▁Ze ch lin , ▁Found ing ▁re ctor ▁▁ 0 1 . 2 0 0 7 – 0 3 . 2 0 0 8 ▁– ▁L oth ar ▁Ze ch lin , ▁ 1 . ▁re ctor ▁ ▁since ▁ 0 4 . 2 0 0 8 ▁– ▁Ulrich ▁R adt ke , ▁ 2 . ▁re ctor ▁ ▁Mer c ator - Pro f essor ship ▁Award ▁ ▁The ▁University ▁of ▁D uis burg - E ss en ▁awards ▁the ▁Mer c ator - Pro f ess ur ▁to ▁individuals ▁who ▁are ▁well ▁known ▁for ▁their ▁social ▁and ▁scientific ▁eng agement . ▁So ▁far , ▁recip ients ▁of ▁the ▁Mer c ator - Pro f ess ur ▁have ▁been : ▁▁ 1 9 9 7 : ▁Hans - D iet rich ▁G ensch er , ▁politician ▁( F DP ), ▁former ▁Foreign ▁Minister ▁and ▁Vice - Ch an cell or ▁of ▁Germany ▁▁ 1 9 9 8 : ▁Sieg fried ▁L enz , ▁writer ▁▁ 1 9 9 9 : ▁Jan ▁Philipp ▁Re em ts ma , ▁literary ▁scholar . ▁▁ 2 0 0 0 : ▁J ut ta ▁Lim bach , ▁jur ist ▁and ▁politician ▁( SP D ) ▁▁ 2 0 0 1 : ▁Vol ker ▁Schl ö nd or ff , ▁film maker . ▁▁ 2 0 0 2 : ▁Ulrich ▁W ick ert , ▁journalist , ▁chief ▁anchor ▁for ▁tag est hem en ▁▁ 2 0 0 3 : ▁Daniel ▁Go e ude vert ▁French ▁writer , ▁management