Founders Circle of the German UDS
The Founders Circle is an exclusive committee of the German University of Digital Science. The university's founders and co-founders come together in this circle to advise on its strategic direction and visionary development. Key future topics and fundamental development issues are discussed at the highest professional and strategic levels in this circle.
The Founders Circle serves as a forum where the founding members pool their expertise and experience to strengthen the university's distinguished position in the national and international higher education sectors and shape its future. The focus is on upholding the founding principles responsibly and promoting innovation and excellence in research and teaching.
The Founders Circle significantly contributes to the development of the German University of Digital Science by acting as a strategic advisory and initiative-taking body. The founding members contribute their extensive experience, visionary ideas, and networks to actively shape the university's long-term direction.
The Circle supports the university by:
- developing forward-looking research and teaching concepts;
- advancing innovative digital education technologies;
- reflecting on strategic decisions with a lasting impact;
- promoting exchange between science, business, and society; and
- strengthening the university's international positioning.
Through regular consultation and forward-looking discussions, the Founders Circle helps the university respond quickly to changing challenges and consistently implement its vision of becoming a leading digital university. At the same time, the Circle ensures continuity and reliability in the development of institutional and academic strategies.
Univ.-Prof. Dr. Mike Friedrichsen
He is a pioneer in digitalisation, founding ecommerce companies in the 90s. He was for over 25 years a full professor of Business Informatics and Digital Media at Stuttgart Media University and is the founding president of the German University of Digital Science. He has entrepreneurial experience with various startups and is active in the non-profit sector. He founded the German Digital Science Foundation for innovative digital education projects and regularly gives guest lectures at international universities. Prof. Friedrichsen is the author of numerous books and articles.
Univ.-Prof. Dr. Christoph Meinel
He is the founding president of the German University of Digital Science. For almost 20 years he was the managing director of the Hasso Plattner Institute and developed the first European MOOC platform openHPI.de. He has published 25 Books, over 800 peer reviewed papers, is member of many boards, and has chaired many conferences. He is member of acatech, the German Academy of Science and Engineering.
Patrick Gruhn
Patrick Gruhn is an accomplished entrepreneur, lawyer, software engineer, and fintech innovator based north of Silicon Valley. With deep expertise in blockchain technology, regulatory frameworks, and financial markets, he has built a distinguished career spanning multiple continents and industries.
Gruhn began his entrepreneurial journey at 18 in Germany, where he founded several successful IT companies and provided strategic consulting to major corporations. His legal practice specializes in fintech and digital asset regulation, positioning him at the forefront of emerging financial technologies. Since relocating to Switzerland in 2011 and later to the United States in 2016, he has established ventures across both regions, focusing on blockchain-based financial infrastructure, regulated financial instruments, and artificial intelligence solutions.
Beyond his business pursuits, Gruhn demonstrates significant philanthropic leadership in Catholic media and education. He serves as sole owner and CEO of K-TV, the largest German-speaking Catholic television network, and holds investment and board positions with The Catholic Herald, the world's oldest Catholic publication. He also holds a position on the board of Chesterton Academy of Mater Dei, a Catholic high school in Oregon.
Univ.-Prof. Dr. Günter Schmidt
He studied industrial engineering and computer science at the Technical University of Berlin. In 1983, he was awarded a doctorate in engineering. From 1988 to 1991, he held the Chair of Business Informatics at the European Business School and moved from there to Saarland University, where he held the Chair of Operations Research and Business Informatics (ORBI) from 1991 to 2017. In 1995 he was Visiting Professor at the University of Technology in Sydney and in 1998 at the Computer Science Institute ICSI at the University of California, Berkeley. Since 2012 he has been Honorary Research Associate at the University of Cape Town, South Africa.
