Jörg Dräger (born 1 January 1968 in Darmstadt) is a German physicist, non-partisan economic conservative politician and manager.[1][2] From 2001 to 2008 he served as a senator in the Hamburg state government.[3] From 2008 to 2021 he has been a member of the Bertelsmann Stiftung Executive Board where he is responsible for the areas of education and integration.[4][5] Dräger is considered a leading education expert[6][7] and is the author of numerous books on education policy,[8][9] including the impacts of digitization.[10]

Jörg Dräger
Jörg Dräger (2017)
Born (1968-01-01) 1 January 1968 (age 56)
Darmstadt, Hesse, West Germany
(now Germany)
NationalityGerman
Alma mater
OccupationMember of the bertelsmann stiftung executive board
Known forSenator in the Hamburg state government
Websitewww.joergdraeger.de

Life

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Dräger completed his secondary education (Abitur) in 1987 at the Christianeum in Hamburg before doing community service in lieu of military service (Zivildienst).[11][12] He then attended the University of Hamburg, studying physics with a minor in business.[2] After receiving his undergraduate degree (Vordiplom) he transferred to Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, where he was awarded a Master of Science in theoretical physics in 1993.[13] Three years later he received a PhD for his work in the area of mathematical crystallography.[12] While studying and completing his doctorate he worked as a research assistant.[13]

Dräger is married and has two children.[14][15]

Career

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In 1996, he joined Roland Berger Strategy Consultants in Frankfurt am Main as a corporate consultant.[16][17] He then returned to Hamburg in 1999 to lead the newly established Northern Institute of Technology as its CEO.[12][18] The institute is one of the first public-private partnerships in the area of German higher education and is known for its interdisciplinary approach.[19][20][21][22]

Public Office

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In 2001, Dräger was appointed senator of science and research in Hamburg's state government led by Ole von Beust, a position he held as a political independent.[23][24] He called for the introduction of tuition fees and more competition among higher education institutions to secure the institutions' long-term funding.[25][26] These recommendations were greeted with criticism, especially by student representatives.[27]

After early elections in 2004, Dräger was appointed senator of science and health in the second von Beust government.[12][28] Continuing to advocate for reform, he succeeded in introducing tuition fees.[29] His goal was a fundamental reform of Hamburg's university system.[30] He promoted the establishment of new institutions and the consolidation of existing ones as a way of modernizing Hamburg's higher education structures and making them more flexible.[12] In retrospect these measures have proven controversial:[31] While supporters praised his expertise and determination, critics opposed cutbacks made in the humanities, among other changes.[32] In 2008, Dräger placed last in the ranking of ministers published by the German Association of University Professors and Lecturers; one year later he again placed sixth.[33][34]

In 2006, he turned over his responsibilities in the area of health to Senator Birgit Schnieber-Jastram.[35] Following elections in 2008 he announced that he would not serve another term.[36] His announcement was met with regret by a number of public figures, including former Hamburg Mayor Klaus von Dohnanyi, who wrote in a commentary in the Hamburger Abendblatt newspaper that the city had lost presumably its "most effective science senator since 1945."[37] Other members of the media, conversely, were relieved that the "bulldozer in the three-piece suit" (taz) was leaving politics.[38]

Bertelsmann Stiftung

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In 2008, Dräger became a member of the Bertelsmann Stiftung Executive Board, where he is responsible for the areas of education and integration.[39][13] In addition, he joined Frank Ziegele as a co-executive director of the nonprofit CHE Centre for Higher Education.[40][41] In both positions Dräger has advocated for a number of reforms, including more autonomous colleges and universities.[42] He has called for providing schools in troubled neighborhoods with better equipment and resources, and ensuring that educational systems in rural areas adapt to reflect demographic change.[43][44] He is in favor of all-day schools and views digital media as a helpful tool for improving education.[45][46]

Dräger serves as the deputy chair of the Board of Trustees of the Expert Council of the German Foundations on Integration and Migration.[47] He has called for increased immigration from non-EU countries to ensure Germany does not lose out in the international competition for skilled workers.[48][49][50]

Dräger advises young entrepreneurs at the nonprofit Founders Foundation and teaches public management at the Hertie School of Governance.[51][52]

