The Jacobs University Foundation of America is excited to announce that it is naming its next endowed Scholarship the Ronny Wells Scholarship in dedication of Ronny Wells and his lifetime of achievement and dedication to Jacobs University Bremen. 
 
Dr. Raymond Wells was fundamental to the establishment of Jacobs University Bremen. Indeed, it was the fateful call from Dr. Hans-Otto Peitgen to Dr. Raymond (Ronny) Wells on the morning of October 22, 1997 that connected the City of Bremen to Rice University and set the stage for the establishment of Jacobs University. Ronny played a critical advisory role in the early days of the university and contributed to the establishment of the IRC and Jacobs trans disciplinary approach to education. Ronny also had the foresight to establish an official non-profit in the United States, the Jacobs University Foundation of America, such that Americans could contribute to the University and receive tax benefits. Ronny served in leadership roles in JUFA for over nine years, and continues to serve on the Board of the Jacobs University Foundation of America today. Ronny’s role in the establishment of Jacobs University is so fundamental that he has literally written a book on the history of Jacobs.

The Jacobs University Foundation of America has raised $40,000 of their $100,000 goal for the Ronny Wells Scholarship Fund. The first Ronny Wells Scholarship will be awarded to an incoming student in the fall of 2017. The next scholarship will be awarded upon meeting the endowment goal. If you are interested in contributing the to the Ronny Wells Scholarship you can donate here. 

In 2015 the JUFA Alumni Scholarship Fund was created. This Fund was established to fulfill a desire by alumni to give back to a scholarship that is not only merit based but also will be available to students of all nationalities. Most importantly, unlike some scholarship initiatives in the past the JUFA Alumni Scholarship Fund is an endowment model. This means that no scholarship will ever be paid out of the principal of the endowment, but instead out of accrued interest on the endowment. Basically this translates into the Fund and the scholarship being sustainable, in perpetuity, regardless of future cash flow.
 
Being part of the creation of this Fund has been incredibly exciting and the Development Committee of JUFA has been overwhelmed with the show of support for the Fund. Thus it is my pleasure to announce that in 2015 -- $22,102 dollars were raised for the JUFA Alumni Scholarship Fund.
 
And we are only getting started! Due to the generosity of an alumnus from the Class of 2007, all donations to the JUFA Alumni Scholarship Fund made until April of 2017 will be matched dollar for dollar up to $10,000 dollars!
 
Given all of this very exciting news, the Development Committee has decided to introduce a new 5-year fundraising goal for the JUFA Alumni Scholarship Fund of $100,000. Based on the generosity of alumni in the past year we are confident we will be able to reach this goal. This also ensures that the JUFA Alumni Scholarship Fund will provide for a 2000 Euro per year scholarship in perpetuity.
 
Again – thank you to all who have donated and participated in building the JUFA Alumni Scholarship Fund so far. We are looking forward to continuing to build up the future with you!

Author: John B. Boles

Nur jedem Anfang wohnt ein Zauber inne,
Der uns beschützt und der uns hilft, zu lebe.
 
(A magic dwells in each beginning,
protecting us, telling us how to live.)
 
Hermann Hesse, Das Glasperlenspiel (The Glass Bead Game), 1943 

December 3, 1997
Authors: Rice delegation and Bremen task force

[We] propose the following bold initiative: to create a new private international university in the city of Bremen in the Federal Republic of Germany that will have a mission to prepare science and engineering students to be leaders in the international workplace. Our conception of this new university will be defined by the following characteristics:

It will be dedicate to the highest possible quality standards with respect to the admission of students, the recruitment of faculty, and the execution of its programs of study and research.

It will be an international universityL both students and faculty will be drawn from the city of Bremen, the Federal Republic of Germany, and from Europe, the U.S., and other countries.

It will be a private university with an independent governing board from civic, academic, and industrial leaders from the city of Bremen, from Germany, from Europe, and from participating universities in the U.S.

The curriculum will emphasize selected disciplines in science and engineering. Courses in the humanities, social sciences, business, and law with be part of an integrated curriculum. The undergraduate program of study will be strongly influenced by the U.S. model, but will also incorporate the best features of the German and European models.

The university will be a leading institution in the deployment of information technology to enrich  teaching and learning. This will include distance learning links between the university and its academic partners in the U.S.

It will be a research university ...

It will be a residential learning environment. Students and faculty will live on campus. Sports, cultural and social events will be encouraged to promote interaction and learning outside the classroom. 

[There then followed a series of implementation steps and recommendations for administration and governance.]

Helmut Schmidt, Former Chancellor of Germany
Keynote Address IUB Opening Ceremony
​
When Professor Lust, Chairman of the Board of this university, invited me months ago for today's occasion, I had three good reasons to accept his invitation. First, there was my friendship with Reimar Lust. Second, from the time of my youth, I have felt a special sympathy for the partner city of Bremen – m particular for this very town Grohn-Vegesack, where I spent two years in basic training: face-left, face-right, running, pushups. All pretty senseless, but I still cherish the memory of the Strandlust, the Havenhaus, and the brewer's agent Take. Incidentally, does the "Grauer Esel" still exist? ​

On Tuesday, 1st December 2015, JUFA launched its first #GivingTuesday campaign to raise money for the  JUFA Alumni Scholarship Fund. Thanks to Jacobs alumni from North America and beyond the campaigned raised $14,570. 
The JUFA Alumni Scholarship Fund was founded this year to enable Jacobs alumni to help shape the future of Jacobs University and keep its commitment to academic excellence and a high quality of international education for all, regardless of nationality or financial status. The Jacobs University Foundation of America will continue to grow this endowment over the next five years. The final results of this years campaign will be announced on April 9, 2016 at the reunion for North American based alumni in Palo Alto, California. If you want to know more about North American based alumni initiatives, click here.