We mourn the loss of Prof. Dr. Matthias Jarke
The Bonn-Aachen International Center for Information Technology (b-it) mourns the loss of its long-time director Prof. Dr. Matthias Jarke, who passed away on March 21 at the age of 71. With his passing, the Computer Science community has lost a visionary and exceptional personality who significantly shaped and advanced the development of Computer Science in Germany and beyond. As one of the three Founding Directors, he was largely responsible for the establishment of b-it as one of Europe's leading institutions for cutting-edge research and higher education in Computer Science as well as for helping to shape digital change in collaboration with business and society.
After his studies in Computer Science and business administration and his doctorate in business informatics in Hamburg, Jarke held the professorship for business informatics at the Stern School of Business at New York University. In 1986, he was made Professor of Dialog-oriented Systems at the University of Passau, after which he took up the Chair of Information Systems at RWTH Aachen University in 1991, which he held until his retirement in 2021. From 2000 to 2021, he was also Director of the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Information Technology FIT in Sankt Augustin, Aachen and Bayreuth and, between 2010 and 2015, he additionally chaired the Fraunhofer ICT Group — one of the largest organizations for research in applied Computer Science in Europe.
In 2002, with the aim of creating top-level English language master's programs in applied IT for top international bachelor graduates, he founded the Bonn-Aachen International Center for Information Technology together with Professor Armin B. Cremers and Professor Kurt-Ulrich Witt. Only three years after the Bologna Declaration and the creation of the internationally comparable Bachelors/Masters system, a joint scientific institution of the University of Bonn, RWTH Aachen University, Bonn-Rhein-Sieg University of Applied Sciences and the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft was established, which has since enabled excellent IT training at Masters level with its internationally highly regarded degree courses.
Thanks in great part to Prof. Dr. Matthias Jarke's efforts and expertise, b-it has been able to successfully and sustainably position the courses both nationally and internationally. Our graduates are highly valued by many global players as well as medium-sized companies and academic institutions.
We are grateful for his expertise, vision, direction and overall commitment.
Our sympathy goes out to the family of Prof. Dr. Matthias Jarke, his wife and his children.
