Prof. Wolfgang A. Herrmann, one of the most cited German chemists (ISI), has made remarkable contributions to inorganic and organometallic chemistry, with over 800 scientific publications and approximately 80 patents. Prof. Herrmann has been awarded 13 honorary doctorates from domestic and foreign universities and the highest German science prizes; among others, the Leibniz Prize of the German Research Foundation (1987), the Max Planck Research Prize (1991), and the Bavarian Order of Maximilian for Science and Art (2012).

From 1995 to 2019, as the 39th President of TUM, Prof. Herrmann spearheaded its transformation into an entrepreneurial university, significantly shaping its global reputation. Additionally, he also played a key role in Nuremberg University of Technology as chairman of its structural commission (2017–2019).

Currently, Prof. Herrmann remains active as President Emeritus of the Technical University of Munich (TUM), Non-Executive Academic Director of TUM Asia, and a Board of Trustees Member at Nanyang Technological University (NTU). His expertise and leadership continue to contribute to the advancement of global higher education and research.

Founded in 1868, Technical University of Munich (TUM) has yielded numerous scientific and technical breakthroughs, starting with Carl von Linde`s ice machine and Rudolf Diesel´s combustion engine. The future challenges of a renowned, competitive university depend on three key factors:

(1) Internationality – TUM has a strong global network including the unique branch TUM Asia in Singapore; TUM has 40 % students from abroad.

(2) Interdisciplinarity: Teaching and research across traditional disciplines, as a “Excellence University” since 2006.

(3) Entrepreneurship: Technology transfer into economy by virtue of spin-off activities; TUM presently encounters ca. 100 spin-off companies per year, as #1 in Europe, some of them ranking as world top-level “decacorns”.