CAS Opening Ceremony, February 11, 2026
At a ceremonial event on Tuesday, 10 February, the University of Mannheim officially opened its new Center for Advanced Studies (CAS) in the presence of DFG Vice President Caren Sureth-Sloan and Lord Mayor Christian Specht. Established by the Senate in March 2025, the Center strengthens interdisciplinary collaborative research at the University of Mannheim. The CAS offers professors at the university the opportunity to work together on innovative research ideas as part of a six-month fellowship.
“With the Center for Advanced Studies, we are creating a space where excellent research can gain new momentum beyond school and disciplinary boundaries,” says President Professor Thomas Fetzer. Professor Jutta Mata, Vice President for Research and Career Paths in Academia, adds: “The CAS is a central component of our new research strategy. We are deliberately creating spaces where research collaborations and networks can emerge that form the basis for future Collaborative Research Centers and Clusters of Excellence.”
Up to ten fellowships are awarded each year, divided into two cohorts: one in the spring semester and one in the fall semester. Each fellowship includes funding for a substitute professor and is financed through external funding. Significant support for the financing of the fellowships at the University of Mannheim has been provided by Dr. Hans-Peter Wild, who, as a benefactor of the Stiftung Universität Mannheim, initiated the ‘Best Heads Program.
The CAS Rooms
By the end of 2025, the CAS spaces are fully furnished and offer Fellows a pleasant working environment. Four single- and double-occupancy offices as well as a large room with lounge and conference areas will accommodate a wide range of work and meeting settings.
The CAS in the making
In October 2025, the spaces at the University of Mannheim’s Center for Advanced Studies were fully fitted out. The spatial layout, furniture, and color scheme foster creative scholarly exchange among the Fellows.
