The University of Bremen () is a

public university A public university, state university, or public college is a university or college that is State ownership, owned by the state or receives significant funding from a government. Whether a national university is considered public varies from o ...

Bremen Bremen (Low German also: ''Breem'' or ''Bräm''), officially the City Municipality of Bremen (, ), is the capital of the States of Germany, German state of the Bremen (state), Free Hanseatic City of Bremen (), a two-city-state consisting of the c ...

, Germany, with approximately 18,400 students from 117 countries. Its 12 faculties offer more than 100 degree programs. The University of Bremen has been among the top 50 European research universities for more than 50 years and focuses its research on 5 high-profile areas. It is one of 11 institutions which were successful in the category "Institutional Strategies" of the Excellence Initiative launched by the Federal Government and the Federal States in 2012. The university was also successful in the categories "Graduate Schools" and "Clusters of Excellence" of the initiative. Some of the paths that were taken in the early days of the university, also referred to as the "Bremen model", have since become characteristics of modern universities, such as interdisciplinary, explorative learning, social relevance to practice-oriented project studies which enjoy a high reputation in the academic world as well as in business and industry.

History

Though Bremen became a university city only recently, higher education in Bremen has a long tradition. The Bremen Latin School was upgraded to "Gymnasium Academicum" in 1584. In 1610 it was transformed into "Gymnasium Illustre". Under Napoleonic rule, in 1811 the institution of a "French-Bremen University" was considered. In 1971 the University of Bremen opened its doors. The development of the University of Bremen can be divided up into steps of 10 to 12 years – first foundation, then restructuring, consolidation and profile building. At the beginning of the 1970s, the university was set up as a "science complex" in a city oriented towards trade and seafaring that had no experience with academia, particularly not with leftist professors. University, business and the public in the region did not move closer together until the 1980s, through the foundation of the

natural science Natural science or empirical science is one of the branches of science concerned with the description, understanding and prediction of natural phenomena, based on empirical evidence from observation and experimentation. Mechanisms such as peer ...

and engineering departments, co-operation with the newly founded

Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research The Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research (German: ''Alfred-Wegener-Institut, Helmholtz-Zentrum für Polar- und Meeresforschung'') is located in Bremerhaven, Germany, and a member of the Helmholtz Association ...

Bremerhaven Bremerhaven (; ) is a city on the east bank of the Weser estuary in northern Germany. It forms an exclave of the Bremen (state), city-state of Bremen. The Geeste (river), River Geeste flows through the city before emptying into the Weser. Brem ...

(1980), as well as the development of the co-located technology park (from 1988). Other important factors were the initial success in setting up collaborative research centres and in the acquisition of considerable of external funds. The mathematics professor Jürgen Timm, elected university rector in 1982, was largely responsible for this turnaround. As a consequence, the University of Bremen improved in research rankings, gained national recognition, and established a number of endowment professorships. Research excellence and its interdisciplinary profile is reflected in the establishment of numerous research centers and programs funded by the

German Research Foundation The German Research Foundation ( ; DFG ) is a German research funding organization, which functions as a self-governing institution for the promotion of science and research in the Federal Republic of Germany. In 2019, the DFG had a funding bud ...

(DFG). These currently include eight collaborative research centers and the Research Center of Ocean Margins, one of only six national research centers of the DFG. From 1996 until 2001 the University of Bremen (along with six other universities in Germany) participated in a pilot scheme for structural reform of university administration, funded by the

Volkswagen Volkswagen (VW; )English: , . is a German automotive industry, automobile manufacturer based in Wolfsburg, Lower Saxony, Germany. Established in 1937 by German Labour Front, The German Labour Front, it was revitalized into the global brand it ...

Foundation. This project improved the co-operation and communication between the university's administration, teaching and research units. With the realization of the "Laptop University" project, the university became a leading university in the field of digital media education in Germany. By 2000, after an organisational development process of three years in which the university set goals for the development of its profile, this trend was continued with the promotion of junior scientists in structured

graduate program Postgraduate education, graduate education, or graduate school consists of academic or professional degrees, certificates, diplomas, or other qualifications usually pursued by post-secondary students who have earned an undergraduate (bachelor' ...

s, and staff development programs for the great number of early-stage researchers entering the university as junior professors. In teaching, there are comprehensive evaluations, more specific admission requirements, and improved completion rates for Bachelors and master's degrees. Bremen was rewarded with the title "Stadt der Wissenschaft 2005" (City of Science of 2005), which science, politics, business and culture won jointly for Bremen and Bremerhaven, by the Foundation for German Science (Stifterverband für die Deutsche Wissenschaft). In 2012, the University of Bremen became one of 11 institutions, which were successful in the category "Institutional Strategies" of the Excellence Initiative launched by the Federal Government and the Federal States. With the Cluster of Excellence “The Ocean Floor – Earth’s Uncharted Interface” of MARUM – Center for Marine Environmental Sciences, the University of Bremen is still part of the German Excellence Strategy and will receive funding from 2019 – 2025. In the current call for proposals, the University of Bremen is once again participating in the excellence strategy competition. In 2020, the university had more DFG Collaborative Research Centers than ever and is regarded the science hub of Northwest Germany. Since the foundation of the Bremen Technology Park in 1988, many research institutes and facilities have settled near the University of Bremen campus. These include the Bremen Innovation and Technology Centre (BITZ), th
Center of Applied Space Technology and Microgravity (ZARM)
th

