Prof. Dr. med. Beate A. Schücking has been President of Deutsches Studierendenwerk (DSW) since January 1, 2023. In this capacity, she is also Chairwoman of the DSW Advisory Board.

The former rector of the University of Leipzig (2011-2022) was a member of the administrative council of the Leipzig Student Union for 11 years. Prior to that, she was Vice President of the University of Osnabrück (2004 -2009), and also in this capacity was in intensive contact with the Studentenwerk there.

Her academic career led the physician, health scientist and psychotherapist from the study of human medicine in Ulm to clinical years in Paris, Biberach/Riss and Marburg. She held professorships at the University of Applied Sciences in Munich and the University of Osnabrück, as well as visiting professorships at the University of Vienna and Boston University, and conducted research on maternal-child health with her own research group. This contributed significantly to the academization of midwifery.

She is a specialist in general medicine and psychotherapy, and completed part-time studies in philosophy/medical ethics at Philipps University in Marburg; she grew up in rural northern Hesse (Abitur in Bad Hersfeld).

Schücking led the University of Leipzig from a phase of downsizing to one of growth; she also served as chair of the Saxon State Rectors' Conference from 2011-2014 and, among other things, negotiated a grant agreement with the state government for the first time. Since her end of service, she has continued to be involved in OA nationwide, particularly in negotiations with major academic publishers in the DEAL project of the Alliance of Science Organizations, on behalf of the German Rectors' Conference (HRK). From her home in Leipzig, she is involved in several advisory and supervisory positions.