Strategic Partnerships

The University of Bremen’s internationalization strategy focuses on a few carefully selected regions, and within these regions, on a small number of strategic partner universities. Beside the intensive cooperation with its established partners in Europe, these regional priorities are: USA/Canada, China, sub-Saharan Africa, and Turkey. It is foreseen sometime in the future to develop strategic partnerships within a second group of countries, maybe to include India. The strategic cooperation with our partner universities takes place across the disciplines and at all levels. It ties in usually, but not necessarily, with our regional priorities.

Strategic partnerships are possible under the following circumstances: 

  • Extensive cooperation already takes place in a number of disciplines in respect of research AND teaching, and/or there are advantages accruing for both sides from a deepening of relations with the objective of promoting mutually beneficial activities: a cooperation agreement is either already in place or it has been decided to enter into such an agreement as result of the large number of existing contacts
  • The two sides are comparable in respect of their size, mission, and facilities;
  • The existence of favorable political and national parameters (availability of support programs for specific countries and regions).

Additional selection criteria may include the desirability of projects within the frame of development policy, which is the case, for instance, in the region of sub-Saharan Africa and the University’s cooperation with the Université de Ngaoundéré.

Altogether, a total of between 5 and 10 universities are envisaged as future partners. The University of Bremen has taken appropriate steps specifically to foster the development of its regional priorities. For instance, the Rector has appointed a representative to be responsible for the USA and Canada, and a member of the International Office to manage relations in the priority region of China.

The universities already established within the category of strategic partnerships are: