Johanna Wanka heads the Federal Ministry of Education and Research. She was born in 1951 in Rosenfeld and is professor of mathematics. Before she moved into national politics, she was Minister of Science, Research and Culture in the federal state of Brandenburg, and most recently held the post of Minister for Science and Culture in the federal state of Lower Saxony.

Photos: Lower Saxony Ministry for Science and Culture

CV

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Born on 1 April 1951 in Rosenfeld, Saxony; married, two children

1970 - 1974                                            
Studied mathematics at the University of Leipzig

1974 - 1985                                           
Research assistant at Merseburg University of Applied Sciences

1980                                                    
Obtained doctorate (Dr. rer. nat.)

1989
Active in the opposition movement in the former German Democratic Republic; founding member of the oppositional "Neues Forum" in Merseburg  

1990 - 1994                                            
Member of the Merseburg District Group of "Neues Forum"

1993                                                   
Appointed professor of mathematics for engineers at Merseburg

1994 - 2000                     
Rector of Merseburg University of Applied Sciences

1999                                         
Member of the Senate of the German Rectors’ Conference

1999 - 2000                       
Member of the University Council of the State of Brandenburg

2000 - 2009                
Minister of Science, Research and Culture of the State of Brandenburg

since March 2001
Member of the Christian Democratic Party (CDU)       

2003 - 2010
Member of the State Executive of the CDU in Brandenburg

2003 - 2011
District Chairman of the CDU Dahme-Spreewald

2005                                                    
President of the Standing Conference of the Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs of the Länder in the Federal Republic of Germany

2009 - 2010 
Chairwoman of the CDU parliamentary group in the state parliament of Brandenburg and of the CDU Brandenburg

2010 – 2013                    
Lower Saxony Minister for Science and Culture

since February 2013
Federal Minister for Education and Research

Photos small and large: Lower Saxony Ministry for Science and Culture

Bonn office
Heinemannstraße 2
53175 Bonn
Phone: +49 (0) 22899 57-0
Fax: +49 (0) 22899 57-83601

Berlin office
Hannoversche Straße 28-30, 10115 Berlin
Friedrichstraße 130 B, 10117 Berlin
Phone: +49 (0) 3018 57-0
Fax: +49 (0) 3018 57-83601

Website of the Federal Ministry of Education and Research