Michael Lankeit 25 years at the DPZ

October 1st was Michael Lankeit's jubilee of 25 years as administrative Director of the German Primate Center (DPZ). Born in Hameln, he took up his job at the DPZ in 1989, coming from the Federal Ministry of Research. During the following years Lankeit, who had studied law in Cologne, fostered not only the advancement oft he DPZ but also of the national and local science community. Cooperating with the DPZ's director, he planned and executed a permanent expansion, both of the institute's research profile and the facilities alike. This included the installment of several new units and laboratories in the fields of neurosciences, behavioral research, genetics, reproduction- and infection research. Six new buildings and three field stations in natural primate habitats complete the list.

During his work in 25 years Michael Lankeit also saw a continuous growth both in the annual budgets als well as the numbers of employees. As speaker of the workgroup "Blaue Liste" and later as administrative vice director, Michael Lankeit intensively enganged in the founding and advancement of the Leibniz Association, the independent national research society, umbrella organization of the DPZ and 88 further institutes.

In his new home Göttingen Michael Lankeit promoted the cooperation of local politics and science: Since 2001 he is consulting member of the city council's committee for culture and science and member of the local workgroup science and academies. Lankeit, aged 63, will be administrative director oft he DPZ until march 2018.