vk [ at ] baywiss.de
Dr. Monika Kolpatzik
Technische Hochschule Ingolstadt
Coordinator Joint Academic Partnership Mobility and Transport
Telephone: +49 841 93481560
mobilitaet-verkehr.vk [ at ] baywiss.de
Katharina Raab
Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg
Coordinator Joint Academic Partnership Digitalisation
Telephone: +49 931 3180665
digitalisierung.vk [ at ] baywiss.de
Marina Schleicher
Technische Hochschule Ingolstadt
Coordinator Joint Academic Partnership Mobility and Transport
Telephone: +49 841 93483539
mobilitaet-verkehr.vk [ at ] baywiss.de
Dr. Marcel Scholz
University of Bamberg
Coordinator Joint Academic Partnership Social Change
Dr. Michaela Stegmann
Hochschule für angewandte Wissenschaften Weihenstephan-Triesdorf
Joint Academic Partnership Life Sciences und Green Technologies
Telephone: +49 816171 6358
life-sciences.vk [ at ] baywiss.de
Andre Strotmann
Coordinator Joint Academic Partnership Infrastructure, Building and Urban Development
Telephone: +49 89 12652840
infrastruktur-bauen-urbanisierung.vk [ at ] baywiss.de
Sylvia Summerer
Hochschule München University of Applied Sciences
Coordinator Joint Academic Partnership Infrastructure, Building and Urban Development
Telephone: +49 89 12654361
infrastruktur-bauen-urbanisierung.vk [ at ] baywiss.de
Dr. Angela Weil-Jung (kommissarisch)
Telephone: 0941 9435592
gesundheit.vk [ at ] baywiss.deeconomics-business.vk [ at ] baywiss.de
Christina Wiemers
University of the Bundeswehr Munich
Coordinator Joint Academic Partnership Infrastructure, Building and Urban Development
Telephone: +49 896004 2475
infrastruktur-bauen-urbanisierung.vk [ at ] baywiss.de
Dr. Nataliya Yadzhak
University of Bayreuth
Coordinator Joint Academic Partnership Resource Efficiency and Materials
Telephone: +49 092155 6635
ressourceneffizienz-werkstoffe.vk [ at ] baywiss.de
Staff unit for legal matters in continuing academic education
Ass. Iur. Annika Lennert
Technische Hochschule Nürnberg
Telephone: +49 152 599 52558
weiterbildungs-rechtsfragen [ at ] baywiss.de
M.A. Sandra Teige
Technische Hochschule Nürnberg
Telephone: +49 911 5880 2807
weiterbildungs-rechtsfragen [ at ] baywiss.de
Prof. Dr. Uta M. Feser
President
Neu-Ulm University of Applied Sciences
Member of the Steering Board
Prof. Dr. Kai Fischbach
President
University of Bamberg
Vice Chairman of the Steering Board
Prof. Rainer Kotzian
President
University of Music Nuremberg
Member of the Steering Board
Prof. Dr. Stefan Leible
President
University of Bayreuth
Member of the Steering Board
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Gerhard Müller
Vice President
Technical University of Munich
Member of the Steering Board
Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. Gordon Thomas Rohrmair
President
Tecchnical University of Applied Sciences Augsburg
Chairman of the Steering Board
Prof. Dr. Walter Schober
President
Technische Hochschule Ingolstadt
Member of the Steering Board
Prof. Dr. Ulrich Bartosch
President
University of Passau
Prof. Dr. Eva-Maria Beck-Meuth
President
Aschaffenburg University of Applied Sciences
Prof. Waldemar Berg
President
Deggendorf Institute of Technology
Prof. Dr. Clemens Bulitta
President
Ostbayerische Technische Hochschule Amberg-Weiden
Prof. Dr. Sabine Doering-Manteuffel
President
University of Augsburg
Prof. Holger Felten
President
Academy of Fine Arts Nuremberg
Prof. Dr. Uta M. Feser
President
Neu-Ulm University of Applied Sciences
Member of the Steering Board
Prof. Dr. Kai Fischbach
President
University of Bamberg
Vice Chairman of the Steering Board
Prof. Dr. Stefan Gast
President
Coburg University of Applied Sciences
Prof. Dr. Gabriele Gien
President
Catholic University of Eichstätt-Ingolstadt
Prof. Lydia Grün
President
University of Music and Theatre Munich
Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Hauke
President
Kempten University of Applied Sciences
Prof. Dr. Udo Hebel
President
University of Regensburg
Prof. Dr. Thomas F. Hofmann
President
Technical University of Munich
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Joachim Hornegger
President
Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg
Prof. Dr. Bernd Huber
President
Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München
Prof. Dr. Michael Huth
President
University of Technology Nuremberg
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Eva-Maria Kern
President
University of the Bundeswehr Munich
Prof. Dr. h.c. Heinrich Köster
President
Rosenheim Technical University of Applied Sciences
Prof. Rainer Kotzian
President
University of Music Nuremberg
Member of the Steering Board
Prof. Dr. Jürgen Lehmann
President
Hof University of Applied Sciences
Prof. Dr. Stefan Leible
President
University of Bayreuth
Member of the Steering Board
Prof. Dr. Martin Leitner
President
Hochschule München University of Applied Sciences
Prof. Dr. Jean Meyer
President
Technical University of Applied Sciences Würzburg-Schweinfurt
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Gerhard Müller
Vice President
Technical University of Munich
Member of the Steering Board
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Sascha Müller-Feuerstein
President
Ansbach University of Applied Sciences
Prof. Dr. Niels Oberbeck
President
Nuremberg Institute of Technology Georg Simon Ohm
Prof. Dr. Paul Pauli
President
Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg
