Professor Alexander Wanner says goodbye to Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) after 22 years. During this time, Wanner shaped and developed KIT in various roles and areas of responsibility. He has been Vice President Higher Education and Academic Affairs since 2013 and his second term will end on May 31, 2025 after a six-year cycle.
“I found complete fulfillment in this job and it has brought me a lot of joy, but after two full terms and a total of twelve years, I would like to retire and turn to other interests and new tasks,” says Professor Alexander Wanner. “I could have applied for re-election, but in April last year I informed the Chairman of the Supervisory Board, the rest of the Executive Board, and the KIT Senate that I would not be available for a third term.”
Wanner’s career at KIT began in October 2003 as a professor of materials science in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at what was then the University of Karlsruhe (TH). He was a founding member of the Institute for Applied Materials. In 2008, he became Dean of Studies and as such was responsible for the practical implementation of the Bologna reform at the KIT Department of Mechanical Engineering. Under his leadership, new courses were introduced, such as materials science and materials technology as bachelor’s and master’s programs. In 2013, Wanner was appointed Vice President Higher Education and Academic Affairs of KIT.
Milestones in the Development of Teaching and Learning at KIT
Wanner has experienced three KIT presidents during his time in office. The current President of KIT, Professor Jan S. Hesthaven, who has been in office since October 2024, described Alexander Wanner’s commitment to KIT as outstanding: “Alexander Wanner has made a lasting impact on KIT. He will leave a gap that will be very difficult to close. I’m grateful that I got the chance to have him by my side as a reliable partner.” As Vice President Higher Education and Academic Affairs, Wanner was instrumental in developing the mission statement of research-oriented teaching at KIT. Further milestones during his tenure included quality assurance in the doctoral process, initial and re-accreditation (system accreditation) of an internal quality management system for teaching and learning, the introduction of a campus management system, and the continuous development and strengthening of teacher training at KIT all the way to the establishment of the Karlsruhe School of Education. Wanner really excelled during the Covid-19 pandemic when he was responsible for maintaining teaching and examination activities.
In addition to his involvement in internal committees, Wanner also represented KIT externally in numerous committees and boards at state and federal level, such as the TU9 Teaching and Learning Committee, the representative and members meetings and administrative boards of the Studierendenwerk Karlsruhe (student representation body) and the Studentendienst Karlsruhe e.V. (student aid service), the student residence hall of Karlsruhe Institute of Technology e.V., and many more. He was instrumental in setting up the Baden-Württemberg Digitalization of Teaching University Network (HND-BW) and was chairman of the steering committee. He also took over responsibility for the development of teaching and learning at international level in networks such as EUCOR and EPICUR.
Strong Team Player and Captivating Thought Leader
KIT’s Chairman of the Supervisory Board, Professor Michael Kaschke, paid tribute to Wanner’s visionary thinking. “It has always been a pleasure to work with Alexander Wanner. His patient nature and creativity helped to continuously drive the evolution of KIT, for example, in the development of KIT’s umbrella strategy. He was always a valuable and inspiring figure for the students, his colleagues and also for me.”
Alexander Wanner was not only highly appreciated by his colleagues, but also particularly popular with students. In 2024, he received the “Special Commitment to Student Life” award by the KIT Students’ Union.
“It was an extraordinary privilege to be able to work in so many different roles at KIT,” said Wanner. “I look back on these more than two decades with gratitude. One thing that was always particularly important to me was engaging with people, namely the students, colleagues, and all cooperation partners within and outside KIT. I would like to thank them all from the bottom of my heart for their trust and support.”
“Working with Mr. Wanner was always based on a great deal of mutual respect. We students could always be sure that he would treat us fairly and be open to our suggestions,” says Tobias Deeg, Chairman of the General Students’ Committee (AStA) at KIT. “We could always tell that he honestly cared about the well-being of ‘his’ students and that he stood up for them. That’s why working with Mr. Wanner produced many good results and was always something we really enjoyed. His shoes on the Executive Board won’t be easy to fill.”
About Alexander Wanner
Professor Alexander Wanner, born in 1962, has been Vice President Higher Education and Academic Affairs at KIT since June 2013. From 2008 to 2012, he was Dean of Studies at the KIT Department of Mechanical Engineering. Wanner studied metallurgy and earned his doctorate at the University of Stuttgart. He then worked as a research assistant at the Max Planck Institute for Metals Research in Stuttgart and as Akademischer Oberrat (senior academic counselor) at the University of Stuttgart. This was followed by research stays at Northwestern University and the Argonne National Laboratory in the US as well as at Shanghai Jiao Tong University. Alexander Wanner has been Professor of Materials Science and Engineering at the University of Karlsruhe and KIT since 2003.
Being “The Research University in the Helmholtz Association”, KIT creates and imparts knowledge for the society and the environment. It is the objective to make significant contributions to the global challenges in the fields of energy, mobility, and information. For this, about 10,000 employees cooperate in a broad range of disciplines in natural sciences, engineering sciences, economics, and the humanities and social sciences. KIT prepares its 22,800 students for responsible tasks in society, industry, and science by offering research-based study programs. Innovation efforts at KIT build a bridge between important scientific findings and their application for the benefit of society, economic prosperity, and the preservation of our natural basis of life. KIT is one of the German universities of excellence.
KIT-Vizepraesident Alexander Wanner geht in den Ruhestand