Johanna Wanka
| Johanna Wanka | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Federal Minister of Education and Research | |
|
Assumed office 14 February 2013 |
|
| Chancellor | Angela Merkel |
| Preceded by | Annette Schavan |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
1 April 1951 Rosenfeld, East Germany (now Germany) |
| Political party | Christian Democratic Union |
| Spouse(s) | Gert Wanka |
| Children | 2 |
| Alma mater | Leipzig University |
Johanna Wanka (née Johanna Müller; born 1 April 1951) is a German politician of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and since 14 February 2013 the Federal Minister for Education and Research. From 2000 to 2009, she served as Minister for Science, Research and Culture of the state of Brandenburg, then from 2010 to 2013 she served as Minister of Science and Culture of the state of Lower Saxony, in the Cabinet McAllister.
Wanka was born on 1 April 1951. She attended the Polytechnic Secondary School in Großtreben and the advanced school in Torgau before studying mathematics at Leipzig University in the GDR. From 1974 on, she was a research assistant at Merseburg University of Applied Sciences, where she received her doctorate in 1980. In 1993 she became professor of engineering mathematics at Merseburg University of Applied Sciences. In March 1994, she was elected rector of that university, a position she retained until taking office as minister in October 2000.
Wanka joined the East German citizens' movement in early 1989. She was a founding member of the Neues Forum in Merseburg and was a member of the Kreistag Merseburg from 1990 until 1994.
Wanka joined the CDU in 2001, the CDU executive in Brandenburg in May 2003, and became Chair of the Dahme-Spreewald district in December 2003. She was appointed Deputy National Chair of the CDU Brandenburg in January 2007, Acting National Chair in October 2008, and National Chair by January 2009.
From 2000 to 2009 Wanka was the State Minister for Science, Research and Cultural Affairs of Brandenburg, first in the government of Minister-President Manfred Stolpe (2000-2002) and later under his successor Matthias Platzeck (2002-2009). As such she was president of the Kultusministerkonferenz, an association of all state ministers for this area, in 2005.
...
Wikipedia