Happy mood and warm temperatures: Over 400 guests from the fields of education and research as well as representatives of politics, the university administration and city dignitaries followed the invitation of the President’s Office to attend this year’s summer party on the University campus. The party started on Friday evening and went on long into the night and the following morning – a fine opportunity for the new Staatsrat for Science, Dr. Joachim Schuster, to get accustomed to his new office.

The “unifreunde”, who made the party possible in the first place, were represented among others by Professor Bengt Beutler, Fredo Berninghausen and Dr. Heiko Staroßom. A visibly cheerful University President, Professor Wilfried Müller, was not only in a good mood because, despite climate change, the farmers’ hundred-year weather calendar had correctly prophesized good weather for the University’s 40th anniversary. He was also in an exceptionally good mood because in its 40th year the University is on its way to receiving the accolade “University of Excellence”.

This is further symbolized by the new “University Streetcar”, which since 22nd June is plying the route of line 6 between the airport and the University. The streetcar adorned with the slogan “40 years University of Bremen – On the way to excellence!” is appropriately marking the final stage of the University’s application with the Excellence Initiative launched by the German Government: The University must have submitted a full proposal by 1st September. We will not know until June 2012 whether Bremen has been selected as a University of Excellence.