President (m/f/d)

CODE University of Applied Sciences is a state-accredited university of applied sciences in Berlin built for a new generation of digital pioneers. We educate people who want to shape the future—not by absorbing knowledge in lecture halls, but by building, experimenting, and learning through real-world projects. We pride ourselves in our learning approach and in our focus on entrepreneurship. We embraced AI long before it became a hype — convinced that in an age where AI reshapes what and how we learn, education itself must be fundamentally different.

Our academic model is project-based, curiosity-driven, and interdisciplinary. There are no conventional lectures. Students primarily work on project teams, supported by faculty who act as coaches and sparring partner. We do not look at grades when inviting students, but rather mindset and character - initiative, responsibility, and the willingness to take ownership are what count.

CODE is more than a university. It is a community of learners, makers, and entrepreneurs embedded in Berlin’s tech and startup ecosystem. Our purpose is clear: To empower digital pioneers.

• Act as steward of CODE’s vision on learning and entrepreneurship.
• Further develop CODE’s academic approach and ensure its positioning as a leading entrepreneurship-focused university for digital innovation – with a distinctive learning model, culture, and values (“To empower digital pioneers”). Champion entrepreneurial thinking and acting as drivers for change and development in the world — positioning CODE's graduates and community as agents of positive societal impact

• Represent CODE in all matters of university law and ensure compliance with statutes and higher-education regulations.
• Prepare, chair, and implement resolutions of the relevant academic bodies, in particular the academic senate.

• Oversee and drive academic standards, quality assurance, and continuous improvement.
• Lead and oversee (re-)accreditation processes and ensure regulatory readiness as the university scales.
• Promote research activities and oversee the development and management of academic institutes and international cooperations.

• Inspire and enable faculty to fully live CODE's project-based, inquiry-driven, entrepreneurship-focused pedagogy.
• Provide leadership for academic colleagues, including responsibility for academic personnel matters within the statutory framework.
• Ensure that teaching and examination obligations are fulfilled, with the right to supervise and issue instructions where required.

• Act as a credible ambassador for CODE’s model, values, and societal relevance.
• Cultivate close, visible relationships with students, alumni and faculty and strengthen a culture of trust, inclusion, and innovation.
• Represent CODE vis-à-vis the Berlin Senate, political stakeholders, the academic community, accreditation bodies, and partners from industry and the startup ecosystem.

• As a leading member of the Presidium, co-shape the university strategy and contribute to the implementation of the business plan.
• Work closely with the chancellor and the academic senate to align academic strategy with sustainable institutional growth.
• Support the development of new educational formats consistent with CODE’s mission and quality standards.

• You meet the statutory requirements for appointment as President under CODE’s Basic Regulations, i.e. a university degree and leadership experience.
• A doctoral degree and/or eligibility for appointment to a professorship under the Berliner Hochschulgesetz are highly welcome and strengthen your candidacy.

• Proven experience in leading an academic institution, a substantial academic unit, or a mission-driven organization in a complex governance environment.
• Demonstrated ability to balance academic freedom, legal compliance, and strategic development.

• You see the role of President not as an administrative position, but as institutional stewardship.
• You are passionate about reinventing learning and teaching for the age of AI, and bring a clear drive to further CODE's pedagogic approach.
• You are deeply committed to preserving and evolving CODE’s entrepreneurial DNA while professionalizing structures, processes, and governance.
• You are comfortable leading through influence, culture, and shared purpose rather than hierarchy.

• Teaching experience in modern higher-education pedagogy, such as project-based learning, inquiry-based learning, and constructive alignment.        
• Genuine affinity with technology, design, entrepreneurship, and startup ecosystems—and the ability to engage founders, investors, and tech leaders as peers.
• Solid research experience proven with peer-reviewed publications in the field relevant to CODE.

• Well connected within academia and capable of representing CODE credibly in regulatory and political contexts, or a strong embeddedness in the entrepreneurial ecosystem.
• An inspiring communicator, equally comfortable in external representation and internal community building, who can connect students, faculty, partners, and political stakeholders around a shared mission.

• Fluency in English and German is required.
  
  

Prof. Dr. Stephan Stubner

Chairman of the Selection Committee 

stephan.stubner@code.berlin