In recognition of his outstanding services, Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Anders was awarded the title of Honorary Senator of the Ludwigshafen University of Business and Society at a ceremony today, Wednesday, 14 December 2022. University President Prof. Dr. Gunther Piller presented the award on behalf of the Senate to his predecessor in office: Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Anders headed the former Ludwigshafen University of Applied Sciences from 1995 to 2009 and led the institution to independence - previously there was only a central Rhineland-Palatinate University of Applied Sciences with a presidential office in Mainz and various departments/locations. "The fact that this award is being presented for only the second time in the 51st year of the university's existence shows its value. The fact that the Senate's approval of this proposal was unanimous is a further sign of special appreciation of your person and your achievements, dear Prof. Dr. Anders," emphasized President Gunther Piller in his welcoming speech.
In his laudatory speech, Prof. Dr. Johannes Kals, a long-time companion of the honoree, then paid tribute to the achievements of Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Anders: Wolfgang Anders not only led the institution to independence as founding president, but was also the first university in Rhineland-Palatinate to achieve the changeover from Diplom to Bachelor's and Master's degree courses as part of the so-called Bologna reform. In addition, Wolfgang Anders also laid the foundations for the university's good networking in terms of higher education policy, local, regional and international networking through his tireless networking work. He also recognized the importance of e-learning for universities at a very early stage and set up a corresponding position. According to Kals, Anders met the many challenges of the presidency with outstanding management and communication skills, a certain coolness, modesty and a great deal of commitment.
Prof. Dr. Klaus Blettner, Dean of the Marketing and Human Resources Management Department, also paid tribute to the "fine man" Wolfgang Anders, who today bid farewell to Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Anders at the same time as appointing him an Honorary Senator for his well-deserved retirement: "We are losing an expert in organizational communication, management and universities, a very committed and extremely internationally positioned professor and a fine colleague and person," said Blettner on his farewell.
Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Anders also reviewed his presidency at the university in Ludwigshafen with the "distance of the last few years" and took the guests on a "tour d'horizon" from the beginnings as an independent university to the merger with the Protestant University of Applied Sciences in 2008/2009: from profile and infrastructure development to new buildings (OAI and B-Building), the launch of a city marketing process or the promotion of women to the establishment of the international partner network or the project planning of the Neustadt Wine Campus - always accompanied by committed colleagues. According to Anders, the central cornerstones of his work have been working together instead of against each other, openness to change, transparency and participation.
Wolfgang Anders has been at the university in Ludwigshafen since 1993, initially as Professor of Management and from 1995 as Dean of Department at the then Rhineland-Palatinate University of Applied Sciences. From 1996 to 2009, Wolfgang Anders was then responsible for the fortunes of the now independent university as its founding president. Since his self-imposed retirement from the management position in 2009, Anders was associated with HWG LU as a dedicated professor of business administration, in particular corporate management and logistics, in the Marketing and Human Resources Management Department until his current retirement.
