The University Council of the University of Bonn has elected today Prof. Dr. Michael Hoch as the new rector of the University of Bonn. This decision now requires confirmation by the Senate, which will meet next time on 11th December. The 53-year-old developmental biologist is expected to take over from Professor Dr. Jürgen Fohrmann early May. The 143rd Rector Michael Hoch will lead the University of Bonn during his six-year tenure in the jubilee year 2018 when the Alma mater will celebrate its two hundred year anniversary.

A selection board made up of members of the Senate and the University Council had prepared the rector election and proposed Professor Hoch from a field of about a dozen internal and external candidates. The decision of the University Council now needs to be confirmed by the Senate of the University. The appointment is then made by the Ministry of Science in Düsseldorf. After that, the new rector will propose to the bodies, a team of pro-rectors for election. The handover will take place in late April 2015.