University of Freiburg
Not only is the University of Freiburg physically located in the heart of the city of Freiburg – its students, professors, and staff are also an integral part of daily life in the ‘Capital of the Black Forest.’ This is also one of the reasons why Freiburg has become such a popular place to study. Aside from the numerous leisure activities which may be enjoyed in and near the city and its proximity to the Alsace and Switzerland, it is above all the variety of academic progams which attracts so many students to Freiburg. The university boasts a wide variety of degree programs in any of more than 160 fields in 11 faculties.
With humanities and the University Library in the city center, the Natural Sciences Campus (Institutsviertel) to the north, and the large University Medical Center at the west end of the old city, the university has grown together with the city. The recent acquisition of a 40 hectare area on the grounds of the airfield assures that it will be able to continue to do so in the future as well.
The 11 faculties of the University of Freiburg include Theology, Law, Economics and Behavioral Sciences, Medicine, Philology, of Humanities, Mathematics and Physics, Chemistry, Pharmacy and Earth Sciences, Biology, Forest and Environmental Sciences, and Engineering.
The Faculty of Mathematics and Physics comprises the entire spectrum of mathematical disciplines. In physics research the university focuses on nuclear physics and high-energy and elementary particle physics. Freiburg is one of the most important centers for interdisciplinary polymer research. The pioneering research of the Freiburger Nobel Prize recipient Hermann Staudinger in the fields of organic and macromolecular chemistry formed the basis for the development of synthetic materials.
The Faculty of Biology is also engaged in a broad spectrum of research. The tradition of developmental biology at the university, initiated by world-renowned biologists such as Weismann, Spemann, and Oehlkers, forms the basis of modern genetic research. Research at the Faculty of Earth Sciences focuses on current global changes, such as the acquisition and management of natural resources, man’s exploitation of them, and the protection of raw materials and the environment. Such research requires on-site examination and measurements, as does the research of the Faculty of Forest and Environmental Sciences, which conducts extensive research on the causes and consequences of forest sicknesses.
The university plays an important role in the cultural, social, and economic life of the city. With approximately 13,000 employees, the university and the University Medical Center are the largest employers in the region of Southern Baden. The future is also a major concern at the University of Freiburg. The “Institute of Computer Science and Social Studies,” for example, studies the effects of contemporary forms of information technology on society. Two further centers also add to the great diversity at the university: The French Cultural Center conducts research and offers continuing education courses in French studies, and the Freiburg Material Research Center (FMF) works to find practical applications for pure research.
In addition, as a founding member of the “European Confederation of Universities on the Upper Rhine” (EUCOR) along with the Universities of Basel, Strasbourg, Mulhouse, and Karlsruhe, the University of Freiburg has provided new impetus for the integration of the various systems of higher education in Europe.