Univ. Prof. Dr. Meinhard Lukas has held the office of Rector at the JKU since October 2015. He previously served a four-year term as Dean at the Faculty of Law.

Meinhard Lukas made a name for himself as an early proponent of the JKU's Faculty of Medicine.  He represented the city of Linz between 2012 and 2013 in corresponding negotiations with the Republic of Austria. He has been the head of the Faculty of Medicine project on behalf of the previous Rector since 2013.

Rector Lukas has a long history at the University of Linz. He earned his law degree at the JKU followed by his doctorate degree in 1998 and a post-doctorate degree in 2004 in the field of Civil Law. After several years of working as an assistant professor and lecturer at the Institute of Civil Law, in 2004 he began as an associate professor at the Department of General Civil Law Dogmatics. In 2008, Meinhard Lukas rejected an offer by the University of Salzburg and remained the JKU as Univ. Prof. at the Institute of Civil Law and Head of the Department of Basic Research.

Meinhard Lukas has held a number of various academic functions since 1994, including JKU Senate Chairman (2006 to 2008), Dean of the Faculty of Law (2011 to 2015), and University Council member at the University of Art and Design Linz (2013 to 2015).

Meinhard Lukas was - and is still - also actively involved outside of the JKU: he is an expert at the Ministry of Justice for legislative procedures, an Austrian representative in the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL), an Advisory Board member of "Linz Cultural Development Plan New" and currently as a corresponding member of the Medical Society for Upper Austria.