Carola von Braun has passed away at the age of 83. The former member of the German Bundestag and the Berlin Senate's first Commissioner for Women's Affairs was closely connected to the university for many years: for over ten years she was a member of the Board of Trustees of the IB Hochschule für Gesundheit und Soziales — the predecessor institution of today's Health Innovation University of Applied Sciences (HIU) — and was a long-standing member of the Executive Board of the Internationaler Bund.
"Carola von Braun represented the university's interests with great appreciation, curiosity, and interest. In doing so, focusing on people was especially important to her." Prof. Dr. Mariam Hartinger, President of HIU.
On the Board of Trustees, von Braun campaigned as a "passionate advocate" and "fervent champion" for professionalizing nursing through academic degree programs and for increasing the recognition and standing of health and social professions — and thereby also for strengthening women's position in the labor market. Educational equity for young people was likewise close to her heart, particularly permeability between vocational and academic education.
What was tradition for von Braun, HIU continues to carry forward today as innovation — the university remains committed to her legacy going forward as well.
"Carola von Braun has left her mark through her work over the years. These ideas must continue to be followed. As current chairman, I will miss her advice, the exchange of ideas, and also the constructive disagreements. On behalf of the Board of Trustees, I thank her warmly for her work all these years on our Board." Dr. Roy Kühne, Chairman of the Board of Trustees, HIU
To family, friends, and companions, she will be remembered as a strong personality. We thank her for her many years of loyalty and the mark she left on us. To all relatives and those close to her, we extend our condolences and wish them strength.