The Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Witten/Herdecke University, Prof. Dr. rer. nat. Hans-Christian Pape, received the Cross of Merit 1st Class of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany on January 18. He was honored for his teaching and research activities and his outstanding commitment in leading positions at institutions such as the Humboldt Foundation, the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina and the German Council of Science and Humanities - as a result, he has significantly shaped foreign cultural and educational policy and science policy.

"We warmly congratulate Hans-Christian Pape on this great award and are delighted that he has enriched our university with his tireless commitment to science policy, his innovative spirit and creative drive," said Prof. Dr. Martin Butzlaff, President of UW/H. "As an institution, we can benefit from his experience of how resources in science can be used in a targeted manner."

Prof. Dr. Hans-Christian Pape was Professor and Director of the Institute of Physiology I at the University of Münster from 2004 until his retirement in 2022 and is considered one of the world's leading experts in the neurophysiological foundations of emotional behavior. From 2018 to 2023, he was President of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation and was also a member of the German Council of Science and Humanities for many years. He has been a member of the UW/H Supervisory Board since 2016. He received a further award from Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg in 2023: an honorary doctorate for his outstanding scientific achievements.

The Order of Merit is the highest recognition awarded by the Federal Republic of Germany for services to the common good.