The Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg () (''OvGU'') was founded in 1993, making it one of the youngest

universities A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, t ...

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

. The university is located in

Magdeburg Magdeburg (; nds, label=Low Saxon, Meideborg ) is the capital and second-largest city of the German state Saxony-Anhalt. The city is situated at the Elbe river. Otto I, the first Holy Roman Emperor and founder of the Archdiocese of Magdebur ...

, the

Capital city A capital city or capital is the municipality holding primary status in a country, state, province, Department (country subdivision), department, or other subnational entity, usually as its seat of the government. A capital is typically a city ...

Saxony-Anhalt Saxony-Anhalt (german: Sachsen-Anhalt ; nds, Sassen-Anholt) is a state of Germany, bordering the states of Brandenburg, Saxony, Thuringia and Lower Saxony. It covers an area of and has a population of 2.18 million inhabitants, making it the ...

and has about 13.000 students in nine faculties. According to the Scopus database there are around 32.900 papers published in international journals from the University. It was named after the

physicist A physicist is a scientist who specializes in the field of physics, which encompasses the interactions of matter and energy at all length and time scales in the physical universe. Physicists generally are interested in the root or ultimate caus ...

and former

mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well a ...

of Magdeburg

Otto von Guericke Otto von Guericke ( , , ; spelled Gericke until 1666; November 20, 1602 – May 11, 1686 ; November 30, 1602 – May 21, 1686 ) was a German scientist, inventor, and politician. His pioneering scientific work, the development of experimental me ...

, famous for his experiments with the

Magdeburg hemispheres The Magdeburg hemispheres are a pair of large copper hemispheres, with mating rims. They were used to demonstrate the power of atmospheric pressure. When the rims were sealed with grease and the air was pumped out, the sphere contained a vacuum a ...

. The University had three forerunner institutions. These were the Technical University, the Pedagogical college and the Medical Academy, the first of which was established around 1953. They were amalgamated to the Otto-von-Guericke University in 1993.

Magdeburg

is the capital of the state of Saxony-Anhalt in Germany. It is a moderately-sized city located halfway between Hannover and Berlin. The city is crossed by the river

Elbe The Elbe (; cs, Labe ; nds, Ilv or ''Elv''; Upper and dsb, Łobjo) is one of the major rivers of Central Europe. It rises in the Giant Mountains of the northern Czech Republic before traversing much of Bohemia (western half of the Czech Repu ...

on the banks of which the OVG university has its main structures. One advantage of staying and studying in Magdeburg is the simple and favourable living costs. Public transportation in Magdeburg is very advanced and free for the students of the university. A popular bar location for students is the Hasselbachplatz.

Faculties

* Faculty of Computer Science (FIN) * Faculty of Economics and Management (FWW) * Faculty of Humanities, Social Sciences and Education (FHW) * Faculty of Mathematics (FMA) * Faculty of Medicine (FME) * Faculty of Natural Sciences (FNW) * Faculty of Mechanical Engineering (FMB) * Faculty of Process and Systems Engineering (FVST) * Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology (FEIT)

IKUS

IKUS is an inter-cultural association for international students. It contributes to cultural synergies between the countries. Students actively participate in and celebrate cultural festivals frequently. A large number of foreign students organize the days for each country.

MIPS

MIPS (= Magdeburg International PhD Students) is the network for international PhD students at OvGU. This association helps to create and enhance the contact between international PhD students in order to promote the social and academic integration of young scientists. MIPS offers support and advice in various areas, e.g. to learn about Magdeburg and the German language, to give information about scholarships and job opportunities.

Studentenwerk Magdeburg

Studentenwerk Magdeburg is a student organization which provides a mensa (canteen) and dormitories for students. There are more than 10

dormitories A dormitory (originated from the Latin word ''dormitorium'', often abbreviated to dorm) is a building primarily providing sleeping and residential quarters for large numbers of people such as boarding school, high school, college or university s ...

near or on the university's campus.

