Universitätstag 2026: University Developments, Honorary Awards, and Insights into Research

Blick in den vollbesetzten Rittersaal. Auf der Bühne ist eine Präsentation zu sehen und der Rektor am Rednerpult.

On 20 May, approximately 180 invited guests from industry, academia, and the local community celebrated the University of Mannheim’s Universitätstag in the Rittersaal of the Schloss. The event not only honored exceptional contributions to the university but also provided an outlook on its strategic development in research, teaching, and knowledge transfer.

During the event, Klaus Greinert, Prof. Dr. Rosemarie Tracy, and Prof. Dr. Jens Wüstemann were awarded the University Medal. The University bestows this honor as a token of gratitude and recognition to individuals who have rendered outstanding service to the institution, supported it financially or through their ideas, or served as academic ambassadors.

Klaus Greinert is the visionary, initiator, and primary sponsor of Elite Sports Scholarship Rhine-Neckar Metropolitan Region, a funding program for student elite athletes that is unique in Germany. Founded in 2009 at the University of Mannheim, the Elite Sports Scholarship now provides valuable support at three university locations to help students balance elite sports with their studies. Klaus Greinert’s work extends far beyond the financial support of the Elite Sports Scholarship: with great personal dedication, he guides its strategic development and is always there to support the team and the scholarship recipients. Drawing on his own life experience, he encourages them with great authenticity to continue pursuing their demanding athletic and professional paths with confidence and strength. Beyond the Elite Sports Scholarship, Klaus Greinert has had deep ties to the university for decades.

Prof. Dr. Rosemarie Tracy was Professor of English Linguistics from 1995 to 2019 and a senior professor at the School of Humanities until 2025. Under her leadership, linguistics at the University of Mannheim developed into a leading international research field. She built bridges between theoretical linguistics, psycholinguistics, and language acquisition research, making Mannheim a center for multilingualism research. The impact of her work can be seen today in daycare centers, schools, and educational settings throughout Germany. Another milestone in her commitment was the co-founding of the Mannheim Center for Empirical Multilingualism Research (MAZEM). This center exemplifies what distinguishes her work: academic excellence combined with a strong sense of responsibility for its societal impact. In addition, Prof. Dr. Rosemarie Tracy distinguished herself through her exceptionally high level of commitment to the academic self-governance of the University of Mannheim as Vice Dean of the School of Humanities, as a member of the Senate, and from 2015 to 2018 as Vice President for Research, Equality, and Early-Career Researchers.

Prof. Dr. Jens Wüstemann has held the Chair of Business Administration, Accounting & Auditing since 2002. From 2010 to 2025, he served as President of the Mannheim Business School gGmbH (MBS) and played a key role in the school’s impressive growth during that time.

Under his leadership, both the number of degree programs and the number of students doubled. MBS’s rankings in national and international assessments improved remarkably, so that MBS now holds top positions in all relevant rankings. In addition, Prof. Dr. Jens Wüstemann was responsible for the planning and construction of the MBS Study & Conference Center in the coal cellar of the Schloss. In doing so, he made a significant contribution to the sustainable development of MBS’s building infrastructure, which remains important far beyond his tenure.

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