A Fifth School at the University of Siegen

Senate decides to incorporate the School of Life Sciences into the basic structure of the university.

The University of Siegen has taken the next step towards the establishment of a medical school. On July 19, 2017, the senate of the university decided the initiation of the School of Life Sciences. Previously, the rectorate of the university had taken the decision to found the new faculty. The founding process is initiated with the senate's vote. The School of Life Sciences (LWF) is the fifth school of the University of Siegen.

"The School of Life Sciences pursues a modern, medically-focused but interdisciplinary approach - oriented towards the future of medicine. This is a significant step for our project 'Thinking Medicine New'. The University of Siegen now has a school of life sciences, which has an international focus on digital medicine and thus has a distinctive profile. I am very pleased about this successful outcome. This is a strong signal," said Rector Prof. Dr. Holger Burckhart.

The LWF is initially a shell, the constitution of which is to be drawn up by a working group in the coming months. This working group consists of members of the Senate and is reinforced by external expertise. It will also clarify key issues in the thematic blocks: doctoral programs, personnel affiliation, occupational regulations and budget. In the spring, a new founding body could be elected and the new faculty could start operations on 1 April 2018. "We want to succeed with the LWF internationally, but, above all, we want to create structures for improved medical care for the region, now and in the future," emphasized Prof. Burckhart.

With the LWF, the University of Siegen has now created a reference for subsequent negotiations with cooperation partners in the project "Thinking Medicine New", the University of Bonn, the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, and the Erasmus University Medical Center Rotterdam (EMC).

The focus in the discussions with Bonn is to include 25 medical students at the Faculty of Biology in cooperation with the four Siegen clinics. The medical study program with the degree of Staatsexamen (state examination) is based on the curriculum of the medical school of the University of Bonn. It is also important to increase the contingent of medical students in Siegen by 25 in cooperation with the University of Mainz. These students will also complete their clinical training in Siegen.

Negotiations with the EMC have already reached an advanced stage. A memorandum has been concluded between the rector of the University of Siegen, Prof. Burckhart, and the dean of the medical school of the EMC, Prof. Jaap Verweij, on future cooperation in the form of a "Memorandum of Understanding". In addition to the exchange of teachers and researchers as well as students, we are currently considering the establishment of a joint Bachelor / Master program "European Master in Human Medicine".

The University of Siegen is confident that it will be able to welcome the first medical students in Siegen in the winter semester 2018/2019. The preparations are proceeding well. Rector Prof. Burckhart said: "This effort can only be achieved through the concentrated cooperation between the partners and the smooth interdisciplinary cooperation between the Siegen faculties and the administration. Now it becomes clear that the restructuring of the past years at the University of Siegen has created ideal conditions for this and already bears fruit."