Professor Dr. Hanna Hottenrott has officially begun her work on the Scientific Commission of the German Science and Humanities Council (Wissenschaftsrat), to which she was appointed with effect from 1 February 2026.
“Being appointed to the Scientific Commission of the German Science and Humanities Council is a great honor,” says Prof. Hottenrott. “As Europe’s oldest science policy advisory body, the Council plays a central role in shaping the future of science and higher education. At a time of profound transformation, well‑grounded science policy is more important than ever.”
Most recently, she participated in the Council’s Spring Meetings from 22 to 24 April 2026, which brought together representatives from research and higher education, as well as decision-makers at the federal and state levels, to discuss key strategic challenges in science and higher education policy.
Through her work in the Council, Prof. Hottenrott aims to strengthen Germany’s innovation and research system. “This also includes issues that directly affect students,” she adds, “such as the use of artificial intelligence in teaching or how study programs can remain current and relevant in times of rapid technological change.”
Reflecting on her first participation in the German Science and Humanities Council’s Spring Meetings, Prof. Hottenrott notes: “The Spring Meetings served as an important forum for discussing strategic questions of innovation and economic transformation across the Council’s core fields of work. Holding these discussions in Wolfsburg proved particularly fitting, as the region’s long industrial and automotive history provided a valuable context for reflecting on how technological change evolves over time.”
Prof. Hottenrott is Professor of the Economics of Innovation at the TUM School of Management and Head of the Research Department “Economics of Innovation and Industrial Dynamics” at the Leibniz Centre for European Economic Research (ZEW).
Her engagement in the German Science and Humanities Council highlights the close connection between research, teaching, and policy relevance at the TUM School of Management and brings insights from national science policy discussions back into the academic environment.
