by Christina Rauh The turn of the year 2021/22 also brings with it another change in the office of the Wissensregion Düsseldorf association: After four years, I would like to say goodbye to you and you – with many thanks for the great cooperation. [perfectpullquote align=”full” bordertop=”false” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]”The past few weeks have been a foretaste of the club’s new clout.”[/perfectpullquote] Now that the evaluation and realignment of the association have been completed, it is exactly the right time to let fresh legs take you along the path that has now been outlined: With Dr. Kai de Weldige, my successor, Keiko Ito and Miriam Braun, you have a powerful team of supporters who will work with you in the working groups to advance and implement your ideas.
The past few weeks have shown it and were a first foretaste of the new clout of Wissensregion Düsseldorf: with the first Düsseldorf Welcome Day, a successful event has been set up in just a few weeks thanks to the commitment of many members.
This will be followed by a joint recruiting film, a new innovation semester and many concrete projects.
It can go on like this! “Wissensregion Düsseldorf thrives on the strengths and commitment of its members ” – that was and always will be my firm conviction.
This has been demonstrated at all levels: My work has been characterized by close collaboration with so many committed, professional and also personally impressive people.
Thank you for the shared journey, the common milestones and the many successful events (from the presence finals of the Innovation Semester, the video shoots, the Night of Science, the Exchange of Minds and many more). Thanks in particular… … first and foremost to our Chairwoman Prof. Anja Steinbeck and our founding Managing Director Prof. Ulrich von Alemann for having the courage and foresight to launch this cooperation network in the knowledge region and for their strong personal commitment to ensuring that it was and is filled with life.
Above all, thank you for the great trust you have placed in us from the very beginning, the opportunity to write the business plan and always being allowed to contribute all ideas.
… to Prof. Edeltraud Vomberg and her colleagues on the Board of Directors and the General Assembly.
With this high level of trust in each other, our meetings were truly special rounds of exchange.
And what makes me particularly happy is that the new association strategy has made the 2021ff meetings even more diverse – now working groups can present their results directly at the general meetings.
… to my colleagues in the office – you are a great team!
Committed, loyal, focused on results and good personal relationships.
Mr. de Weldige, you will implement and shape a lot of our strategy in the coming years, Keiko and Miriam will achieve a lot with the working groups.
I am sure of that.
… and last, but certainly not least: to you, dear colleagues in the universities, in our city administration, in our chambers and foundations, from the press offices to the international offices to the lecturers in the innovation semester – it has always been something special for me to exchange ideas with you and to find ways of working together for which there were hardly any blueprints in other regions.
I think we have done well in the first few years and are now seeing more and more clearly where joint projects and concrete added value of cooperation lie.
I am already looking forward to checking in from time to time and seeing what new ideas you will find and implement. I am particularly looking forward to seeing the results of the joint communication strategy realized in the coming years.
Because that means that we will have succeeded in showing many interested young people what our region has to offer them.
Why they have every opportunity to acquire and apply knowledge in the Wissensregion Düsseldorf.
Looking at other regions of the world and also at the current, sometimes gloomy, social situation in other federal states, this is not a matter of course: that it is not scepticism and conspiracy theories, but that knowledge counts and is upheld here, that young people here have opportunities for development and are empowered – and not alone, not against each other, not in polarized worlds, but that they can grow together here – precisely this is not a matter of course.
Cooperation and trust, that is what we can all be proud of, every single person involved in the Wissensregion Düsseldorf.
I am proud to have worked on this with you as companions and wish you continued success.
See you soon!
(C) Featured image: Wilfried Meyer