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The University of Bremen in Profile

The University of Bremen is a medium-sized German university with around 18,000 students. Bremen offers a wide range of subjects and degrees for its committed and talented students: more than 100 master’s and bachelor’s degrees, as well as the state law exam. Moreover, with research-based learning, the university has reinterpreted project-based courses, a defining feature originating from when the University of Bremen was founded. As part of the European university network YUFE–Young Universities for the Future of Europe it is developing a new model for European higher education together with nine other universities.

2,300 academics (43% of which are female), among them 270 professors (32% of which are female), teach and carry out research in a wide range of disciplines. We have a long established tradition in interdisciplinary cooperation and excellent research in natural sciences, engineering, the social sciences and the humanities, as well as in teacher training. From 2012–2019, the University of Bremen with its future concept “Ambitious and Agile” was one of eleven universities that held the title “University of Excellence”.

The issues of today’s and future societies are dealt with in five high-profile interdisciplinary research areas:Marine, Polar and Climate Research; Social Change, Social Policy and the State; Materials Science and their Technologies; Minds, Media, Machines, and Health Sciences. The marine sciences are particularly prominent with their Cluster of Excellence that has been continually funded since 2006.

The university promotes diversity and has always encouraged innovative ideas and the independence of its early career researchers. Academics at all levels find a stimulating environment here. The university was successful in all rounds of the Programme for Women Professors and the Tenure Track Programme for the Promotion of Early Career Researchers and received the highest number of professorships from both federal programs.

The university has a long-standing successful cooperation with the non-university research institutes in its immediate vicinity—this includes eleven institutes jointly funded by the federal government and the federal states—and since 2016, within the U Bremen Research Alliance. More than 50 so-called cooperation professors can testify to these close ties.

The university takes its social responsibility seriously and fosters its activities with many groups and institutions in Bremen. We are not afraid to be the first to tread new territory: Founded as a reform university, we aim to breathe life into change. Our vision: to further anchor the University of Bremen as a leading European research university and an inspiring place of education. To achieve this, we rely on our strengths, on the potential of all university members, and on the trusting cooperation with our partners.

Staff and students of our university were involved in developing our vision, mission, and our objectives for the upcoming decade. Based on this, in December 2017, the Academic Senate of the University of Bremen adopted the Strategy 2018–2028.

Mission Statement

The Academic Senate of the University of Bremen passed a new mission statement on November 15, 2023.

Facts and Figures

The latest facts and figures about the University of Bremen.

Rankings

The University of Bremen in national and international rankings.

Awards

An overview of all the awards earned by our academics and the university as an institution.

Strategy 2018–2028

Our vision, our mission, our values, and objectives—and what constitutes the “Bremen Spirit”.

Excellent in Advancement

The University of Bremen conducts excellent top-level research in interdisciplinary collaborations, within its high-profile areas, and in individual research. In 2019, the status of Cluster of Excellence was once more awarded to MARUM–Center for Marine Environmental Sciences. The Excellence Initiative has funded the Bremen International Graduate School of Social Sciences–BIGSSS since 2005 and the entire university with its future concept between 2012 and 2019.

Strong in Research

For years, the University of Bremen has been ranked among the top German universities in research. In Europe, it is one of the top 50 universities founded less than 50 years ago. Together with local research institutes and cooperation partners, it forms the leading research center in northwest Germany.

Committed to Teaching

The University of Bremen has stood for the close connection between research and teaching ever since its foundation. Research-based learning is at the center of our teaching profile. Active and research-oriented occupation with academic content contributes to the development of students’ perceptive skills, and at the same time qualifies them for the constantly changing requirements in the working world.

Internationally Shaped

For us, internationality is a matter close to our hearts. As a result, internationalization impacts on all areas of the university. As an international university, we welcome people from more than 100 nations who live, study, and work on our campus. They enrich our teaching and research and contribute to our success.

Partnership in Cooperation

The University of Bremen is a university of short distances and close interdisciplinary cooperation—especially with local research institutes. Pressing social issues are dealt with in collaboration with scientific institutions in Germany and all around the world, in fundamental research as well as in concrete application. The university practices “science in the interest of the general public” through its committed cooperation with public institutions, schools, Bremen’s civil society, and private enterprises.

Anti-Discrimination and Diversity

The diversity of our students and employees is inspiring. We recognize that collaborative learning and working on campus is not only innovative, but sometimes also quite demanding, and we seek answers to help cope us with this challenge. We combine social responsibility and anti-discrimination work with a resource orientation to promote individual potential. We work towards furthering a gender- and diversity-oriented organizational and HR development.

Mission Statement

In November 2023, the Academic Senate adopted the University of Bremen's new mission statement. The focus is on sustainability and the associated social responsibility of the university. The University of Bremen first adopted a mission statement in 2000.

The History of the University of Bremen

The University of Bremen is a young university: It was founded in 1971. In a time of social renewal, the “Bremen Model” was born. Its core elements are as instrumental today as they were then and have made our extraordinary research achievements possible: interdisciplinarity, research-based learning in projects, practical orientation, and a deep sense of responsibility towards society.

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