Laureation Address: Dr Michael Hoch
Honorary Degree of Doctor of Science
Laureation by Professor Brad MacKay, Deputy Principal
Friday 3 July 2026 – afternoon ceremony
Vice-Chancellor, graduates, colleagues, and honoured guests, it is my privilege to present for the degree of Doctor of Science, honoris causa, Professor Dr Michael Hoch.
Michael Hoch’s academic journey is, by any measure, remarkable. He studied biology at Heidelberg University from 1983 to 1989, enriched by formative research experiences at the Institut Pasteur in Paris, and the Max Planck Institute in Tübingen. He completed his doctorate at Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich in 1992, before undertaking postdoctoral work
in Göttingen, where he later led a research group. Since 1999, he has served as Professor of Molecular Developmental Biology at the University of Bonn, where he went on to found major interdisciplinary initiatives, including the Life & Medical Sciences Institute. Since 2015, he has served as Bonn’s 143rd Rector, the equivalent, at our university, of Vice-Chancellor.
Yet to recite this biography risks missing the deeper significance of Michael’s story. His path to academic distinction did not begin with privilege or established tradition. He grew up
in a working-class family where his parents had not attended secondary school, much less university. And yet they encouraged him to believe in the value of learning and to pursue it with determination. Michael became the first in his family to attend high school, and then university, where he was one of only 0.3 percent of German students to be identified and supported by the German Academic Scholarship Foundation.
His early development reflects both intellectual curiosity and a touch of serendipity. A teacher near the Lake of Constance where he grew up inspired him to shift his focus from languages to biology, a decision that would define his career. His choice of Heidelberg, then, as now, a global centre for molecular biology, was influenced in part by his wife Sylvia’s plans to study translation there. So, his early love of languages was not entirely diverted.
Michael’s scientific work has been both rigorous and influential. From foundational research in developmental biology to later work exploring lipid metabolism and the links between insulin
signalling and immunity, his contributions have deepened our understanding of complex biological systems. But many distinguished scientists excel in research. What sets Michael apart is his rare ability to translate scholarly excellence into institutional transformation.
A small detail captures something essential about his approach. Michael is not naturally a lover of formalities; he is known to remove his tie at the earliest opportunity. Yet, whenever key
moments approach – evaluations, inspections, high-stakes presentations – he has a particular red tie, his Kampf-Krawatte, or “battle tie.” It always hangs, neatly tied, ready to be deployed when needed. It seems that the battle tie has accompanied many of Bonn’s subsequent successes.
Under Michael’s leadership as Rector, those successes have been extraordinary. The University of Bonn has risen from being a strong, mid-ranked institution to one of Germany’s leading universities. It was selected as one of Germany’s only twelve Universities of Excellence and been
the most successful university in the last two rounds in Germany’s highly competitive Excellence Strategy, securing eight competitive research clusters in the most recent round – more than all the universities in Berlin combined.
Equally important is Michael’s dedication to widening opportunity. Becoming President of the German Academic Scholarship Foundation, the very organisation that once supported him, he has worked tirelessly to ensure that talent, wherever it is found, is nurtured. His own life demonstrates that brilliance is not confined to privilege, and he has helped open doors for countless others.
Recognition has naturally followed. He has been named “University Manager of the Year”
and “Rector of the Year” on so many occasions that it led the German Association of University Professors and Lecturers (DHV) to create the title “Rector of the Decade”, undoubtedly a
clever ploy to remove Michael entirely from the competition and give other Rectors at least a fighting chance!
And yet, beyond titles and achievements, what stands out most is his humanity, his belief in education as a force for connection, his commitment to collaboration, such as the flourishing strategic partnership with the University of St Andrews, and his ability to combine ambition with generosity. These qualities are reflected not only in his institutional accomplishments, and awards, such as the “Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Rays” received from the Imperial House of Japan, but in the respect and affection he inspires in colleagues and students alike.
Today, we celebrate not only a distinguished scientist and transformative leader, but a journey, from modest beginnings to global impact; from opportunity received to opportunity given.
Vice-Chancellor, in recognition of his outstanding contributions to science, higher education, and society, I invite you to confer, not a Kampf-Krawatte, but the degree of Doctor of Science, honoris causa upon Professor Dr Michael Hoch.