Prof. Karen Pontoppidan
President
Academy of Fine Arts Munich
Prof. Dr. Thomas Popp
President
Lutheran University of Applied Sciences Nuremberg
Prof. Bettina Reitz
President
University of Television and Film Munich
Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. Gordon Thomas Rohrmair
President
Tecchnical University of Applied Sciences Augsburg
Chairman of the Steering Board
Prof. Dr. Birgit Schaufler
President
Katholische Stiftungshochschule München University of Applied Sciences
Prof. Dr. Ralph Schneider
President
Ostbayerische Technische Hochschule Regensburg
Prof. Dr. Walter Schober
President
Technische Hochschule Ingolstadt
Member of the Steering Board
Prof. Dr. Eric Veulliet
President
Weihenstephan-Triesdorf University of Applied Sciences
Prof. Dr. Dr. Johannes Wallacher
President
Munich School of Philosophy
Prof. Dr. Michaela Wirtz
President
Landshut University of Applied Sciences
Prof. Dr. Christoph Wünsch
President
University Of Music Würzburg
Founding history
BayWISS is the result of intense negotiations between representatives of both types of universities in Bavaria, with the objective of designing a new concept for enhanced, institutionalised collaboration between universities and universities of applied sciences, which in particular was also to further develop doctoral degrees.
There was a stringent set-up procedure: On 24 June 2015, Minister of State Dr Ludwig Spaenle MdL (Member of the Landtag) together with Prof. Dr Sabine Doering-Manteuffel from Universität Bayern e.V. and Prof. Dr. Michael Braun from Hochschule Bayern e.V. presented BayWISS to the Committee on Science and the Arts in the Bavarian State Parliament. On 19 October 2015, the presidents of 30 universities in the Free State of Bavaria signed the cooperation agreement, which formed the basis for BayWISS (see above under downloads). BayWISS was launched on 1 January 2016 and in February 2016 the first annual colloquium took place at TU Munich (further annual colloquiums were to follow). Step by step, the BayWISS headquarters were established as well as the first Joint Academic Partnerships, of which there are now ten in the Expert Forum for Consortial Doctorates.
In 2023, the joining of the newly founded association of the Bavarian universities of the arts (KHB) as well as the University of Technology Nuremberg (UTN) has led to the number of BayWISS universities now amounting to 38.
Our partners
As a cooperation platform comprising 38 Bavarian universities we need strong partners beyond our own network.
The university associations
The two university associations Universität Bayern e.V. and Hochschule Bayern e.V. assisted in the emergence of and continue to be loyal companions, partners and supporters of BayWISS.
With the universities of the arts joining BayWISS in 2023, the newly-founded association of the universities of the arts has now become Bavaria's third university association.
Wertebündnis Bayern
Since 2019, BayWISS has been a proud member of Wertebündnis Bayern (Bavarian Alliance of Values).
We’d be pleased if you feel like watching the Erklärvideo des Wertebündnis Bayern!
German University Association of Advanced Graduate Training (UniWiND)
The German University Association of Advanced Graduate Training (UniWiND/GUAT) is a network currently comprising 73 members, who have made the promotion of young talent a key mission of their higher education institutions. UniWiND is committed to optimising the training conditions of doctoral candidates and young researchers at the start of the post-doctoral phase, so as to afford them the best possible opportunities for future careers within and outside the university sector. BayWISS is an associated member of UniWiND.
Bavarian State Ministry of Science and the Arts
The Bavarian State Ministry of Science and the Arts is not only a funding body for BayWISS, but also an important partner for innovation in Bavarian higher education policy.
Bavarian Research Institute for Digital Transformation (bidt)
The Bavarian Research Institute for Digital Transformation (bidt) is an institute of the Bavarian Academy of Sciences and Humanities and a partner of BayWISS. The bidt wants to contribute to a better understanding of the developments and challenges presented by digital transformation and to responsibly shaping society’s digital future, oriented towards the common good.
The bidt supports outstanding interdisciplinary research and, as a think tank, provides evidence-based advice for politics and the economy. Several doctoral candidates of the BayWISS Joint Academic Partnerships are also supported by the bidt’s doctoral programme. Furthermore, BayWISS and bidt often cooperate in organizing events.
Bavarian Academy of Sciences and Humanities (BAdW)
Positioned at the top of the research rankings, the Bavarian Academy of Sciences and Humanities (BAdW) is the largest of the eight state academies in Germany and one of the oldest. It specialises in innovative long-term research, networks scholars across disciplines and national boundaries, engages with politics and civil society, supports young scientists and provides a first-rate forum for dialogue between the scientific community and the general public. Especially in the field of science communication, BayWISS will cooperate more closely with the academy.