Other activities

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Publications

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  • Jörg Dräger; Robert H. Silsbee (1997). Simulations for Solid State Physics. An Interactive Resource for Students and Teachers. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-59094-5.
  • Jörg Dräger (2011). Dichter, Denker, Schulversager: Gute Schulen sind machbar – Wege aus der Bildungskrise (in German). Munich: Deutsche Verlags-Anstalt. ISBN 978-3-421-04529-4.
  • Jörg Dräger; Christina Tillmann; Frank Frick (2014). Wie politische Ideen Wirklichkeit werden – Ein Lehr- und Praxisbuch (in German). Baden-Baden: Nomos Verlag. ISBN 978-3-8487-1613-5.
  • Jörg Dräger; Ralph Müller-Eiselt (2015). Die digitale Bildungsrevolution: Der radikale Wandel des Lernens und wie wir ihn gestalten können (in German). Munich: Deutsche Verlags-Anstalt. ISBN 978-3-421-04709-0.

References

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  1. ^ Bernhard Hänel (29 August 2011). "Zukunft entscheidet sich im Klassenzimmer". Neue Westfälische (in German).
  2. ^ a b Florian Hanauer (21 August 2005). "Reformer mit kühlem Kopf". Welt am Sonntag (in German).
  3. ^ Elisabeth Jessen (29 August 2011). "Wege aus der Bildungskrise". Hamburger Abendblatt (in German).
  4. ^ "Hamburgs Wissenschaftssenator wechselt zu Bertelsmann". Der Tagesspiegel (in German). 5 March 2008.
  5. ^ "Bertelsmann: Dräger geht zur Stiftung". Manager Magazin (in German). 4 March 2008. Retrieved 30 June 2017.
  6. ^ Jörn Lauterbach (27 September 2015). "Das wird ein Angriff auf die Eliten". Welt am Sonntag (in German).
  7. ^ "Bildungsexperte Dräger: Das Abitur wird zum Normalfall". Westdeutsche Allgemeine Zeitung (in German). 22 March 2017. Retrieved 30 June 2017.
  8. ^ Michael Okrob (31 August 2011). "Wieder ein Schulbuch: Spät, aber wichtig". Die Tageszeitung (in German).
  9. ^ "Debatte über das Lernen der Zukunft". Die Welt (in German). 1 April 2016.
  10. ^ Jörg Dräger, Ralph Müller-Eiselt (8 October 2015). "Digitalisierung: Humboldt gegen Orwell". Die Zeit (in German). Retrieved 5 July 2017.
  11. ^ Renate Pinzke (31 August 2004). "Ich brauche kein Lob". Hamburger Morgenpost (in German).
  12. ^ a b c d e "Jörg Dräger". Internationales Biographisches Archiv (in German). Munzinger. 9 September 2008. Retrieved 30 June 2017.
  13. ^ a b c "Bildung ist die Basis". Neue Westfälische (in German). 2 July 2008.
  14. ^ "Dräger-Nachwuchs". Hamburger Abendblatt (in German). 9 June 2005.
  15. ^ Bernd Eyermann (20 January 2012). "Guter Unterricht nimmt alle mit". Bonner General-Anzeiger (in German).
  16. ^ Norbert Bensel, ed. (2003). Hochschulen, Studienreform und Arbeitsmärkte: Voraussetzungen erfolgreicher Beschäftigungs- und Hochschulpolitik. Bielefeld: W. Bertelsmann Verlag. p. 286. ISBN 3-7639-3168-6.
  17. ^ Peter Meyer, Christoph Rind (21 March 2002). "Unis: Wer baut aus, wer baut ab?". Hamburger Abendblatt (in German).
  18. ^ Nicola Sieverling (26 January 2003). "Der Laptop-Senator". Welt am Sonntag (in German). Retrieved 30 June 2017.
  19. ^ Wolfgang Ehemann (15 August 1999). "Ausruhen gibt es hier nicht". Welt am Sonntag (in German).
  20. ^ Deborah Knür (17 August 1999). "Die Besten der Besten studieren jetzt in Harburg". Die Welt (in German).
  21. ^ "Northern Institute of Technology: Wirtschaft zieht voll mit". Hamburger Abendblatt (in German). 17 December 1999.
