German Universities Excellence Initiative
The Excellence Initiative of the German Council of Science and Humanities and the German Research Foundation aims to promote cutting-edge research and to create outstanding conditions for young scholars at universities, to deepen cooperation between disciplines and institutions, to strengthen international cooperation of research, and to enhance the international appeal of excellent German universities. It is the result of lengthy negotiations between the federal government and the German states.
Since almost all German universities are public, and therefore mainly paid by taxes and generally egalitarian, there is no German Ivy League of private higher education institutions. However, the Excellence Initiative aims to strengthen some selected public universities more than others in order to raise their international visibility. Thus, the German "Universities of Excellence" are sometimes considered the German Ivy League of public institutions. The initiative is conducted by the German Research Foundation together with the German Council of Science and Humanities. More than 30 universities in total received funding. It includes three lines of funding:
- The establishment of more than 40 research schools for young scientists and PhD candidates, which will receive €1 million each per year.
- The creation of thirty so-called Clusters of Excellence, that connect universities with leading German research institutes and businesses. Annually, these clusters will receive around €6.5 million each to fund their work.
- The selection of 11 Universities of Excellence, which will be funded highly for their "future concepts", i.e., institutional strategies to promote top-level university research. Particularly this third line of funding has drawn appreciable international attention, both in academia and media.
Results
Winners: Future Concept 2019
11 future concepts across 13 universities were selected for funding in 2019. Six universities retained their status for a third time: RWTH Aachen, FU Berlin, Heidelberg University, University of Konstanz, LMU Munich, and Technical University of Munich. Three further universities retained their status for a second consecutive time: HU Berlin, TU Dresden, and the University of Tübingen. The Karlsruhe Institute of Technology returned to excellence status for a second time after having been funded in the first round. The three first-time excellence universities are the University of Bonn, University of Hamburg, and TU Berlin.| University | Title | Year of Award |
| RWTH Aachen University | The Integrated Interdisciplinary University of Science and Technology: Knowledge, Impact, Networks | 2007/2012/2019 |
| Berlin University Alliance | Crossing Boundaries toward an Integrated Research Environment | 2007/2012/2019 |
| University of Bonn | WE invest in people – WE foster networks – WE create impact | 2019 |
| TU Dresden | TUD 2028 Synergy and beyond | 2012 |
| University of Hamburg | A Flagship University: Innovation and Cooperation for a Sustainable Future | 2019 |
| Heidelberg University | The comprehensive research university Heidelberg: The future since 1386 | 2007 |
| Karlsruhe Institute of Technology | The Research University in the Helmholtz Association: Living the Change | 2006/2019 |
| University of Konstanz | creative.together | 2007 |
| Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich | LMUexcellent - A new perspective | 2006 |
| Technical University of Munich | TUM. The Entrepreneurial University: Innovation by Talents, Excellence, and Responsibility | 2006 |
| University of Tübingen | Research – Relevance – Responsibility: Open to New Challenges and a Global Scope of Action | 2012 |
Winners: Future Concept 2012
Out of the 140 universities in Germany 11 universities were chosen, among them five new winners and six title holders: RWTH Aachen, FU Berlin, Heidelberg University, University of Konstanz, LMU Munich, and Technical University of Munich. These universities are commonly referred to by the media as "elite universities". As in 2006 and 2007, also other universities were awarded for special clusters of excellence and renowned graduate schools.| University | Title | Year of Award |
| RWTH Aachen University | RWTH 2020: Meeting Global Challenges | 2007 |
| Freie Universität Berlin | International Network University | 2007 |
| Humboldt University of Berlin | Education through science | 2012 |
| University of Bremen | AMBITIOUS AND AGILE | 2012 |
| University of Cologne | Meeting the Challenge of Change and Complexity | 2012 |
| TU Dresden | The synergetic university | 2012 |
| Heidelberg University | Heidelberg: Realizing the Potential of a Comprehensive University | 2007 |
| University of Konstanz | Model Konstanz - towards a culture of creativity | 2007 |
| Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich | LMUexcellent: Working brains – Networking minds – Living knowledge | 2006 |
| Technical University of Munich | TUM. The Entrepreneurial University | 2006 |
| University of Tübingen | Research − Relevance − Responsibility | 2012 |
Winners: Future Concept 2006/2007
| University | Title | Year of Award |
| Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich | LMUexcellent: Working brains – Networking minds – Living knowledge | 2006 |
| Technical University of Munich | TUM. The Entrepreneurial University | 2006 |
| University of Karlsruhe | A Concept for the Future of the University of Karlsruhe. The Foundation of the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology | 2006 |
| RWTH Aachen University | RWTH 2020: Meeting Global Challenges | 2007 |
| Freie Universität Berlin | International Network University | 2007 |
| University of Freiburg | Windows for Research, New Universitas | 2007 |
| University of Göttingen | Göttingen. Tradition – Innovation – Autonomie | 2007 |
| Heidelberg University | Heidelberg: Realizing the Potential of a Comprehensive University | 2007 |
| University of Konstanz | Model Konstanz - towards a culture of creativity | 2007 |
The funding for a future concept does often, but not necessarily result in a superior overall budget compared to other German universities. For example, due to its small size, the University of Constance is despite this additional means, not included in the top 20 funded universities in Germany.
