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Nachrichten, Termine, Experten
Nachrichten, Termine, Experten
The universities of Bremen and Oldenburg want to embark on the future as a University Excellence Consortium. As part of the federal and state governments' Excellence Strategy, the two universities submitted their joint proposal entitled “Northwest Alliance: Connecting for Tomorrow” to the German Council of Science and Humanities within the specified deadline.
The vision of the joint proposal is to further develop the northwest into a vibrant science hub, create ideal conditions for future-oriented cutting-edge research and teaching, and redefine the relationship between universities and society. If the proposal is successful, Bremen and Oldenburg will receive funding for their strategic future concept starting in 2027. The decision will be made in October of next year.
The comparatively young University of Bremen and University of Oldenburg have developed in a remarkable way: Founded in the early 1970s as reform universities, they are now among the strongest German universities in terms of research – especially when measured by their size. They were recently very successful in the first part of the federal and state governments' current Excellence Strategy funding line: A total of four Clusters of Excellence will be based at the two universities over the next seven years – including the “The Ocean Floor” cluster, a joint research project. Now Oldenburg and Bremen want to impress in the second Excellence Strategy funding line and are applying as a University Excellence Consortium. To be eligible, a consortium must have at least three approved Clusters of Excellence.
In addition to the two federal states of Bremen and Lower Saxony, the excellence consortium will also uniquely connect two countries: Germany and the Netherlands. This is made possible by the strategic partnership with the University of Groningen, with which both universities already have a long-standing and trusting relationship.
"Our strengths in research, but also in teaching and knowledge and technology transfer, complement each other perfectly. This creates great potential for us to better explore today's profound social, cultural, and technological upheavals and develop solutions. We want to explicitly combine academic expertise with practical knowledge from a wide range of areas of society," says Prof. Dr. Ralph Bruder, President of the University of Oldenburg. With this approach, the alliance aims to become a model for dynamic and sustainable universities.
The universities of Bremen and Oldenburg have been working closely together for 25 years. Last year, the senates of both universities met jointly and unanimously voted in favor of submitting the proposal. “We took advantage of this momentum,” says Prof. Dr. Jutta Günter, President of the University of Bremen. "We want to contribute to solving global challenges through excellent research and social responsibility. In a world in transition, we are placing our focus on cohesion and networking – in the northwest and with our partners worldwide. ‘Connecting for Tomorrow’ is both a daily task and a mission for us," says Günther.
The two universities recently renewed their cooperation agreement, thereby extending their long-term strategic collaboration in areas such as teaching, research, and knowledge transfer. They also founded the Northwest Alliance (NWA) at the beginning of the year, creating an additional framework for a shared research and knowledge transfer space. The goal is to raise the international profile of the cutting-edge research concentrated in the northwest, providing important impetus for the region.
Senator for the Environment, Climate, and Science Henrike Müller commented: “The northwest is an important scientific location. Four Clusters of Excellence in the region are already proof of this. Together, we want to achieve even more and are breaking new ground to do so. With this joint proposal, we are not only connecting two federal states in the northwest, but also integrating exceptional partners from the neighboring Netherlands in the form of the University of Groningen. The scientific community is finding the answers for a worthwhile future and by joining forces, we will be able to find the most effective solutions.”
Lower Saxony's Minister of Science, Falko Mohrs, emphasized: “The universities of Oldenburg and Bremen have enjoyed a close and successful partnership for many years. Research and teaching complement each other perfectly and the fact that these strengths are now to be combined in a joint excellence consortium is a strong signal that I – and the state of Lower Saxony – wholeheartedly support. The planned intensification of international cooperation will further strengthen the northwest as a scientific hub and create significant added value for the entire region."
Numerous Participants from Both Universities and States
Numerous employees from both universities, from the academic and administrative sectors, have worked intensively for around a year on the proposal. Speaking with students also played an important role in this process. Günther and Bruder agree that a joint proposal as a consortium comprising two universities in different federal states was a challenge, but also a huge opportunity. “We mastered it so well because we were able to build on the strengths of our long-standing partnership and because there is widespread support at both universities. Everyone involved has done an excellent job – for which we owe them our sincere thanks.”
Background: Federal and State Excellence Strategy
The federal and state Excellence Strategy is divided into two funding instruments that build on each other: the promotion of internationally outstanding cutting-edge research as Clusters of Excellence and the institutional funding of universities that are home to several Clusters of Excellence as Universities of Excellence or University Excellence Consortia.
The decision regarding the funding of 70 Clusters of Excellence nationwide was made on May 22. Starting January 1, 2026, a total of four Clusters of Excellence will receive seven years of funding at the University of Bremen and the University of Oldenburg: Hearing4all.connects (hearing research / University of Oldenburg, MHH, and Leibniz University Hannover), The Martian Mindset (materials and production research / University of Bremen), NaviSense (animal navigation research / University of Oldenburg), and The Ocean Floor (marine research / University of Bremen and University of Oldenburg).
Universities and consortia that can demonstrate a convincing overall strategy for improving their position in the regional, national, and, in particular, international environment have a good chance of achieving the status of University of Excellence or University Excellence Consortium. This applies not only to research, but also to teaching, knowledge transfer, and research infrastructures.
The federal and state governments are providing a total of 208 million euros annually for the upcoming University of Excellence / University Excellence Consortium funding phase. The increase of 60 million euros compared to the current funding phase will make it possible to support up to 15 locations from 2027 onwards, instead of the previous 11.
https://www.uni-bremen.de/en/university/profile/excellence
https://uol.de/en/excellencestrategy
https://northwest-alliance.de/en/
https://www.exzellenzstrategie.de/en/
Jutta Günther, President of the University of Bremen; Ralph Bruder, President of the University of O ...
Quelle: Matej Meza
Copyright: Universität Bremen
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Jutta Günther, President of the University of Bremen; Ralph Bruder, President of the University of O ...
Quelle: Matej Meza
Copyright: Universität Bremen
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