A Brief Portrait of the University
The University of Göttingen was officially inaugurated in 1737, three years after teaching commenced here, by King George II of Great Britain, Prince-Elector of Hanover. Today, the university which bears his name, Georg-August, is one of the most highly regarded German universities and recognised worldwide for its leading research work as well as being highly attractive to outstanding academics and students both at home and abroad. As a university that follows in the tradition of the Enlightenment, it actively, skillfully, imaginatively and conscientiously makes a valuable contribution to academic progress and to tackling the challenges that face society in the 21st Century.
The strength of the University of Göttingen lies – now as at the time of its foundation – in realising the aspiration to combine reason and knowledge pragmatically. As a classical university it aims to build new bridges between disciplines in research and teaching. The University of Göttingen is committed to providing forward-looking, innovative teaching based on high quality research, with the aim of educating critical and cosmopolitan academics who can make a special contribution to the intellectual progress and sustainable development of our society.
Taking a lively interdisciplinary approach, the University promotes the capacity to make judgements and evaluate critically which are essential for personal development and academic success. It is distinguished not only by the variety of subjects covered by its thirteen faculties (especially Humanities), which have over 31,000 students, but also by its excellent science facilities and the outstanding quality of its research in high-profile areas. In the period 2007 to 2012 the University of Göttingen received support from the Excellence Initiative of the German Federal and State Governments for its future strategy “Göttingen. Tradition – Innovation – Autonomy”. The University has successfully pursued well-established measures to further its positive development in research and teaching. A core element of the area of research and teaching is Göttingen Campus, which unites the University of Göttingen in an energetic partnership with eight excellent extramural research institutions.
In research and teaching the university has taken up the challenges of the developing European Higher Education Area: it is intensifying its academic work, continually improving teaching, driving forward internationalisation, and strengthening its comprehensive plans for equal opportunities and diversification.
With its thirteen faculties, including the Göttingen University Medical Centre, the University of Göttingen offers students a broad range of subjects that enables research-based studies. Offering 90 academic subjects means that about 1,000 combinations are possible for Bachelor degrees alone. Promotion of excellence and a practical research approach are offered by the University on its many Master and Doctorate degrees – a range which is continually expanding.
The degree programmes provide students with specialised and methodical skills and key competencies, preparing them for work both within and outside academia, and are practical and research oriented at every stage of studies.
Doctoral studies in Göttingen are organised in structured programmes, which are pooled in four graduate schools: Georg-August University School of Science (GAUSS); Göttingen Graduate School of Social Sciences (GGG), Graduate School of Humanities Göttingen (GSGG) and Graduate School of Forest Sciences and Agricultural Sciences (GFA). Part of the Georg-August University School of Science is the Göttingen Graduate School for Neurosciences, Biophysics, and Molecular Biosciences (GGNB). This renowned graduate school is supported jointly by the University, three Max Planck institutes and the Deutsche Primatenzentrum (DPZ). It comprises twelve doctoral degree programmes. The GGNB, which since 2007 has received funding under the Excellence Initiative of the Federal and State governments, was once again successful in the second round of the Excellence Initiative of the Federal and State governments in 2012 and will continue to receive support.
The graduate schools provide the organisational superstructure for postgraduate programmes, doctoral degree programmes and the International Max Planck Research Schools. The objective of the graduate schools is to improve the conditions of research and study for PhD students and to promote the development of excellent researchers with intensive support and seminars.
Starting from its quality in research and teaching and its international orientation, the University has declared its objectives to include both the realisation of equal opportunities and staff diversity.
The university sees equal opportunities as not only a benchmark of its quality but also a cross-cutting issue with a bearing both on its excellence in research and teaching and its international orientation. Therefore it is focusing on improving equality, work-life balance and diversity orientation in its structures, leadership and work culture. By doing so the university aims to create a research, study and work culture that offers all its members and associates the same opportunities and protection against discrimination, allowing them to develop their talents and potential fully. This goal was affirmed in its Diversity Strategy (PDF, German ; 238 KB) in 2016.
The University of Göttingen and the Ministry of Lower Saxony for Science and Culture regularly agree targets to ensure that the strategic and substantive goals of the University are continually met and adapted to new challenges and needs.