th
Institute of Shipping Economics and Logistics (ISL)
th

ttps://www.marum.de/en/index.html MARUM – Center for Marine Environmental Sciencesbr>Leibniz Institute for Prevention Research and Epidemiology – BIPS GmbH (BIPS)SOCIUM Research Center on Inequality and Social PolicyInstitute of Public Health and Nursing Research (IPP)Leibniz Institute for Materials Engineering (IWT)
th
German Aerospace Center Bremen (DLR)
th
German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence (DFKI)MAPEX Center for Materials and Processes
th
Centre for Media, Communication and Information Research (ZeMKI)
th
Data Science CenterDigital Hub Industry (DHI)
and the “MaTeNa innovate! Center” for accelerated technology transfer.

Faculties

These are the twelve faculties into which the university is divided: * Faculty 1:

Physics Physics is the scientific study of matter, its Elementary particle, fundamental constituents, its motion and behavior through space and time, and the related entities of energy and force. "Physical science is that department of knowledge whi ...

Electrical Engineering Electrical engineering is an engineering discipline concerned with the study, design, and application of equipment, devices, and systems that use electricity, electronics, and electromagnetism. It emerged as an identifiable occupation in the l ...

* Faculty 2:

Biology Biology is the scientific study of life and living organisms. It is a broad natural science that encompasses a wide range of fields and unifying principles that explain the structure, function, growth, History of life, origin, evolution, and ...

Chemistry Chemistry is the scientific study of the properties and behavior of matter. It is a physical science within the natural sciences that studies the chemical elements that make up matter and chemical compound, compounds made of atoms, molecules a ...

* Faculty 3: Mathematics/

Computer Science Computer science is the study of computation, information, and automation. Computer science spans Theoretical computer science, theoretical disciplines (such as algorithms, theory of computation, and information theory) to Applied science, ...

* Faculty 4:

Production Engineering Manufacturing engineering or production engineering is a branch of professional engineering that shares many common concepts and ideas with other fields of engineering such as mechanical, chemical, electrical, and industrial engineering. Manufac ...

– Mechanical Engineering &

Process Engineering Process engineering is a field of study focused on the development and optimization of industrial processes. It consists of the understanding and application of the fundamental principles and laws of nature to allow humans to transform raw mate ...

* Faculty 5:

Geosciences Earth science or geoscience includes all fields of natural science related to the planet Earth. This is a branch of science dealing with the physical, chemical, and biological complex constitutions and synergistic linkages of Earth's four spheres ...

* Faculty 6: Law * Faculty 7:

Business Studies Business studies, often simply called business, is a field of study that deals with the principles of business, management, and economics. It combines elements of accountancy, finance, marketing, organizational studies, human resource manageme ...

and Economics * Faculty 8:

Social Sciences Social science (often rendered in the plural as the social sciences) is one of the branches of science, devoted to the study of society, societies and the Social relation, relationships among members within those societies. The term was former ...

* Faculty 9:

Cultural Studies Cultural studies is an academic field that explores the dynamics of contemporary culture (including the politics of popular culture) and its social and historical foundations. Cultural studies researchers investigate how cultural practices rel ...

* Faculty 10: Languages and

Literary Studies A genre of arts criticism, literary criticism or literary studies is the study, evaluation, and interpretation of literature. Modern literary criticism is often influenced by literary theory, which is the philosophical analysis of literature's ...

* Faculty 11: Human and Health Sciences * Faculty 12:

Pedagogy Pedagogy (), most commonly understood as the approach to teaching, is the theory and practice of learning, and how this process influences, and is influenced by, the social, political, and psychological development of learners. Pedagogy, taken ...

and Educational Sciences Kunst-am-campus

Academics

Admission

Admission to University of Bremen is highly competitive with big differences in the admission rates between programs.

Teaching and learning

The University of Bremen is a campus university which offers more than 100 different programs. In 2023 it granted 1,522 baccalaureate degrees, 1,229 master's degrees, 123 State Examination in Law and 264 doctoral degrees. Each year the University of Bremen awards the Berninghausen Prize for excellent teaching. The prize was started in 1992 and is considered to be the oldest teaching award at any German university. Tuition is free for national and international students at the University of Bremen. There is, however, a semester contribution of approx. €350, which includes the Germany semester ticket (D-SeTi) valid nationwide on all local public transport.

Research

The University of Bremen is a

research university A research university or a research-intensive university is a university that is committed to research as a central part of its mission. They are "the key sites of Knowledge production modes, knowledge production", along with "intergenerational ...

. It has 12 faculties, but focuses its research on 5 interdisciplinary high-profile areas. They are (1) marine, polar and climate research, (2) social change, social policy, and the state, (3) materials science and production engineering, (4) minds media machines and (5) health sciences.

