Prof. Dr. Linß: New Vice -Rector brings a breath of fresh air to Hagen!

Prof. Dr. Linß: New Vice -Rector brings a breath of fresh air to Hagen!

Hagen, Deutschland - On June 1, 2023, Prof. Dr. Torsten Linß took over the position of the Vice -Rector for Research, International and Sustainability at the FernUniversität in Hagen. His choice took place on May 7, 2025 together with Michael Strotkemper, the new Chancellor, and was made with a large majority. These new establishments come at a time when the FernUniversität faces significant challenges, especially in digital transformation and globalization of university formation. Rector Prof. Dr. Stefan Stürmer thanked everyone involved and found that the rectorate was now fully occupied to promote the future -oriented further development of the institution, such as Fernstudi.net reported

Torsten Linß is an internationally recognized mathematician who has been teaching at FernUniversität since 2011. Previously, he was Dean of the Faculty of Mathematics and Computer Science for a year. In his new task, he plans to get to know his colleagues in the areas of research, international and sustainability. Linß lives in Hagen and comes to the campus every day. "The representation of the faculty of mathematics and computer science in the rectorate is particularly important to me," he emphasizes.

research and international cooperation

The central tasks of Linß include the further development of the Catalpa research center and the promotion of interdisciplinary research focus. In addition, he will deal with the topic of internationalization by creating more international offers and flexibility for students. This also includes joint courses with partner universities. These initiatives are not only important for the distant university, but are also in line with the global goals for sustainable development, as formulated in the 2030 Agenda, which demands significant contributions from universities to overcome local and global challenges, such as daad.de emphasized.

A new focus in Vice -Rectorate is the topic of sustainability, which was anchored on the recommendation of the sustainability working group. Linß emphasizes the need to aggressively tackle the challenges of energy efficiency and climate neutrality. The aim of becoming climate-neutral by 2030 is the aim of North Rhine-Westphalia, and Linß sees the FernUniversität as part of this process. "We have to develop sustainable research strategies and promote international cooperation," he explains.

The role of universities in sustainability

universities play a key role in implementing all sustainability goals, starting with nutrition protection and even climate protection. They are crucial for the training of qualified specialists and responsibilities who can contribute to coping with the challenges of the 2030 Agenda. The DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service) emphasizes that universities through practice -oriented courses and promoting entrepreneurship not only contribute to employment, but also to strengthen the local economy. Linß’s commitment to sustainability at FernUniversität is therefore an important step to anchor these topics not only in the field of education, but also beyond.

The FernUniversität in Hagen and its new managers are well positioned to meet these challenges and successfully implement their vision of research, internationality and sustainability.