A very warm welcome! Whether you are a new or a continuing student: I wish you all a good, successful and fulfilling new semester. May you make good progress in the realisation of your plans, targets and visions!

The University of Lucerne is also making progress. After the successful opening of the Faculty of Economics and Management last year, this year sees the start of another new study programme that is important for the development of the University of Lucerne: from this semester, the Universities of Zurich and Lucerne are offering a Joint Master Programme in Medicine. The first 40 Bachelor students are starting their studies in Zurich this semester and from 2020 these students will be able to continue their Master studies in Lucerne, doing their clinical training at the hospitals and GP practices in the Lucerne/Nottwil areas, and attending lectures in the field of health sciences.

The Faculty of Theology is also developing. It seeks to further strengthen inter-religious dialogue with plans to open a new Centre for Comparative Theology and has appointed Dr. Rana Alsoufi as Assistant Professor for Islamic Theology. The Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences extends its profile further with integrated, interdisciplinary study programmes such as social and communication sciences, cultural studies as well as the cross-faculty study programme Philosophy, Politics and Economics. Under the motto 'Bologna 2.0' the Faculty of Law has revised its study and examination regulations.

I look forward to us making further progress together.

Prof. Dr. Bruno Staffelbach, Rector