Senate confirms the candidates proposed by the Rector for the Vice-Rectorate for Education and Sustainability and the Vice-Rectorate for Research, Transfer and Internationalization.
The candidates proposed by the Rector for the positions of Vice-Rector for Education and Sustainability and Vice-Rector for Research, Transfer and Internationalization were elected by the Senate on 17 March.
Until February 28, 2030, Prof. Dr.-Ing. Alexander Kratzsch, who was re-elected Rector of the Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences by the Extended Senate on November 8, 2024, Prof. Dr. phil. Małgorzata Maćkowiak as Vice-Rector for Education and Sustainability and Prof. Dr. rer. pol. Sophia Keil as Vice-Rector for Research, Transfer and Internationalization.
The election took place on the basis of the Rector's election proposal of March 6, 2025 in accordance with the Saxon Higher Education Act and the election regulations of the HSZG.
The Basic Regulations of the Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences in the version dated March 15, 2024 set the number of Vice-Rectors at two. In accordance with the regulations, the areas of responsibility for the Vice-Rectorates are proposed by the Rector and determined by the Rectorate. The SächsHSG in the version dated May 31, 2023 also stipulates that one Vice-Rectorate must be dedicated to the topic of sustainability.
Against this background, the Rectorate of the Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences defined the areas of responsibility of the Vice Rectorates for the coming term of office as follows at its meeting on March 5, 2025:
In future, the Prorectorate for Education and Sustainability will be responsible for matters relating to studies, continuing education, university didactics and the development of the area of sustainability as a comprehensive approach.
Education and sustainability are two key topics that are closely linked. I look forward to working with students, lecturers and staff to further develop innovative and sustainable teaching and learning formats and strengthen the university as a responsible place of education.
”The Vice-Rectorate Research, Transfer and Internationalization is responsible for the areas of research, transfer and third mission as well as the strategic planning, development and coordination of research structures. It also has overall responsibility for the international relations of the HSZG in close coordination with the Vice-Rectorate Education and Sustainability.
Research and transfer are decisive factors for the innovative strength of our university and our region. In my new role, I will work to further promote interdisciplinary research projects, intensify international exchange and actively shape the transfer of knowledge to society and the economy.
”Following the election, the next step is to make the necessary decisions in the strategy process after a detailed and collegial vote on the individual tasks.
I would like to congratulate Prof. Maćkowiak and Prof. Keil on their election and look forward to working with them over the next five years. With the clear allocation of responsibilities in the Vice-Rectorates, we are setting specific priorities for the further development of the university and setting the course for a successful future.
”In conclusion, the Rector expressly thanks Prof. Dr. phil. habil. Raj Kollmorgen, who has held the office of Vice-Rector Research for the past five years and would like to concentrate on his research activities again in future: "With his commitment, Prof. Raj Kollmorgen has made a significant contribution to the further development of research structures at our university. I wish him every success and enjoyment in his future scientific endeavors."
Professor of Applied Linguistics Polish and Cultural Studies at the Faculty of Management and Cultural Studies
Prof. Dr. Małgorzata Maćkowiak studied German language and literature at the University of Wrocław, where she obtained her doctorate in 1996. She taught at several colleges and universities in Poland, Germany and Switzerland and worked as a lecturer, subject advisor and head of department before moving to Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences in 2010. She was appointed Professor of Applied Linguistics and Translation Studies Polish in 2015 and has been Professor of Applied Linguistics Polish and Cultural Studies since 2021.
Her research focuses on the cultural and literary history of Germany, Austria and Switzerland, with a particular focus on the regionality and cultural heritage of Silesia. For her academic and didactic achievements, she was awarded the Rector's Prize of the University of Wrocław (2000) and the Academy of Applied Sciences in Jelenia Góra (2009), among others.
In addition to her academic work, she is involved in cultural studies projects and collaborates with museums and academic institutions in Germany and Poland.
Professor of Business Administration, in particular Production Management and Logistics at the Faculty of Business, Economics and Industrial Engineering
Prof. Dr. rer. pol. Sophia Keil has been Professor of Business Administration, in particular Production Management and Logistics at the Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences since December 2017. From December 2018 until the beginning of May 2020, she was Dean of the Faculty of Economics and Industrial Engineering. From March 2020 to February 2025, she was Vice Rector for Education and International Affairs at Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences.
Born on the Baltic island of Rügen, she studied business administration at Stralsund University of Applied Sciences. From 2005 to 2006, she completed a part-time doctorate at the Technical University of Dresden. During her professional development at the semiconductor manufacturer Infineon Technologies Dresden GmbH, at the Chair of Business Administration, in particular Logistics, at the Technical University of Dresden, at Dresden International University (DIU) and at Stralsund University of Applied Sciences, she was able to acquire comprehensive specialist, experience and management knowledge in the fields of corporate process, production, supply chain and logistics optimization.
In 2011, she completed her doctorate at the Technical University of Dresden with a thesis on "Flow-oriented design of production systems using the example of semiconductor factories". In 2015, she was offered a professorship at the SUNY Polytechnic Institute Albany (NY, USA), which she did not accept.
Her research focuses on the development of approaches for shaping the digital transformation of the economy and society, the development of innovative teaching/learning methods and educational formats for people of all generations and the development of methods for the effective and efficient design of production systems and supply chains as well as the human-centered design of the working world of the future.
Prof. Keil is an active researcher and heads the Science Center Oberlausitz-Technologie Transfer-innovativ research group, SCO-TTi for short. She is currently leading four research projects, the two BMBF-funded research projects - Perspektive Arbeit Lausitz (PAL) and Factory for Future (F4F) as well as the EU projects AIMS 5.0 and ENERGIEAUTARKE KOMMUNIKATIONS- & INFORMATIONSTECHNOLOGIEN AUS SACHSEN (EKI Saxony). She is particularly involved in designing the workplaces of the future in the context of Industry 5.0. She is a member of the program committees of the Advanced Semiconductor Manufacturing Conference (ASMC) and the European Advanced Process Control and Manufacturing Conference (apcm) and the author of over 30 publications. She is also involved in research monitoring and chairs the advisory board of the WIR federal project Artifarm.