Current international standing
According to the Third European Report on Science & Technology Indicators, an official document compiled by the European Commission, four of the Universities of Excellence are among Europe's top 10 universities: Technical University of Munich, Freiburg, Karlsruhe, and Heidelberg.In the Academic Ranking of World Universities 2012, Technical University of Munich, LMU Munich, Heidelberg, and Freiburg are included in the global top 100, heading the field of German universities by those criteria.
Eight of the eleven Universities of Excellence are included in the world's top 250 universities, according to the QS World University Ranking 2012: Technical University of Munich ; Heidelberg ; LMU Munich ; Free University of Berlin ; Humboldt University of Berlin ; Tübingen ; RWTH Aachen ; Cologne. The Times Higher Education World University Ranking 2012 ranks 8 of these 11 Universities of Excellence among the world's 250 top universities: LMU Munich ; Heidelberg ; Technical University of Munich ; Humboldt University of Berlin ; Free University of Berlin ; RWTH Aachen ; Tübingen ; Konstanz.
Federal Education Minister Annette Schavan said following the awards ceremony, "The excellence initiative is writing scientific history. Research at German universities finds itself on a successful, international course."
Winners: Graduate Schools
Source: Federal Ministry of Education and Research| University | Graduate School | Year of Award |
| RWTH Aachen University | Aachen Institute for Advanced Study in Computational Engineering Science | 2006 |
| Freie Universität Berlin | Graduate School of North American Studies | 2006 |
| Humboldt University of Berlin | Berlin School of Mind and Brain | 2006 |
| Technical University Berlin | Berlin Mathematical School | 2006 |
| Ruhr University Bochum | Ruhr University Research School | 2006 |
| University of Bonn | Bonn Graduate School of Economics | 2006 |
| University of Bremen | Global Change in the Marine Realm | 2006 |
| TU Dresden | Dresden International Graduate School for Biomedicine and Bioengineering | 2006 |
| University of Erlangen-Nuremberg | Erlangen Graduate School in Advanced Optical Technologies | 2006 |
| University of Freiburg | Spemann Graduate School of Biology and Medicine | 2006 |
| University of Gießen | International Graduate Centre for the Study of Culture | 2006 |
| Hannover Medical School | Hannover Biomedical Research School | 2006 |
| Heidelberg University | Heidelberg Graduate School of Fundamental Physics | - |
| Karlsruhe Institute of Technology | Karlsruhe School of Optics and Photonics | 2006 |
| University of Mannheim | Empirical and Quantitative Methods in the Economic and Social Sciences | 2006 |
| Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich | 2006 | |
| Technical University Munich | International Graduate School of Science and Engineering | 2006 |
| Saarland University | Multimodal Computing and Interaction | 2006 |
| University of Würzburg | Graduate School for Life Sciences | 2006 |
| University of Bayreuth | Bayreuth International Graduate School of African Studies | 2007 |
| Freie Universität Berlin | Muslim Cultures and Societies: Unity and Diversity | 2007 |
| Freie Universität Berlin | Friedrich Schlegel Graduate School of Literary Studies | 2007 |
| Humboldt University of Berlin | Berlin-Brandenburg School for Regenerative Therapies | 2007 |
| Humboldt University of Berlin | Berlin Graduate School of Social Sciences | 2007 |
| University of Bielefeld | Bielefeld Graduate School in History and Sociology | 2007 |
| University of Bonn | Bonn-Cologne Graduate School of Physics and Astronomy | 2007 |
| University of Bremen | Bremen International Graduate School of Social Sciences | 2007 |
| Darmstadt University of Technology | Graduate School of Computational Engineering "Beyond Traditional Sciences" | 2007 |
| University of Göttingen | Göttingen Graduate School for Neurosciences and Molecular Biosciences | 2007 |
| Heidelberg University | Heidelberg Graduate School of Mathematical and Computational Methods for the Sciences | 2007 |
| Heidelberg University | The Hartmut Hoffmann-Berling International Graduate School of Molecular and Cellular Biology | 2007 |
| University of Jena | Jena School for Microbial Communication | 2007 |
| University of Kiel | Graduate School for Integrated Studies of Human Development in Landscapes | 2007 |
| University of Konstanz | Konstanz Research School "Chemical Biology" | 2007 |
| University of Leipzig | Building with Molecules and Nano-Objects | 2007 |
| University of Lübeck | Graduate School for Computing in Medicine and Life Sciences | 2007 |
| University of Mainz | Materials Science in Mainz | 2007 |
| Saarland University | Saarbrücken Graduate School of Computer Science | 2007 |
