Once again, the recently published new university rankings compiled by the Centrum für Hochschulentwicklung (CHE) [Center for university development] confirm the University of Bremen’s strength in acquiring research funding. The area of Production Engineering, which is no newcomer to third-party funding, has moved to the very top of the league. It is particularly interesting to note that several disciplines in the humanities, like Education, Psychology, and Romance Studies, are well-placed in the upper mid-range.
The new rankings also place the area of English and American Studies at the very top in respect of “International Orientation”, making them even more attractive for students. “A survey of students underscored their appreciation of the fact that, without exception, all our courses are delivered in English. This means that from the very outset they are well-equipped to take advantage of the intensive network of academic exchange opportunities we maintain around the globe”, says the Dean of Faculty, Prof. Norbert Schaffeld. “Our students also have to spend their 5th semester at a partner university abroad, where they receive credit points by attending courses delivered in the English language. This way, they know that no time will be lost – and that’s clearly a bonus.”
Prof. Kurosch Rezwan, the University of Bremen’s Vice Rector for Research and Young Researchers, stresses that “the rankings leave no doubt about our University’s strength in research.” He is especially pleased that “…beside the ‘traditionally’ strong field of Production Engineering the humanities have now received their well-deserved recognition. I am quite convinced that this trend will also continue in future.”
However, it should not be overlooked that there are also some problematic areas, resulting primarily from the chronic under-funding of undergraduate studies. For example, the general conditions of study and teaching in psychology, which is high in demand among students, is rated as “difficult”. In spite of this, students of psychology manage to finish their academic training and graduate within the designated period of study – in this respect Bremen psychology students are in the top group. “We are well-aware of the unsatisfactory state of affairs caused by the chronic lack of public funding. We are, though, constantly adopting measures to improve the situation. It is also becoming increasingly apparent how the University’s strength in research contributes to teaching within the context of research-based learning”, Rezwan adds.