Scientific focus

* Marine, polar and climate research * Social change, social policy and the state * Materials science and its technologies * Minds, media, machines * Health sciences With interdisciplinary scientific focal points, the University of Bremen has two ongoing DFG-funded Collaborative Research Centers ("Sonderforschungsbereiche" (SFB)) and is involved in three other SFBs. The Oceans in the Earth System (MARUM) Cluster of Excellence developed in 2007 from the DFG Research Center Ocean Margins, which was founded in 2001.

Collaborative research centers

The university has as of November 2024 the following SFBs: * SFB 1342
The Global Dynamics of Social Policy
(2018-) * SFB 1320
Everyday Activity Science and Engineering (EASE)
(2017–) The University of Bremen is also involved in the following special research areas: * SFB 1464
Relativistic and quantum-based geodesy (TerraQ)
(2021–) * TRR 172
Artic Amplification: Climate Relevant Atmospheric and Surface Processes, and Feedback Mechanisms
(AC)³ (2016–) * TRR 181
Energy transfer in the atmosphere and in the ocean
(2016–) Past SFBs: * TRR 136: Function-oriented Manufacturing based on Characteristic Process Signatures (2014-2022) * SFB 1232: From Colored States to Evolutionary Construction Materials (2016-2021) * SFB 747: Micro Cold Forming – Processes, Characterization, Optimization (2007-2017) * SFB 597: CRC 597: Changing Statehood (2003–2014) * SFB/TR8: Spatial Cognition – Inference, Action, Interaction (2003– 2014) * SFB 637: Self-control of logistic processes (2004–2012) * SFB/TR4: Process chains for the replication of complex optical components (2001–2012) * SFB 570: Distortion Engineering – Warp control in manufacturing (2001–2011) * SFB 517: Neural Basics of Cognitive Performance (1996–2005) * SFB 372: Spray compacting (1994–2004)

Rankings

According to the

QS World University Rankings The ''QS World University Rankings'' is a portfolio of comparative college and university rankings compiled by Quacquarelli Symonds, a higher education analytics firm. Its first and earliest edition was published in collaboration with '' Times ...

of 2024, the University of Bremen was placed 514th globally and ranked 32nd within its national context. In the

Times Higher Education World University Rankings The ''Times Higher Education World University Rankings'', often referred to as the THE Rankings, is the annual publication of university rankings by the ''Times Higher Education'' magazine. The publisher had collaborated with Quacquarelli Symon ...

for 2024, the university was positioned within the 301-350 range worldwide, while nationally it fell within the 32-33 range. The ARWU World Rankings for 2023 also showed a similar trend, with the university ranked between 601 and 700 globally and between 37 and 40 nationally.

Notable alumni

Yuliia Fediv Yuliia Oleksandrivna Fediv (; born 20 December 1986) is a Ukrainian civil servant, cultural manager and diplomat. She was the first executive director of the Ukrainian Cultural Foundation (UCF) from 2018 to 2021 and has held leadership roles in ...

, a Ukrainian cultural manager and diplomat. *

Hans Koenigsmann Hans-Jörg Königsmann (born 1963) is a German aerospace engineer who was ''Vice President of Flight Reliability'' for SpaceX until his retirement in 2021. Education and career Hans Königsmann obtained his aerospace engineering diploma at Tec ...

, a German aerospace engineer, best known for his work on

SpaceX Space Exploration Technologies Corp., commonly referred to as SpaceX, is an America, American space technology company headquartered at the SpaceX Starbase, Starbase development site in Starbase, Texas. Since its founding in 2002, the compa ...

. *

Michael Kölling Michael Kölling is a German computer scientist, currently working at King's College London, best known for the development of the BlueJ and Greenfoot educational development environments and as author of introductory programming textbooks. In 2 ...

, a German computer scientist, currently working at

King's College London King's College London (informally King's or KCL) is a public university, public research university in London, England. King's was established by royal charter in 1829 under the patronage of George IV of the United Kingdom, King George IV ...

, best known for the development of BlueJ. *

Andreas Bovenschulte Andreas Bovenschulte (born 11 August 1965) is a German lawyer and politician of the Social Democratic Party (SPD) who has been serving as the President of the Senate and Mayor of Bremen since 2019. Early life and education Bovenschulte was born ...

, a German lawyer and politician (

SPD The Social Democratic Party of Germany ( , SPD ) is a social democratic political party in Germany. It is one of the major parties of contemporary Germany. Saskia Esken has been the party's leader since the 2019 leadership election together wi ...

) who has been serving as the

President of the Senate and Mayor of Bremen The Free Hanseatic City of Bremen, which is one of the states of Germany, is governed by the Senate of the Free Hanseatic City of Bremen. The Senate is chaired by the President of the Senate, who is the head of government of the city-state. The Pr ...

since 2019. * Sarah Ryglewski, a German politician (

) serves since 8 December 2021 as Minister of State for Federal-State Relations in the first Scholz cabinet.

Notes and references

External links

University of Bremen Website
{{Authority control Universities and colleges established in 1971 1971 establishments in West Germany