Benedikt Blanz: New Chancellor of TH Bingen with digital vision!

Benedikt Blanz: New Chancellor of TH Bingen with digital vision!

Since the beginning of this week there has been an exciting change at the Bingen Technical University (TH): Benedikt Blanz is the institution's new chancellor. He succeeds Dr. Ulrich Müller, who moved to the South Westphalia University of Applied Sciences. Blanz's election was decided unanimously by the university's senate and received official confirmation from the university council. The Ministry of Science and Health has also approved this order, which once again underlines the high expectations placed on Blanz.

Blanz brings a wealth of experience in university management. Previously, he was Deputy Chancellor and Head of the Human Resources and Legal Department at Mainz University of Applied Sciences. In addition, as Chief Digital Officer for the city of Mainz, he led central digitization projects. This will certainly be an advantage as digitalization becomes more and more important in the higher education sector. He also teaches construction law at the Bad Kreuznach Municipal Studies Institute and is therefore ideally positioned not only in terms of organization but also in terms of content.

A warm welcome and clear goals

On Blanz's first day at work, Vice President Prof. Dr.-Ing. Stephan Eder warmly welcomed and emphasized his extensive expertise and the experience he has already gained. Blanz has made it its mission to prepare TH Bingen for the future and, from the outset, placed great emphasis on the need for solid cooperation between all those involved. “A culture of togetherness” is a central point that he wants to promote.

The chancellor position at TH Bingen is for a period of six years, and the new chancellor already has many plans for his term of office. He will be responsible for important areas such as finance, human resources, student services, technology, occupational safety and the library. This versatility enables him to shape the university holistically.

Digitalization as a key topic

At a time when digitalization is becoming increasingly urgent at universities, experts like Blanz are in demand. A study by HIS-HE, which was carried out on behalf of the Expert Commission for Research and Innovation (EFI), sheds light on the importance of digital transformation in German universities. The study, which took place from autumn 2017 to spring 2019, analyzed various dimensions of digitalization, including research, studies and administration. The results of this comprehensive study show the need for incentive, competence and financing structures to promote successful digitalization. These findings are crucial for the orientation of TH Bingen in a rapidly changing educational landscape. HIS-HE reports that…

Overall, the TH Bingen is well positioned to master the challenges of the future with Benedikt Blanz at the helm. With his experience in university management and his focus on digitalization, Blanz shows that he has a good knack for the tasks at hand.