"German Science and Humanities Council is in greater demand than ever before"

Since 2019, the fully qualified lawyer has headed the Division for Policy Issues, Digitalisation and Transfer of the Higher Education and Science Department of the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR). In this role, she was responsible for the conception and implementation of activities for the strategic development of the science system, such as the reorientation of the Pact for Research and Innovation and the further development of instruments to strengthen transfer from science.

Seng was Deputy Chairwoman of the Board of Trustees of the Weizenbaum Institute and a member of the Senate of the German Aerospace Centre (DLR). Prior to this, she held various positions at the BMFTR (formerly BMBF) since 2003, including Head of the Legal Department.

She studied law in Würzburg and Nottingham, UK, and holds a Master's degree in International Environmental Law. Before joining the BMFTR, she worked as a legal advisor for international environmental law for the non-governmental organisation Center for International Environmental Law in Washington, DC, USA.

"I am very much looking forward to working with Esther Seng, whom I value as a proven science policy expert. She knows the German Science and Humanities Council very well and has excellent networks in science and politics. She combines strategic vision with great negotiating skills and knows how to win and convince people. These are strengths with which she will achieve a great deal at the Science Council," says the Chairman of the WR, Wolfgang Wick.

"The science system in Germany is facing a wide range of challenges - for example due to the enormous changes brought about by digitalisation and the rapidly changing global political situation. The German Science and Humanities Council is therefore in greater demand than ever before. With my expertise in science policy, I want to help ensure that we in the WR find good solutions for the future of science in Germany in close cooperation between science and politics," says Esther Seng.

Esther Seng succeeds Thomas May, who is retiring after 16 years as Secretary General of the German Science and Humanities Council. "The German Science and Humanities Council has initiated many changes since 2009 and contributed significantly to the further development of the German science system. The success of this work is inextricably linked to Thomas May, who has steered the fate of the Science Council not only with political prudence, but also with style and, not least, a fine sense of humour. I would like to thank him for this on behalf of the Science Council and its office," emphasises Wolfgang Wick.

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Copyright of the photo: WR / M. Bause