Educator and philanthropist awarded Honorary Doctorate

Educator and philanthropist awarded Honorary Doctorate

German-born scientist and education philanthropist Dr Beate Schuler will be awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Science from the University of Auckland.

German-born scientist and education philanthropist Dr Beate Schuler will be awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Science from the University of Auckland.

Dr Schuler is an international supporter of educational achievement in science, engineering and the environment through a wide range of activities including donations and scholarships and mentorship for young entrepreneurs. Doctoral scholarships at the University of Auckland for studies in marine science and green chemistry in particular have been established in her name.

She began her own career as a graduate of medicine from the University of Tübingen in Germany, eventually receiving a doctorate. In 1982 she founded a company called Iropharm Ltd in Ireland with her father Wilhelm. Built on a greenfield site in County Wicklow, Iropharm followed Wilhelm Schuler’s successful enterprise manufacturing antihistamines.

In 1997, Iropharm was sold to multinational Allied Signal Corporation for an undisclosed sum and Dr Schuler has since focused her efforts on supporting a wide range of education programmes and initiatives including providing fellowships and scholarships for students in Germany, Ireland and New Zealand. She is also an angel investor through a spin-out company from the University of Frankfurt.

As a strong supporter of the University of Auckland, she established the Schuler Educational Enhancement and Development Fund to support innovative and experimental approaches to teaching and learning.

A regular visitor to New Zealand since the 1970s, Dr Schuler sees strong cultural and economic similarities between New Zealand and Ireland. University of Auckland Dean of Science Professor John Hosking says the University is honoured to have been a beneficiary of her support.

“Dr Schuler shows true passion for the value of education and her generosity has shown how strongly she believes in the power of learning to help transform lives and benefit the whole of society.”

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