| University of Stuttgart | Graduate School for advanced Manufacturing Engineering in Stuttgart | 2007 |
| University of Ulm | International Graduate School in Molecular Medicine Ulm | 2007 |
Winners: Clusters of Excellence
| University | Clusters of Excellence | Year of Award |
| RWTH Aachen University | Integrative Production Technology for High-Wage Countries | 2006 |
| RWTH Aachen University | Ultra High-Speed Mobile Information and Communication | 2006 |
| RWTH Aachen University | Tailor-Made Fuels from Biomass | 2007 |
| Freie Universität Berlin / Humboldt University of Berlin | Topoi. The Formation and Transformation of Space and Knowledge in Ancient Civilizations | 2006 |
| University of Bonn | Mathematics: Foundations, Models, Applications | 2006 |
| TU Dresden | From Cells to Tissues to Therapies: Engineering the Cellular Basis of Regeneration | 2006 |
| TU Dresden | Center for Advancing Electronics Dresden | |
| Johann Wolfgang Goethe University Frankfurt am Main | Macromolecular Complexes | 2006 |
| University of Gießen | Cardio-Pulmonary System | 2006 |
| University of Göttingen | Microscopy at the Nanometer Range | 2006 |
| Hannover Medical School | From Regenerative Biology to Reconstructive Therapy | 2006 |
| Heidelberg University | Cellular Networks: From Analysis of Molecular Mechanisms to a Quantitative Understanding of Complex Functions | 2006 |
| Karlsruhe Institute of Technology | Center for Functional Nanostructures | 2006 |
| University of Kiel | The Future Ocean | 2006 |
| University of Konstanz | Cultural Foundations of Social Integration | 2006 |
| Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich | Center for Integrated Protein Science Munich | 2006 |
| Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich | Munich Center for Advanced Photonics | 2006 |
| Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich | Nanosystems Initiative Munich | 2006 |
| Technical University of Munich | Cognition for Technical Systems | 2006 |
| Technical University of Munich | Origin and Structure of the Universe – The Cluster of Excellence for Fundamental Physics | 2006 |
| Freie Universität Berlin | Languages of Emotion | 2007 |
| Humboldt-Universität Berlin | NeuroCure: Towards a Better Outcome of Neurological Disorders | 2007 |
| Technical University of Berlin | Unifying Concepts in Catalysis | 2007 |
| University of Bielefeld | Cognitive Interaction Technology | 2007 |
| University of Bremen | The Ocean in the Earth System | 2007 |
| Darmstadt University of Technology | Smart Interfaces: Understanding and Designing Fluid Boundaries | 2007 |
| University of Erlangen-Nuremberg | Engineering of Advanced Materials – Hierarchical Structure Formation for Functional Devices | 2007 |
| Johann Wolfgang Goethe University Frankfurt am Main | Formation of Normative Orders | 2007 |
| University of Freiburg | Centre for Biological Signalling Studies – From Analysis to Synthesis | 2007 |
| University of Hamburg | Integrated Climate System Analysis and Prediction | 2007 |
| University of Hannover | Centre for Quantum Engineering and Space-Time Research | 2007 |
| Heidelberg University | Asia and Europe in a Global Context: Shifting Asymmetries in Cultural Flows | 2007 |
| University of Kiel | Inflammation at Interfaces | 2007 |
| University of Cologne | Cellular Stress Responses in Aging-Associated Diseases | 2007 |
| University of Münster | Religion and Politics in Pre-Modern and Modern Cultures | 2007 |
| Saarland University | Multimodal Computing and Interaction | 2007 |
| University of Stuttgart | Simulation Technology | 2007 |
| University of Tübingen | CIN – Centre for Integrative Neuroscience | 2007 |
| University of Hamburg | The Hamburg Centre for Ultrafast Imaging | 2012 |
Reception
Whether the Excellence Initiative has had a positive effect is currently a matter of debate. A report by the WZB Berlin Social Science Centre indicates that the program failed to create more diverse education options and produced little in the way of lasting change. Additionally, the Goethe Institut claims that an additional criticism is that "competition up to now has focussed exclusively on the research rather than the teaching at universities", that prevailing qualitative imbalances in East and West German education systems may potentially be perpetuated via the program, and, furthermore, that the funding may actually be insufficient to achieve the goal of creating "globally competitive universities".However, an international commission led by physicist Dieter Imboden of the ETH Zurich in Switzerland praised the program, saying it had a "very positive" influence on higher education in Germany, and recommending it be extended and further developed.