Profile

The University of Bremen conducts excellent cutting-edge research: In interdisciplinary networks, in its high-profile areas, and in individual research. Starting January 1, 2026, the University of Bremen will be home to two Clusters of Excellence: “The Ocean Floor – Earth's Uncharted Interface” at MARUM – Center for Marine Environmental Sciences and “The Martian Mindset: A Scarcity-Driven Engineering Paradigm.” MARUM can thus build on its previous success: For more than two decades, the Center for Marine Environmental Sciences has been conducting pioneering research as part of the Excellence Strategy. With the success of the two Clusters of Excellence in the current funding line, the university is also eligible to apply for the title of “University of Excellence.” It already held this title once before, from 2012 to 2019. Additionally, the BIGSSS international graduate school in social sciences received funding from the Excellence Initiative starting in 2005.

For years, the University of Bremen has been ranked among the top German universities in research. In Europe, it is one of the top 50 universities founded less than 50 years ago. Together with local research institutes and cooperation partners, it forms the leading research center in northwest Germany.

The University of Bremen has stood for the close connection between research and teaching ever since its foundation. Research-based learning is at the center of our teaching profile. Active and research-oriented occupation with academic content contributes to the development of students’ perceptive skills, and at the same time qualifies them for the constantly changing requirements in the working world.

For us, internationality is a matter close to our hearts. As a result, internationalization impacts on all areas of the university. As an international university, we welcome people from more than 100 nations who live, study, and work on our campus. They enrich our teaching and research and contribute to our success.

The University of Bremen is a university of short distances and close interdisciplinary cooperation—especially with local research institutes. Pressing social issues are dealt with in collaboration with scientific institutions in Germany and all around the world, in fundamental research as well as in concrete application. The university practices “science in the interest of the general public” through its committed cooperation with public institutions, schools, Bremen’s civil society, and private enterprises.

The diversity of our students and employees is inspiring. We recognize that collaborative learning and working on campus is not only innovative, but sometimes also quite demanding, and we seek answers to help cope us with this challenge. We combine social responsibility and anti-discrimination work with a resource orientation to promote individual potential. We work towards furthering a gender- and diversity-oriented organizational and HR development.

In November 2023, the Academic Senate adopted the University of Bremen's new mission statement. The focus is on sustainability and the associated social responsibility of the university. The University of Bremen first adopted a mission statement in 2000.

The University of Bremen is a young university: It was founded in 1971. In a time of social renewal, the “Bremen Model” was born. Its core elements are as instrumental today as they were then and have made our extraordinary research achievements possible: interdisciplinarity, research-based learning in projects, practical orientation, and a deep sense of responsibility towards society.