University of Duisburg-Essen

Founded in 2003 by a merger of two universities in the cities of Duisburg and Essen, we are one of the youngest universities in Germany and this comparative youth allows us to seek and pursue fresh ways of looking at things. We think in terms of unlimited possibilities instead of possible limitations. Walking across the two campuses of the University of Duisburg-Essen (UDE), you are likely to meet scientists, scholars and students who have come to the UDE from all over the world. Building on this wealth of sustained internationality and global citizenship, we explicitly promote exchange – of knowledge, of perspectives, of talents. We maintain partnerships with many universities – from China to Brazil to the USA. And we promote mobility within Europe – for example in cooperation with our 265 ERASMUS partner universities in almost 30 countries.

Just like the region, our university is dynamic, ambitious, and ever changing. We have 11 faculties (Humanities, Social Sciences, Educational Sciences, Economics and Business Administration, Mercator School of Management, Mathematics, Physics, Biology, Chemistry, Engineering, Medicine) working to develop ideas with a future. We want to promote the diverse potentials gathered here even better and more effectively, embracing diversity, promoting academic potential and fighting for genuine educational equality. In this way, everybody will profit – academia, the economy and society.

We research and teach to develop sustainable designs and solutions for our ever-changing society. We can access a vast pool of knowledge from our eleven departments to find solutions for questions like: What would a sustainable energy supply look like? How does globalization affect our lives? What can we do to better diagnose and heal diseases with new methods and drugs? Which new opportunities for industrial production and everyday life do new materials provide? Which ways lead to a successful education system that is internationally competitive? The UDE offers an environment for established as well as aspiring scientists and scholars that allows for personal development and progress. In research associations and various projects of the German Research Foundation (DFG), the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) and the EU, we pursue excellent basic as well as applied research. We think in terms of teamwork and freedom. Because outstanding results need a community of thinkers; because these results are just as often based on the singular accomplishments of individual scientists and scholars. But most importantly, research at the UDE does not happen in a vacuum. We deliberately interlock research and teaching as closely as we can. Scientists at the University of Duisburg-Essen share their insights and results immediately with their students. In this way, we build a powerful internal web of scientific and scholarly knowledge that everyone can and should log on to. We want to provide incentives for the brightest minds to take the path to Duisburg-Essen.

In many disciplines the UDE ranks amongst the TOP 10 of German research universities. Over the past three years, research income has risen by 150 percent, a development which is also thanks to the five interdisciplinary research clusters:

• Nanosciences
• Biomedical Sciences
• Urban Systems
• Transformation of Contemporary Societies
• Water Research

UDE in numbers:

• 2 main campuses (Duisburg and Essen)
• 1 university hospital
• 5 main research areas
• 11 departments
• 230 degree programmes

UA-Ruhr: The giant in the region

The UA Ruhr is a consortium of the Ruhr-University Bochum, TU Dortmund University and the University of Duisburg-Essen, the three academic powerhouses in Germany’s thriving Ruhr area.

Each of our institutions has a strong tradition of breaking down walls between disciplines. We believe in collaboration on all levels of scholarship and research, which is one of the reasons we came together to form this unique university alliance. We leverage our strengths in science and engineering, social sciences, and the humanities, and create unique opportunities for international academic cooperation. Our liaison offices in New York and Moscow serve as gateways to the Ruhr area’s exciting innovation landscape.

Research Alliance Ruhr

In 2021, the University Alliance Ruhr established four research centers and one college to bundle cutting-edge, international research on pressing issues facing the future. The initiative of the Ruhr Conference is a testament to the Ruhr area’s transformation into a vibrant metropolis of knowledge. Unprecedented career opportunities are unfolding here and now for excellent scientists and scholars from all over the world.

AURORA Universities Network: Dedicated to difference

Since 2016, the University of Duisburg-Essen is a founding member of the AURORA Universities Network. Its nine member institutions from all over Europe are research intensive universities deeply committed to the social impact of their activities, addressing key themes such as

• Diversity and Inclusion
• Societal Impact and Relevance of Research
• Students` Engagement
• Innovation in Teaching and Learning.

Originating from this network, the AURORA European Universities Alliance is funded by the European Universities Initiative within the Erasmus+ programme of the European Commission. The Aurora Alliance equips European Universities to provide a diverse student population with the skills and mindset needed to contribute to addressing societal challenges as social entrepreneurs and innovators.