Eva-Maria Kieninger new member of the German Science Council
02/02/2026Würzburg law professor Eva-Maria Kieninger has been appointed as a new member of the German Science and Humanities Council by the Federal President.
The German Science and Humanities Council advises the federal and state governments on all issues relating to the development of science, research and universities. It pursues the goal of enabling a high-performance science system in Germany that is networked in a variety of ways and has an impact on society.
On 1 February 2026, Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier appointed four new members to the Science Council. Among them is law professor Eva-Maria Kieininger from the University of Würzburg.
Head of a chair at the Faculty of Law
The legal scholar has headed the Chair of German and European Private Law, International Private Law at JMU since 2001. Her current areas of specialisation include commercial law and sustainability, climate protection and climate liability as well as human rights due diligence in supply chains.
"Last week, I had the opportunity to attend the winter meeting of the German Council of Science and Humanities as a guest. I am impressed by the work and delighted by the warm, open atmosphere," says Eva-Maria Kieninger.
The Würzburg professor holds other honourable positions. She is a member of the Bavarian Academy of Sciences and Humanities, the Akademia Europaea, the German Council for Private International Law, the International Academy of Comparative Law and the Council of the German Society for International Law, among others.
The Scientific Commission of the German Science and Humanities Council
Eva-Maria Kieninger will now be a member of the Scientific Commission of the German Science and Humanities Council for three years - with the possibility of extension for a further three years. The committee has 32 members who are characterised by scientific excellence as well as science policy expertise and experience. In their work on the Science Council, they are not expected to represent the interests of their subjects or those of any particular institution.
The Federal President appoints 24 members of the Commission on the joint proposal of the German Research Foundation, the Max Planck Society, the German Rectors' Conference, the Hermann von Helmholtz Association of German Research Centres, the Fraunhofer Society and the Leibniz Association. In addition, the Federal Government and the state governments jointly propose eight other personalities for the commission.
The German Science and Humanities Council on the Internet: www.wissenschaftsrat.de
Contact
Prof. Dr Eva-Maria Kieninger, T +49 931 31-82300, eva-maria.kieninger@uni-wuerzburg.de
