Sabine Kunst

Sabine Kunst
President of Humboldt University
Incumbent
Assumed office 19 January 2016
Personal details
Born	(1954-12-30) 30 December 1954 (age 70) Wesselburen, Germany
Children	3
Occupation	Academic

Sabine Kunst (born 30 December 1954) is a German engineer, academic and politician who has been serving as chairwoman of the Joachim Herz Foundation since 2022. ^{[1] [2]}

Kunst served as president of Humboldt University from 2016 ^{[3] [4] [5]} until 2021, when she announced her resignation over the reform of the Berlin university law. ^[6] Since 2014, she has been a member of the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD). ^[7]

Education

• 1990: Habilitation in civil engineering
• 1990: PhD in political science
• 1982: PhD in civil engineering

Political career

From 2010 to 2011, Kunst served as president of the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD); she was the first woman to hold that office. ^[8] She unsuccessfully applied for the position as president of the University of Leipzig in 2010; instead, the position went to Beate Schücking. ^[9]

From 2011 to 2016, Kunst served as State Minister of Science, Research and Culture in the government of Brandenburg, in the governments of successive Ministers-President Matthias Platzeck and Dietmar Woidke. ^[10]

Other activities

• Hasso Plattner Foundation, Member of the Foundation Council (since 2023) ^[11]
• German Institute for International and Security Affairs (SWP), Member of the Council (since 2022) ^[12]
• Berlin Institute of Health (BIH), Member of the Supervisory Board ^[13]
• Deutsches Herzzentrum Berlin, Member of the Board of Trustees ^[14]
• Foundation for the Humboldt Forum in the Berlin Palace, Member of the Council ^[15]
• Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Polymer Research (IAP), Member of the Advisory Board ^[16]
• German Institute for Economic Research (DIW), Member of the Board of Trustees ^[17]
• German-Polish Science Foundation (DPWS), Member of the Board ^[18]
• Leibniz Centre for Contemporary History, Member of the Board of Trustees ^[19]
• Leo Baeck Foundation, Member of the Board of Trustees ^[20]
• Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association (MDC), Member of the Supervisory Board ^[21]
• Max Planck Society, Member of the Senate ^[22]
• Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics, Member of the Board of Trustees ^[23]
• Natural History Museum, Berlin, Member of the Board of Trustees ^[24]
• Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK), Member of the Board of Trustees ^[25]
• Stiftung St. Matthäus, Evangelical Church in Berlin, Brandenburg and Silesian Upper Lusatia, Member of the Board of Trustees ^[26]
• Stephanus-Stiftung, Member of the Board of Trustees ^[27]
• University of Lübeck, Member of the Board of Trustees ^[28]
• Urania Berlin, Member of the Board of Trustees ^[29]
• Weizenbaum Institute, Member of the Board of Trustees ^[30]
• Berlin Social Science Center (WZB), Member of the Board of Trustees ^[31]

Recognition

• 2013 – Honorary doctorate, American Jewish University ^[32]

Personal life

Kunst is married and has three children. The family has been living in Werder, Havel since 2007. ^[33] Her sister is Kirsten Fehrs.

References

1. Sabine Kunst übernimmt Vorstandsvorsitz der Joachim Herz Stiftung Archived 20 January 2022 at the Wayback Machine Joachim Herz Foundation, press release of 19 January 2022.
2. Amory Burchard (19 January 2022) Eine neue Aufgabe für Sabine Kunst Der Tagesspiegel .
3. "Prof. Dr.-Ing. Dr. Sabine Kunst Präsidentin der Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin Sabine Kunst Foto: Matthias Heyde Anschrift". Humboldt University . Retrieved 22 September 2019.
4. "Sabine Kunst". forschung-und-lehre. Retrieved 22 September 2019.
5. "Sabine Kunst is the new HU president". Humboldt University . Retrieved 22 September 2019.
6. "Präsidentin der Humboldt-Universität tritt zurück". Berliner Zeitung . 26 October 2021. Retrieved 2 November 2021.
7. Jan Kixmüller (18 January 2016), Weggang von Ministerin Sabine Kunst: Unterschätzt und beharrlich Potsdamer Neueste Nachrichten .
8. Jan-Martin Wiarda (8 July 2010), Neue DAAD-Präsidentin: Lächelnde Strategin Die Zeit .
9. Jan Kixmüller (17 November 2010), Sabine Kunst bleibt Präsidentin der Universität Potsdam Potsdamer Neueste Nachrichten .
10. Jan Kixmüller (18 January 2016), Weggang von Ministerin Sabine Kunst: Unterschätzt und beharrlich Potsdamer Neueste Nachrichten .
11. Foundation Council Hasso Plattner Foundation.
12. Organization German Institute for International and Security Affairs (SWP).
13. Supervisory Board Archived 19 October 2019 at the Wayback Machine Berlin Institute of Health (BIH).
14. Board of Trustees Archived 19 October 2019 at the Wayback Machine Deutsches Herzzentrum Berlin.
15. Council Archived 18 July 2017 at the Wayback Machine Foundation for the Humboldt Forum in the Berlin Palace.
16. Advisory Board Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Polymer Research (IAP).
17. Board of Trustees German Institute for Economic Research (DIW).
18. Board Archived 27 December 2008 at the Wayback Machine German-Polish Science Foundation (DPWS).
19. Board of Trustees Leibniz Centre for Contemporary History.
20. Board of Trustees Archived 8 December 2020 at the Wayback Machine Leo Baeck Foundation.
21. Supervisory Board Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association (MDC).
22. Senate, as of December 2020 Max Planck Society.
23. Board of Trustees Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics.
24. Board of Trustees Natural History Museum, Berlin.
25. Board of Trustees Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK).
26. Board of Trustees Stiftung St. Matthäus, Evangelical Church in Berlin, Brandenburg and Silesian Upper Lusatia.
27. Board of Trustees Stephanus-Stiftung.
28. Board of Trustees University of Lübeck.
29. Board of Trustees Urania Berlin.
30. Board of Trustees Weizenbaum Institute.
31. Board of Trustees Archived 26 November 2014 at the Wayback Machine Berlin Social Science Center (WZB).
32. Gudrun Mallwitz (16 November 2013), In Potsdam wird erstmals jüdische Theologie unterrichtet Berliner Morgenpost .
33. Berliner Staatssekretär mit Stasi-Vergangenheit: Das Dilemma der HU-Präsidentin im Fall Holm, Der Tagesspiegel , 12 January 2017.