| 1959 | Born in Dortmund |
| 1966 - 1969 | Attended Liebigschule in Dortmund |
| 1969 - 1978 | Attended Stadtgymnasium in Dortmund |
| 1978 | Abitur (A-Levels) |
| 1978 - 1980 | Fixed-term soldier, rank: Reserve Lieutenant |
Winter Semester 1980/81 -
Winter Semester 1985/86 | Studied Law at Ruhr-Universität Bochum |
| 1982 - 1985 | Student Assistant at the Civil Law and Modern History of Law Section of the Faculty of Law of Ruhr-Universität Bochum (Professor Dr. Hermann Dilcher) |
| 01/1986 | First State Examination in Law before the Juridical Examination Board of the Higher Regional Court in Hamm |
| 1986 - 1988 | Academic Assistant at the Public Law III Section (International Law) of the Faculty of Law of Ruhr-Universität Bochum (Professor Dr. Dr. h.c. mult. Knut Ipsen) |
| 1989 - 1997 | Initially research staff member (until November 1989), then research assistant at the aforementioned Public Law III Section (International Law) |
| 04/1989 | Second State Examination in Law before the Federal State Judicial Examination Board in Düsseldorf |
| 12/1992 | Doctor of Laws degree awarded by the Faculty of Law of Ruhr-Universität Bochum, title of PhD thesis: "Grundgesetz und Kriegswaffenkontrolle - Erfüllung des Verfassungsauftrags durch den einfachen Gesetzgeber? Verfassungsanspruch und Rechtswirklichkeit" |
| 07/1994 - 06/1996 | Habilitation fellowship from the German Research Foundation |
| Winter Semester 1996/97 | Professor ad interim of Public Law at the Faculty of Law of the University of Münster |
| 12/1996 | Habilitation; awarded Venia Legendi for Public Law by the Habilitation Committee of the Faculty of Law of Ruhr-Universität Bochum;
habilitation thesis: "Die Außenwirtschaftsfreiheit";
degree programme-related course in accordance with the fourth sentence of § 96 (3) of the University Act North-Rhine Westphalia (UG NW) on: "Protection of Fundamental Rights in Community Law";
habilitation presentation on the topic of: "Democratic Legitimation of the Judiciary of the European Communities" |
| 1997 - 1999 | University lecturer of Public Law at the Faculty of Law of Ruhr-Universität Bochum |
| Summer Semester 1997 | Professor ad interim of Public Law at the Faculty of Law of the University of Cologne |
| Winter Semester 1997/98 | Professor ad interim of Public Law at the Faculty of Law of the University of Freiburg |
| Summer Semester 1998 | Professor ad interim of Public Law at the Faculty of Law of Universität Regensburg |
| 03/1999 - 11/2001 | University professor of Public Law at the Faculty of Law of the University of Münster |
| since 12/2001 | University professor of Public Law, International and European Law at the Faculty of Law of Leibniz University Hannover |
04/2004 - 03/2007
10/2008 - 03/2009 | Dean of the Faculty of Law of Leibniz University Hannover |
| 04/2009 - 03/2011 | Member of the Senate of Leibniz University Hannover and the Senate of the Niedersachsen Institutes of Technology |
| Summer Semester 2012 | Awarded the Gorgias Challenge Trophy for Rhetoric and Didactics |
| since 01.01.2015 | President of Leibniz University Hannover |
| since 01.08.2016 | Deputy Spokesperson of the Universities Member Group in the German Rectors' Conference (Hochschulrektorenkonferenz, HRK) |
| 01/2018 - 09/2022 | Vice President of TU9 German Universities of Technology e.V. |
