During this period, the university not only doubled its budget, it has undergone noticeable improvement regarding its professional image, its structure in education and research, campus enhancements, communication efforts, resulting in a higher level of attractiveness. Beginning in October, Meinhard Lukas will once again focus on research and teaching at his department at the Institute of Civil Law, focusing on new projects intended to bring science, art, culture together as well as establish a focus on democracy and the rule of law in a digital space.

Since Rector Meinhard Lukas began his term of office in October 2015, the university has continuously pursued a planned organizational development policy thereby significantly improving its image. Among many other things, creating the Linz Institute of Technology (LIT) and the LIT Pilot Factory is worth mentioning, along with the Linz School of Education, the JKU Business School, and the Kurt Rothschild School.  To date, placing emphasis on the field of Artificial Intelligence has attracted 1,500 new STEM students in Austria and from abroad.

Equally noteworthy are the highly acclaimed launch of the JKU Faculty of Medicine, the widely noticeable campus enhancements, a new communication policy, the Circus of Knowledge, partnerships with the Angewandte and Ars Electronica and, last but not least, doubling the university’s budget.

To mark the end of his term as Rector, an academic event under the motto "Freiheit und Verantwortung in der Wissenschaft" took place at the JKU Ceremony Hall on Tuesday, September 19. Invitees included many colleagues and long-time supporters as Meinhard Lukas gave a keynote speech titled "Der Oppenheimer-Moment im Zeitalter der Künstlichen Intelligenz".

Meinhard Lukas remarked: "Many of the best 20^th century physicists played a direct, or at least indirect, role in Hiroshima, Nagasaki, Chernobyl and Fukushima. I will be looking at what – in the age of artificial intelligence - we can learn from this. Director Christopher Nolan's current film, ‘Oppenheimer’, provides a timely opportunity to address the subject."

He also expressed his gratitude: "Everything we have been able to accomplish in support of our university in recent years is thanks my team’s unwavering support and the strong commitment by the JKU’s faculty and employees in teaching, research and administration. I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone sincerely for their efforts. I would also like to thank the student union, our students, and many long-time supporters who have stood by my side from the start for their constructive collaboration and valuable support. The new Rector, Stefan Koch, and his new team are well prepared to take our university into a new direction and toward a very bright future. I wish the new Rector and the entire JKU all the best."

Beginning in October, Meinhard Lukas will embark on a new phase in his life. His current plans continue to include the JKU as he returns to his professorship in the area of civil law. He intends to spend the next four semesters concentrating on research both at the JKU and abroad, and sharing ideas with professionals in the field. In addition, he will continue to be involved in the Circus of Knowledge and the Kepler Salon. He also plans to establish a focus on democracy and the rule of law in a digital space. His plans also include creating a spin-off company.

Lukas added: "The JKU is, and always will be, a labor of love for me. I look forward to returning to my professorship position and focusing on my research areas that will also take me abroad. There are interesting projects, especially in regards to artificial intelligence, waiting for me. The future is a blank canvas."

The official handover of office to the new rector, Stefan Koch, will take place on October 3 during a ceremonial inauguration at the JKU’s Ceremony Hall.

A selection of key milestones during Meinhard Lukas' two terms in office between 2015 and 2023:

• The JKU's three-year budget (incl. Art. 15a agreement Faculty of Medicine, tuition fee rates and reference increases) largely negotiated by the Rector increased from € 312 million (LV 2013-15) to € 640 million (LV 2022-24), corresponding to a 105% increase.
• Contrary to an Austria-wide trend, since 2015 the number of students actively taking examinations at the JKU increased by 11.7%. In regard to important STEM degrees, the number increase to 42.7%, and in the field of computer sciences - thanks to AI studies - to 177%.
• Since 2015, the university has added to its modern matrix, establishing five JKU Schools in addition to its existing 130 institutes. There are now five JKU Schools:
• The Linz Institute of Technology (LIT) has been pooling the university's interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary expertise in engineering and technology since 2015 with a high-profile emphasis on digital transformation. Prof. Sepp Hochreiter is head of the LIT AI Lab.
• Since 2016 and together with other universities in Vebund Mitte, the School of Education has addressed cross-faculty issues as part of JKU's commitment to education in the field of pedagogy. Prof. Markus Hohenwarter’s GeoGebra program has over 100 million users.
• Since 2019, the JKU Business School has been committed to educating business professionals of the future.
• The Kurt Rothschild School for Economics and Statistics has combined empirical economic research with statistical methods and Big Data and digitalization since 2021.
• The School of Social Sciences and Humanities opened its doors in Spring 2023.
• The university-wide Linz Institute of Transformative Change (LIFT_C) was conceptualized in 2021 and launched this year. The institute addresses major challenges of our time, taking an interdisciplinary perspective into account and focusing on technological solutions that go hand-in-hand with stimulating behavioral change in both society and the economy.
• Likewise, the "project of the century", the JKU Faculty of Medicine, opened its doors during Lukas' term of office. The Medical Campus opened in 2021, featuring the unique JKU medSPACE. The JKU thereby set new standards in virtual medical education.
• In addition, plans to enhance and refurbish the JKU campus began in 2018. There are a number of new buildings on campus, such as the Learning Center / Library, the Kepler Hall, the LIT Open Innovation Center, Science Park 4 and 5, and the Circus of Knowledge. There is also a wide range of dining options (TeichWerk, DasKUYO, the Mensa, the Science Café, and the JKU sausage stand, Die* Obelisk, etc.), stores serving everyday needs (including a SPAR supermarket), bank branches, a redesigned Thalia store, and recreational and sports areas to supplement studying, working, and spending time on campus.
• The motto "Knowledge in Society" symbolized the university's all-important "Third Mission" during Meinhard Lukas' term of office. The print periodical Kepler Tribune, the Kepler Salon, and the "Circus of Knowledge" were introduced and continue to present academic and scientific topics to a broad public. One new initiative was organizing the Linz Cloud of Sound event to mark the JKU's 50th anniversary.
• The university’s unique partnerships with the University of Applied Arts Vienna and Ars Electronica is strengthening the alliance between academia, science, art, and culture.
• The "Safety First" concept safely brought the JKU and its 3,900 employees and 24,000 students through the Coronavirus pandemic without creating a cluster outbreak.