The Circle U. President is the highest representative of the alliance. The President chairs the General Assembly which is the decision body where rectors, presidents and students make decisions on the strategic development of the alliance. Julia von Blumenthal will fulfil her mandate for a one-year period; however, the General Assembly may decide to extend her mandate an additional year.
Svein Stølen, rector of the University of Oslo and outgoing interim president of Circle U. said: "Throughout her career, Julia has showed her dedication to Europe. She is the president of Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, which has played a key role in establishing, developing and scaling up our alliance, notably through its leadership on the Climate Knowledge Hub. I am convinced that Julia will enhance the development of Circle U. and lead the alliance in the right direction."
Julia von Blumenthal is indeed already looking at what lies ahead in Circle U.:
"I am delighted to have been elected Circle U. President at this exciting time for our alliance. In the months ahead, we will be launching many new initiatives and structures together: from joint modules and new opportunities for cooperation as part of the Open Campus, to our new Knowledge Hub on the topic of artificial intelligence", says the elected President. "Circle U. is all’about learning from each other and, together, moving forward to improve what we do. This is sometimes complex but rewarding overall - after all, we are trying to do nothing less than rethink European higher education. It remains a big task but as Circle U. we have built the community and trust to develop the tools and opportunities our students, researchers and administration need to meet the challenges of our time. I am very much looking forward to accompanying this collaborative effort as the new Circle U. President."
