Title: Lower Saxony Aims High in Germany's Elite University Race
Universities in Lower Saxony battle for top spots - Multiple high-tier units vying for selection in Lower Saxony competition
Looks like Lower Saxony is standing tall in the current Excellence Initiative for Science, potentially securing up to four elite universities! Before the bitter battle for the coveted "Excellence Clusters" heats up on May 22, the TU Braunschweig, Leibniz University Hannover, the Medical School Hannover, and the University of Oldenburg are gearing up, boasting at least two high-stakes research projects, as minister Falko Mohrs revealed. Two Excellence Clusters are a must for any university aiming to rise as an Excellence University in the subsequent round. For now, the state lacks an elite institution.
In the previous round of clusters, Lower Saxony showcased nine research projects — six seasoned and three promising newcomers. The verdict on these projects' funding for the next seven years will be announced in the coming week. Mohrs hinted that up to 70 clusters will be funded nationwide, replacing the previous 57. The federal and state governments have signed off on this, according to the SPD politician. A total of 98 applications went for a swing in the last round.
Since February 2023, science in Lower Saxony has been flush with more than one billion euros, courtesy of the "Zukunft.Niedersachsen" program, primarily funded by the Volkswagen Foundation's shareholder dividends. In 2023, a special dividend of around 576 million euros was sprinkled the research community via the Porsche IPO.
At the moment, heart patches crafted from stem cells, solar cells that shine brighter, and AI-powered robots that boost harvest yields epitomize the cream of the crop research in Lower Saxony. Georg Schütte, chairman of the Volkswagen Foundation, affirmed, "We're not just playing the game, we're playing in the first league of science, and our ambition is to captivate the world."
Mohrs set the bar high with his bold declaration shortly after taking office at the end of 2022: "We aim to have at least one Excellence University in Lower Saxony." He added, "We're confident that our robust universities can seize this opportunity in the next application round in 2026."
- Lower Saxony
- Falko Mohrs
- Hannover
- TU Braunschweig
- Medical School Hannover For the latest administrative updates or in-depth research project details, be sure to visit the official websites of universities in Lower Saxony or the German Excellence Initiative.
- In the pursuit of becoming a leading hub in science, Falko Mohrs, the minister of Lower Saxony, aims to provide community aid and education-and-self-development opportunities through vocational training programs at universities such as TU Braunschweig and the Medical School Hannover, as part of his ambition to establish at least one Excellence University in Lower Saxony.
- The highly competitive science landscape in Lower Saxony, marked by projects like heart patches from stem cells, advanced solar cells, and AI-powered robots, also incorporates vocational training and health-and-wellness aspects, aligning it with the global frontier of science and technology, as affirmed by Georg Schütte, chairman of the Volkswagen Foundation.
