Meeting the Man | Prof. Dr. Joachim Hornegger, President of FAU Erlangen-Nürnberg

On 27 November 2024, I stood in front of the Schloss building, room 1.033 of FAU, feeling a mix of excitement and nerves. Our appointment with the President of Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Prof. Dr. Joachim Hornegger, was scheduled for 2:30 PM. I was joined by two other PWA scholarship recipients (Ms. Mia Turbic and Alejandro Gomez Lopez) for this special occasion. 

At the scheduled time, we stepped inside and were warmly introduced to the President by our Scholarship Coordinator, Ms. Jennifer. She had told us earlier that this meeting was an opportunity to meet the President, learn about his work, and ask questions about our academic journeys. Still, I couldn’t help but feel a bit anxious; what if he asked me something academic and I froze?

But all that faded the moment he greeted us with the same charismatic smile and approachable demeanor we’d seen during the FAU Awards Night. While we didn’t get to interact much with him then, meeting him in person now confirmed he was just as kind and welcoming as he appeared.

The conversation began with our introductions, where we came from, our work before FAU, and our aspirations in the field of Human Rights and research. He asked thoughtful questions like, “Why FAU?” and “Why Nuremberg?” which sparked meaningful reflection. He shared his vision of expanding research activities in the social sciences in this region and also spoke about FAU's success in attracting international students to the Master's program in Artificial Intelligence. 

Then, he shared his own academic and professional journey. Prof. Hornegger studied computer science with a minor in mathematics at FAU, where he also completed his PhD in 1996 with a thesis on statistical object modeling and recognition. He also spoke about his time at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Stanford University, and later, his professional roles at Siemens, Germany. Which were very inspiring. 

What truly captivated me was how he described being offered the Vice President position at FAU, and later stepping into the role of President. He narrated everything with such ease and humility that it almost sounded like a casual turn of events, though I’m sure it was far from easy. 

In that one hour, what became clear to me is that he truly loves what he does. Most importantly, he loves students, he loves being amongst them. Rather than positioning himself as a distant figure looking down from a high staircase, he likes being one of us.

I come from a place, where meeting the vice-chancellor, or Deputy Registrar’s of a University is a procedural nightmare. And even if you get to meet them, the scope to discuss academic or professional aspirations are very less (probably because of time constraints, the south Asian hierarchical culture etc.)

But this was very different. It immediately gives you a sense that you are welcome, that you belong here.  

Out of all the wonderful things Prof. Hornegger shared, one quote stayed with me the most. (Sir, please forgive me if I misquote you!) He said something along the lines of, that he never chased the idea of becoming Vice President or President of FAU, he simply approached his work with passion and integrity, and those roles came naturally as part of his journey. If someone targets (aims for) the position, the chances are lower that they will get it, he said. There was something deeply grounding about his words.  

We ended the meeting with a selfie, of course. And just so you know — what you see in the photos? That's exactly who He is: welcoming, friendly, and incredibly wise. He is your university President, after all. 

Dear future scholarship recipient, when your time comes, don’t be afraid. You will have a memorable conversation with him, one that will stay with you.

Just one little catch— (for now) you might not meet him in a Castle like we did! 🏰✨

Us with the President of FAU, Prof. Dr. Joachim Hornegger