Notable people

A sample of alumni and lecturers of the university includes: * Antje Buschschulte – swimming world champion and PhD biologist * Arno Ros – philosopher and former professor of theoretical philosophy at the university *

Axel Ockenfels Axel Ockenfels (born 9 February 1969) is a German economist. He is professor of economics at the University of Cologne. He also is Director of the Cologne Laboratory of Economic Research, Speaker of the "University of Cologne Excellence Center for ...

– professor for economics *

Bernhard Sabel Bernhard Sabel (1957, Trier) is a German psychologist who heads the Institute of Medical Psychology at the Otto-von-Guericke-University Magdeburg. Sabel investigates treatment options for visual impairments through the activation and rehabilit ...

– psychologist who heads the Institute of Medical Psychology *

Birgitta Wolff Birgitta Wolff (born 14 July 1965 in Münster) is a German economist and politician of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU). She served as minister of education and culture and as minister of research and economy in the state government of Saxony ...

– economist, politician and former president of the

Goethe University of Frankfurt Goethe University (german: link=no, Johann Wolfgang Goethe-Universität Frankfurt am Main) is a university located in Frankfurt am Main, Germany. It was founded in 1914 as a citizens' university, which means it was founded and funded by the wealt ...

Claudia Maria Buch Claudia Maria Buch (also Claudia-Maria Buch; born March 1966) is a German economist who currently serves as Vice President of the Bundesbank. She previously worked as professor at the University of Tübingen and served as a member of the German C ...

– economist, university teacher and currently Vice President of the

Bundesbank The Deutsche Bundesbank (), literally "German Federal Bank", is the central bank of the Federal Republic of Germany and as such part of the European System of Central Banks (ESCB). Due to its strength and former size, the Bundesbank is the most ...

Dagmar Schipanski Dagmar Elisabeth Schipanski (; 3 September 1943 – 7 September 2022) was a German physicist, academic, and politician from Thuringia. Although best known for her 1999 German presidential election, 1999 nomination as President of Germany by the ...

– physicist, university teacher and politician *

Henning Scheich Henning Scheich (born 12 May 1942 in Wuppertal) is a German brain researcher and psychiatrist. He was director of the Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology until 2010 and head of the institute department until 2013. Since 2014 he serves as the ch ...

– professor for physiology at the medical faculty *

Johannes Mallow Johannes Mallow (born June 7, 1981 Brandenburg an der Havel) is a German memory sportsman. He is a two-time winner of the World Memory Championships. He studied successfully Communication Technology at the Otto-von-Guericke University of Magdeburg ...

– multiple winner of the

World Memory Championships The World Memory Championships is an organized competition of memory sports in which competitors memorize as much information as possible within a given period of time. The championship has taken place annually since 1991, with the exception of 1 ...

. *

Nguyễn Thiện Nhân Nguyễn Thiện Nhân (born 12 June 1953) is a Vietnamese economist, engineer, professor and politician. He is currently a member of the National Assembly representing Ho Chi Minh City, where he served as its party secretary (''de facto'' may ...

–

Vietnam Vietnam or Viet Nam ( vi, Việt Nam, ), officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,., group="n" is a country in Southeast Asia, at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of and population of 96 million, making i ...

's former Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education and Training, who graduated with a doctorate in cybernetics *

Rumiana Jeleva Rumiana Ruseva Jeleva ( bg, Румяна Русева Желева; born 18 April 1969) was Bulgaria's minister of foreign affairs (July 2009 – January 2010), the third woman to hold this office after Irina Bokova and Nadezhda Mihailova. Jeleva ...

– former Minister of Foreign Affairs of

Bulgaria Bulgaria (; bg, България, Bǎlgariya), officially the Republic of Bulgaria,, ) is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern flank of the Balkans, and is bordered by Romania to the north, Serbia and North Macedon ...

, who earned a PhD in sociology

Notes and references

External links

Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg

Medical Faculty of the University Magdeburg

Inter-Cultural association for international students (IKUS)

Magdeburg International PhD Students (MIPS)

Student organization
{{Authority control Buildings and structures in Magdeburg Educational institutions established in 1993 1993 establishments in Germany Universities and colleges in Saxony-Anhalt