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The University Medal 2020 of the University of Bayreuth went to Prof. Dr. Ulrike Wanitzek, a founding member of the Africa Multiple Cluster of Excellence for her lifetime achievement.

Prof. Dr. Ulrike Wanitzek was awarded the University Medal 2020.

Each year the “dies academicus” in Bayreuth celebrates the anniversary of the foundation of the University of Bayreuth. And each year the University uses this celebration as an appropriate stage to award the University Medal to individuals who have made an especially valuable contribution to the academic landscape. This year, the medal went to the Cluster of Excellence’s founding member Prof. Dr. Ulrike Wanitzek. The legal scholar who retired in April 2020 after four decades at the University of Bayreuth was recognized for her achievements in the field of law but also for the tireless efforts and pioneering work in African Studies.

Outstanding interdisciplinary network

Combining her two passions for law and the African continent Prof. Wanitzek managed to build an outstanding interdisciplinary network that connected legal and other scholars of the University of Bayreuth with academics all over the world especially the Global South. As a member of the Steering Committee of the Institute for African Studies (IAS) she made sure that the juridical component was ever present in the interdisciplinary dialogue on the topic of Africa.

Founding the Tanzanian-German Centre for Eastern African Legal Studies (TGCL)

Prof. Dr. Wanitzek has continuously added to the visibility and interlacing of the University of Bayreuth. She founded and successfully directed the Tanzanian-German Centre for Eastern African Legal Studies (TGCL). With a thematic focus on regional integration law with a special emphasis on the law of the East African Community the TGCL has become one of the key institutions in the training of future leaders in East Africa. The highly specialized LLM and PhD programmes are conducted at the School of Law of the University of Dar es Salaam, in close cooperation with the University of Bayreuth. In her capacity as director Prof. Wanitzek helped raised more than 4 million Euros in funding for the international project.

Lasting impact

The African Studies focus area at the University of Bayreuth and the Africa Multiple Cluster of Excellence continue to benefit from Prof. Dr. Wanitzek’s longstanding groundwork up to the present day. She helped in shaping the Cluster’s agenda in its formative period by inserting essential juridical components and contributing her outstanding expertise and network. 

The extent of her achievements is also reflected in the recently established chair in „African Legal Studies“ – a unique chair at the Faculty of Law and Economics at the University of Bayreuth, which was specifically created to continue Prof. Dr. Wanitzek’s work following her retirement. (sg)

 © University of Bayreuth