Brigitte Heintz-Cuscianna was warmly welcomed into office as the new Chancellor at a ceremony on 4 May 2026. She had already officially taken up the post of Chancellor on 29 April 2026. She was elected on 7 January 2026 at a public university event; her term of office is six years.
After the welcome address by the Chairman of the University Council, Dr Guido Bader, Dr Hans J. Reiter, Ministerial Director at the Baden-Württemberg Ministry of Science, Research and the Arts, gave a speech. Following this, Rector Prof. Dr Katja Rade welcomed the new Chancellor to her office.
Brigitte Heintz-Cuscianna brings with her many years of experience in leading positions at the university, most recently as Head of the International Office at HFT Stuttgart. Based on the university's structure and development plan, she has successfully driven forward key topics of her previous work - digitalisation, sustainable resource management and modern leadership culture.
As Chancellor, Heintz-Cuscianna assumes responsibility for several central administrative areas. These include the Economic Department with the Department of Human Resources and Organisation as well as the Department of Finance. She is also responsible for third-party funding and project management. She is also responsible for student affairs, including the Student Affairs Department with the Student Secretariat and the Examination and Internship Office. She is also responsible for occupational health and safety, information security and data protection. In future, she will oversee the extensive area of digital administration together with Rector Prof Dr Katja Rade.
In her new position, Heintz-Cuscianna would like to contribute her expertise in a targeted manner by further expanding and optimising digital administrative processes, further developing resource controlling, particularly in the areas of human resources and finance, and strengthening internal personnel development and communication. Her aim is to establish an impact-oriented, contemporary work and university culture in order to sustainably strengthen the university's administrative structures and create the basis for an efficient, future-proof university organisation.
Responsibilities of chancellors at universities in Baden-Württemberg
Chancellors at universities in Baden-Württemberg are members of the university management and are responsible for university administration, the budget, non-academic staff and properties. They manage the administration and are the supervisors of the staff. In Baden-Württemberg, chancellors are usually temporary civil servants. They are elected by the University Council or the Senate. Unlike in other federal states, chancellors in Baden-Württemberg are not bound by instructions from the rector, which strengthens the independence of the administration.
