The youngest university president-elect in Germany: Prof. Joybrato Mukherjee, 35 yrs, university of Giessen

When I first read about him, I found his story very inspiring such that I decided to deviate and write about this very young and successful man, who is neither of African decend nor looks like the stereotyped German. He is the son of Indian immigrants who has set landmarks of academic achievements.
Mit Prof. Dr. Joybrato Mukherjee wird künftig ein Anglist an der Spitze der Justus-Liebig-Universität Gießen (JLU) stehen. Mit großer Mehrheit wählte der Erweiterte Senat den 35-Jährigen zum neuen Präsidenten. Er erhielt bereits im ersten Wahlgang 20 von 34 Stimmen. „Ich freue mich sehr darauf, die große Geschichte der Universität Gießen in den nächsten Jahren ein Stück weiterschreiben zu dürfen“, sagte er nach seiner Wahl. Prof. Mukherjee, derzeit noch Erster Vizepräsident der JLU, wird sein Amt am 16. Dezember antreten und dann der jüngste Präsident einer öffentlichen Universität in Deutschland sein.


1992-1997

Studied English Language and Literature, Biology and Pedagogy at the Technical University of Aachen

1997

M.A. and First State Examination

1998-2000

Trainee teacher and part-time teacher at the Gymnasium am Wirteltor , Düren, and PhD student/research assistant at the University of Bonn

1999

Second State Examination

2000

PhD in English Linguistics with a dissertation on the interaction between intonation and syntax

2000-2003

Assistant Professor (wissenschaftlicher Assistent) of English Linguistics at the University of Bonn

2003

"Habilitation" in English Philology with a post-doctoral thesis on English ditransitive verbs

2003

Substitute Professor of English Linguistics at the University of Giessen

since 2004

Full Professor and Chair of English Linguistics at the University of Giessen

2004-2008

Vice Dean (Prodekan) of the Faculty of Language, Literature and Culture (Fachbereich 05)

2004-2008

Member of the Senate (Senator) of the University of Giessen

2004-2008

Member of the Advisory Board of the German Anglistenverband

2005

Chair of English linguistics offered at the University of Zurich (declined)

2006

Chair of English linguistics offered at the University of Salzburg (declined)

since 2006

Member of the Executive Board of the International Computer Archive of Modern and Medieval English (ICAME)

since 2006

Principal Investigator: International Graduate Centre for the Study of Culture (GCSC), Giessen Centre of Excellence

since 2006

Member of the Centre for Media and Interactivity (ZMI), University of Giessen

Since July 2009:

First Vice-President (Erster Vizepräsident) of the University of Giessen
President-elect University of Giessen, Germany. He is to take over office in December 2009.