The Friedrich Schiller University Jena has achieved great success in research and teaching in recent years. All members of our academic community have contributed to this positive trend and together we will continue to make the University of Jena thrive. However, it is also time to pause for a moment and reflect what values guide our actions and whether we will still identify with them in the future.
The Executive Board of the University of Jena has, thus, initiated a process to develop a mission statement. Generally, universities use mission statements to briefly and succinctly describe their self-image, their tasks, and the core values guiding their actions. A mission statement shapes the strategic goals and measures of a university. It should be specific, up-to-date, and of lasting value.
A thirteen-member Senate task force developed a draft that was presented to the university public in November 2020 as part of the mission statement dialogue. The Senate of the Friedrich Schiller University adopted the mission statement on 16 February 2021. On this page you will find a retrospective of the mission statement process.
Starting point
The work on the mission statement did start from scratch. The university’s constitution (Grundordnung [PDF, 445 KB] DEExternal link) and the appointment procedure regulations (BerufungsordnungExternal link) of the University of Jena as well as the Thuringian Higher Education Act (Thüringer HochschulgesetzExternal link) were important starting points for the development of our mission statement. Additionally, strategic texts DEExternal link (German only) on research and teaching were already available. The mission statement is an important component in outlining the strategy of the University of Jena for the next years and in strengthening the profile of our university both internally and externally.