  22. ^ Petra Kipphoff (31 August 2000). "Jenseits der Technik". Die Zeit (in German). Retrieved 30 June 2017.
  23. ^ Christoph Rind (20 November 2001). "An die Arbeit, Herr Senator!". Hamburger Abendblatt (in German).
  24. ^ Arnfrid Schenk (21 October 2004). "Der Quereinsteiger". Die Zeit (in German). Retrieved 30 June 2017.
  25. ^ Christoph Rind (13 November 2001). "Gebühren und mehr Wettbewerb". Hamburger Abendblatt (in German).
  26. ^ Kaija Kutter (24 October 2001). "Drägers Uni-Modell". Die Tageszeitung (in German).
  27. ^ Kaija Kutter (15 November 2001). "Unerwünschter Auftritt". Die Tageszeitung (in German) (Hamburg ed.).
  28. ^ "Das sind Oles neue Senatoren". Hamburger Morgenpost (in German). 16 March 2004.
  29. ^ Ira von Mellenthin (25 March 2004). "An der Problemlage hat sich nichts geändert". Die Welt (in German).
  30. ^ Martin Spiewak (6 February 2003). "Blaupause für deutsche Universitäten". Die Zeit (in German). Retrieved 30 June 2017.
  31. ^ "Umkrempeln um jeden Preis". Parlament (in German). 16 January 2006.
  32. ^ Martin Spiewak (23 March 2005). "Tortenschlacht um den Überzeugungstäter". Die Zeit (in German). Retrieved 30 June 2017.
  33. ^ Jochen Leffers (21 February 2008). "Die Professoren keilen aus". Spiegel Online (in German). Retrieved 30 June 2017.
  34. ^ Jochen Leffers (28 January 2009). "Ein bisschen Spaß muss sein". Spiegel Online (in German). Retrieved 30 June 2017.
  35. ^ "Neue Senatorin für Gesundheit in Hamburg". Ärzte Zeitung (in German). 24 March 2006.
  36. ^ "Jörg Dräger verlässt die Politik". Spiegel Online (in German). 4 March 2008. Retrieved 30 June 2017.
  37. ^ "Wegweisende Entscheidungen". Hamburger Abendblatt (in German). 5 March 2008.
  38. ^ "Bulldozer im Dreiteiler: Jörg Dräger, Wissenschaftsenator auf Abruf". Die Tageszeitung (in German). 5 March 2008.
  39. ^ Insa Gall (5 March 2008). "Senator Dräger wechselt zu Bertelsmann". Die Welt (in German) (Hamburg ed.).
  40. ^ Wolf Schmidt (21 June 2008). "Der stolze Schlachter der heiligen Kühe". Die Tageszeitung (in German).
  41. ^ "Ein radikaler Reformer". Der Tagesspiegel (in German). 23 June 2008.
  42. ^ Dorothee Fricke (1 April 2008). "Rankings ausbauen, Autonomie stärken". Junge Karriere (in German).
  43. ^ Jeannette Goddar (8 December 2010). "Ein Sofortprogramm für Brennpunktschulen ist überfällig!". Frankfurter Rundschau (in German).
  44. ^ "Investieren statt reparieren". Westfalen-Blatt (in German). 20 February 2013.
  45. ^ Michael Nichau (30 January 2014). "Ganztagsschule wird Normalität". Westfalen-Blatt (in German).
  46. ^ "Digitale Medien sind Hilfsmittel". Neue Westfälische (Zeitung für das Lübbecker Land) (in German). 22 June 2017.
  47. ^ "Kuratorium" (in German). Sachverständigenrat deutscher Stiftungen für Integration und Migration. Retrieved 30 June 2017.
  48. ^ Daniel Bax (29 May 2013). "Willkommen im Kanzleramt". Die Tageszeitung (in German).
  49. ^ Barbara Gillmann (1 September 2014). "Ausländer rein!". Handelsblatt (in German).
  50. ^ Jörg Dräger (22 March 2012). "Punkte für Deutschland". Der Tagesspiegel (in German). Retrieved 4 July 2017.
  51. ^ Martin Krause (17 February 2016). "Bertelsmann gibt Millionen für Firmengründer in OWL". Neue Westfälische (in German).
  52. ^ "Jörg Dräger" (in German). Hertie School of Governance. Retrieved 30 June 2017.
  53. ^ Governance Jacobs University Bremen.
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