Jendrik Fabisch becomes new student member of the Presidential Board

The 21-year-old student will take up his post on 1 April, succeeding Ira Helten, who was the first student member of Viadrina's Presidential Board to hold the newly created office during her one-year term.

"From a student perspective, it is important to not just perceive the university as a service provider; we have the opportunity to help shape it in the time we are here," says Jendrik Fabisch about his motivation. He sees the involvement of students in the ongoing reform process at the European University as a key issue. "We are the largest status group and it is essential that our voices are taken on board and heard." He also sees the networking of committed students on campus as his task. He is looking forward to building a large network among the students in order to bring issues from them to the university management. "It's certainly a challenge to assert yourself in such a role fully among respected individuals," he says, but he is confident given his experience in the student council in his home state of Niedersachsen.

Jendrik Fabisch is in his third semester studying Recht und Politik / Politik und Recht at the Viadrina. He is currently helping to shape campus life as chairman of the law student council. He was already active at school as a student representative and in the children's and youth work of the Protestant church. He gained his first professional experience with internships at a local newspaper and with a member of the state parliament before moving to Frankfurt (Oder) to study at the Viadrina. According to Fabisch, it was a conscious decision to combine the subjects of Recht und Politik / Politik und Recht and the university city. "I'm just not a big city person at all," he says.

In addition to the student member, the Viadrina Senate also elected the following Vice-Presidents for a further three-year term on 28 January: Prof. Dr Jan-Hendrik Passoth for Research and Career Development, Prof. Dr Christoph Brömmelmeyer for Teaching and Studies and Janine Nuyken for Transfer and Campus. Prof. Dr Charlotte Köhler had already been elected to the new position of Vice President for Digitalisation in July 2025.