Excellence Initiative
Excellence Strategy
Heidelberg University has successfully participated in the competition for the title of “University of Excellence” with its concept of a Comprehensive Research University. It is therefore one of ten individual universities and one university consortium that will receive funding as Universities of Excellence within the framework of the Excellence Strategy of the Federal and State Governments. [More...]
The concept of a comprehensive research university, the central element of Heidelberg’s institutional strategy that proved a success in the first round of the Excellence Initiative by the German federal and state governments, has again carried Heidelberg University through the competition’s renewal process with flying colours. The two clusters of excellence, “Asia and Europe in a Global Context” and “Cellular Networks”, as well as the three existing graduate schools will continue to be funded. Building on its own strengths and in close cooperation with capable partners throughout the region, Heidelberg University is intent on meeting future tasks and challenges.
Institutional Strategy: “Heidelberg: Realising the Potential of a Comprehensive University”
Interdisciplinary dialogue is of particular importance in Heidelberg’s institutional strategy "Realising the Potential of a Comprehensive University". The central objectives of the second funding phase are to consolidate and expand the Fields of Focus, which allows to thematically integrate and support a major part of the university’s research and teaching, thereby initiating qualitative progress university-wide.
Cluster of Excellence „Cellular Networks“
The aim of the cluster of excellence “Cellular Networks” is to describe the behaviour and dynamic changes of complex biological networks and to understand their regulatory mechanisms. The CellNetworks scientists develop basic knowledge, conduct research for medical applications and investigate technical advancements. Through interdisciplinary cooperation and international networks, the cluster of excellence provides the platform for an optimal research environment and a modern technical infrastructure with international foci in Europe, the US, Japan, India and Australia. [Homepage]
Cluster of Excellence “Asia and Europe in a Global Context”
The Cluster of Excellence “Asia and Europe in a Global Context” examines the processes of exchange between cultures, ranging from migration and trade to the formation of concepts and institutions. A central question is in which dynamics the transcultural processes between and within Asia and Europe develop. Scholars from various disciplines explore these complex historical relationships, which are of great relevance to the global transformations of our time. [Homepage]
Heidelberg Graduate School for Physics
The Heidelberg Graduate School for Physics, founded by the Faculty of Physics and Astronomy at Heidelberg University and the Max Planck Institutes for Astronomy and Nuclear Physics, provides an excellent education for doctoral researchers. The school offers a broad educational programme and a supportive environment, in which the further scientific development of each individual is tailored according to their prior knowledge, the requirements for successful research in the chosen field and personal interests. The school's focus lies in understanding the fundamental properties of matter by describing the processes that occur in nature from the smallest scales of quantum physics up to the largest scales in cosmology. [Homepage]
Heidelberg Biosciences International Graduate School
The Heidelberg Biosciences International Graduate School (HBIGS) focuses on the rapid developments in the life sciences and the resulting possibilities for medical and biotechnical applications. The school is operated by Heidelberg University, in collaboration with the Max Planck Institute for Medical Research and the German Cancer Research Center. HBIGS offers a doctoral programme taught in English; intensive scientific tutoring and teaching by renowned researchers ensure that students receive a solid interdisciplinary education. At present, the school counts more than 300 doctoral students from all over the world. [Homepage]
Heidelberg Graduate School of Mathematical and Computational Methods for the Sciences
The Heidelberg Graduate School of Mathematical and Computational Methods for the Sciences (HGS MathComp) provides a structured interdisciplinary research training programme in scientific computing. Currently more than 150 doctoral students do their research under the umbrella of the graduate school, using methods of mathematical modelling, computer simulation and optimisation. They study antique monuments, optimise the processes of exchanges of goods on the world markets or model complex phenomena in medicine, biology and the environmental sciences on all physical scales and system units. [Homepage]
