Prof. Dr. Susanne Menzel-Riedl, President of Osnabrück University, is about to take over as head of the University of Münster. In a selection process, the 49-year-old initially prevailed over other candidates and has now been elected by a large majority. She is set to succeed the current incumbent Prof. Dr. Johannes Wessels as Rector on October 1, 2026.
Background: In the summer of this year, a search committee made up of members of the Senate and the University Council invited candidates for the position of Rector to present themselves. The committee decided to propose only Prof. Menzel-Riedl for the position, which was followed by a vote by the Senate and members of the University Council. What follows now, after the successful election of Prof. Menzel-Riedl, are negotiations on certain administrative issues. Only when these talks have been satisfactorily concluded for all sides will the way be clear for the new professor to take office on October 1, 2026.
"I am very pleased and touched by this vote, and of course I am also honored by it - especially as I know how much it represents a vote of confidence in me personally and my work to date," says Prof. Menzel-Riedl. "But there is one laughing and one crying eye. Anyone who knows me knows that I love my job here in Osnabrück. In addition to the many opportunities and possibilities that this university has offered me, it is above all the unreserved support of my team, the Senate and all members of the University School that have carried me through more than six years as President and made it easy for me to do justice to my duties."
However, returning to the university where she studied as Rector is a special honor, according to Prof. Menzel-Riedl. "Even though the decision to apply was anything but easy for me, I feel that it is time for me personally to start something new once again." She was also encouraged by the fact that she and her family live in Münster and are closely involved there. What remains a matter of course for the successful university president: "Of course I will continue to work with full commitment on the tasks that lie ahead until the end of my term of office and I am happy to know that my team and the entire university are behind me. We are full of energy and don't even want to think about parting ways yet!"
Prof. Menzel-Riedl was recently presented with the certificate of appointment for her second eight-year term as President of Osnabrück University by Lower Saxony's Minister of Science, Falko Mohrs, following a unanimous vote by the Senate and University Council to refrain from renewing her candidacy - another sign of her extremely successful presidency. It was also acknowledged that Prof. Menzel-Riedl has been able to provide decisive impetus over the past six years. The focus of her work has been on further profile development in research. Under her presidency, two collaborative research centers were acquired: one on cellular membrane networks and another - unique in Lower Saxony in its focus on the humanities - on migration research. In addition, the AI-Reallabor Agrar (RLA) was established together with seven partners, which is funded by the Volkswagen Foundation with € 18.9 million. Under the leadership of Susanne Menzel-Riedl, Osnabrück University raised €16.9 million in funding from the Volkswagen Foundation to raise the university's profile.
About the person:
Susanne Menzel-Riedl came to Osnabrück in 2008 as a junior professor, where she has been a full professor of biology didactics since 2013. In 2016, she was appointed Vice President for Research and Early Career Development and was elected President of the University in 2019 - the youngest female university president in Germany at the time. She has also been Chairwoman of the Lower Saxony State University Conference since 2022 and Vice President of the German Rectors' Conference for Higher Education System and Organization since 2023. She came second in Germany in the 2025 "Rector of the Year" election conducted by the German Association of University Professors and Lecturers (DHV). Since 2021, she has consistently ranked first among the university leaders in Lower Saxony in this annual election.
Further information for editorial offices:
Dr. Oliver Schmidt, Osnabrück University
Communications and Marketing Office
E-mail: oliver.schmidt@uni-osnabrueck.de
