Dr. Thomas A. H. Schöck studied economics and law from 1968 to 1974 at the Universities Erlangen-Nuremberg and Heidelberg after completing his training as an assistant in auditing and tax consulting. After working for several years as a research assistant and assistant at the University Erlangen-Nuremberg, he joined the Bavarian State Ministry of Finance and the Bavarian State Chancellery in 1980, most recently as head of the department “Cabinet Affairs, Public Budget and European Community”. In addition, he was a lecturer of tax law. On October 1, 1988 he was appointed chancellor (head of the university administration, commissioner for the budget, member of the university management) of the Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nuremberg (FAU) and retired on June 15, 2014. Until September 30, 2016 he was managing director of FAU Busan GmbH.
He was chairman of the working groups “Problems of University Medicine” and “Employee Invention Law, EU Matters and Third-party Funding Issues” as a spokesman for the chancellors of the German universities as well as founding member and board member of the Center for Science Management. From 1996 to 1999, he was spokesman for the chancellors of the Bavarian universities, from 1999 to 2000 deputy federal spokesman and from 2000 to 2003 federal spokesman for the chancellors of the German universities. From 2004 to 2013, he was chairman of the Administrative Board of the Studentenwerk Erlangen, from 2010 to 2015 member of the Executive Board of the Licensing Executive Society (LES) Germany, from 2013 to 2018 chairman of the Supervisory Board of Weller Brauerei eG (Weller Brewery).
He is currently chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Windsbach Boys Choir, the Board of Trustees of the Nuremberg University of Music, the “Partnerschaftsverein Erlangen-Riverside” (sister city society of Erlangen and Riverside) as well as the “Förderverein Wassersportzentrum Pleinfeld” (Pleinfeld Water Sport Center Society) of the FAU, vice-chairman of the “Stiftung Ludwig Erhard-Haus“ (Foundation Ludwig Erhard-House) and the society “Freunde Fränkischer Sommer” (Friends of the Franconian Summer Music Festival), member of the Supervisory Board of the “Internationale Gluck Opernfestspiele gGmbH” (International Gluck Opera Festival), the “Evangelische Landessynode” (Evangelical Regional Synod) and the Board of Trustees of the “Diakonie Neuendettelsau” (Diaconia Neuendettelsau).
He was honored with the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany, the “Goldenes Kleeblatt” (Golden Cloverleaf) of the City of Fürth, the Medal of Merit of the German Student Union, and the Equal Opportunities Prize of the FAU. Since 2015, he has been honorary senator and since 2020 honorary doctor of FAU.