As of September 1, 2012, Professor Blossfeld will transfer to the European University Institute in Florence and will therefore hand over all official duties to his successor on August 1, 2012. Before the upcoming holiday season, Prof. Blossfeld took the opportunity to address a few words of thanks and some parting words to the NEPS team in Bamberg and to his colleagues from Otto-Friedrich-University. Prof. Blossfeld looked back at the beginnings of the NEPS and its development until today. He drew a positive conclusion and substantiated this by using several quotations from the report of the NEPS Scientific Board, who had come to visit NEPS in Bamberg on June 28-29, 2012. Prof. Blossfeld thanked all the team members for their successful and dedicated collaboration and extended best wishes to his successor Prof. Roßbach for the management of “this really extraordinary project”.

 

Prof. Roßbach, who has already been involved in a leading position in several NEPS departments since the project was launched, expressed his thanks to Prof. Blossfeld for his magnificent work. Prof. Roßbach remarked that he was well aware of the fact that leading such a project was indeed a big challenge, but one that he would love to face. “I’m looking forward to my new tasks!” affirmed Prof. Roßbach, who has held the Chair of Early Childhood Education at Otto-Friedrich University in Bamberg since 2002. Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences, Economics, and Business Administration, Prof. Dr. Johann Engelhard, rose to speak as well and praised the success of the NEPS. In conclusion, the Executive Director of Research of NEPS, Dr. Jutta von Maurice, dealt with the question of “Who is Blossfeld?” in a “highly scientific” presentation – as she assured the audience jokingly – drawing on analyses using image and name searches on the internet. The conclusion: Prof. Blossfeld is clearly visible to the outside world and it is truly exceptional how much he has achieved.