University | Profile
Profile of the University of Konstanz. Modell Konstanz – For a Culture of Creativity
Top-level research, excellence in teaching and studies, internationality and interdisciplinary collaboration have stood for the University of Konstanz since its foundation as a Reform University in 1966. This clear orientation soon led to a unique profile that not only stands out through its high quality but also through innovation, creativity and a commitment to enjoying research. The strategy of modernisation and reform from within is being consistently pursued and advanced, the University of Konstanz's "Success Story" (Lord Dahrendorf, 2006) is something that all members experience. The consistent expansion of its strengths and innovative concepts and ideas have contributed significantly to the University of Konstanz succeeding in the Excellence Initiative by the German Federal and State Governments to promote top-level research at German universities in October 2007 with its Institutional Strategy "Modell Konstanz – towards a culture of creativity". Konstanz is therefore one of the nine universities whose Institutional Strategies were funded by the federal and state governments to expand university top-level research. Furthermore, the Graduate School "Chemical Biology" was also able to assert itself in 2007. In the first call for proposals under the Excellence Initiative, the Cluster of Excellence "Cultural Foundations of Social Integration" was already approved in 2006.
Intense dialogue and short distances
The University of Konstanz is a campus university of medium size that stands out particularly with its short distances. Flat structures and hierarchies promote flexibility and interdisciplinary collaboration between or within the thirteen departments operating in three faculties: Sciences, Humanities as well as Law-, Economics and Politics, as well as the administration. Close dialogue is maintained between all the status groups at the university. Good communication is also the driving force defined here on all levels of the experienced culture of creativity. (1) Diversity, Communication and Integration, (2) Promoting young scientists and researchers as well as (3) flexible and adaptable structures serving as a basis for international top-level research can also be defined as the university's advantages, which were already included in its Charter.
Excellent top-level research
In the field of research, the University of Konstanz's profile is essentially shaped through collaboration that extends beyond the bounds of subjects, departments and faculties. Here, too, flat hierarchies and faculty structures without institutes promote close interdisciplinary collaboration. The University of Konstanz was able to strengthen its research profile in the first funding phase of the Excellence Initiative and so continue its profile-building process by strategically steering the measures of the university's Institutional Strategy as well as purposefully concentrating on further facilities of the Excellence Initiative: The Cluster of Excellence "Cultural Foundations of Social Integration" was already approved in the first call for proposals for the Excellence Initiative in 2006. Besides the Institutional Strategy in October 2007, the Graduate School "Chemical Biology" was also successful. A further priority that emerged in the course of the 1st funding phase, and which was substantially strengthened by the measures of the "Research Initiatives" and the "Creative Freedoms" is to be seen in the Graduate School Initiative "Decision Sciences". Over and beyond this, the DFG's Collaborative Research Centre SFB 767 "Controlled Nanosystems: Interaction and Interfacing to the Macroscale" and SFB 969 "Chemical and Biological Principles of Cellular Proteostasis" based at the university as well as the participation in the SFB TR6 "Physics of Colloidal Dispersions in External Fields" have contributed to building the university's profile.
These successes derive from the four key priorities of the research fields: In the Humanities and Social Sciences, Cultural Studies and Decision Sciences; in the Life and Natural Sciences, Chemical Biology and Ecology, along with Nano and Materials Sciences. They show the departmental as well as the cross-faculty activity as well as the close ties between the Cluster of Excellence, the Graduate School, the Graduate Schools Initiative and the Institutional Strategy. Two Collaborative Research Centre, three Research Units and three Research Training Groups of the German Research Foundation (DFG) are currently operating in Konstanz as are three state-funded and three university-own research centres. The university also contributes to numerous EU networks and projects. Close cooperation with the Swiss Canton of Thurgau has resulted in two institutes being based there: the Biotechnology Institute Thurgau at the University of Konstanz (BITg) and the Thurgau Institute of Economics at the University of Konstanz (TWI). The university's position right between the three countries of Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Scientists and academics from the University of Konstanz regularly receive prizes and awards for their research. For example, the Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz-Prize alone has been awarded to researchers from Konstanz no less than six times. Furthermore, the research strength is regularly reflected in the university's excellent positions in the DFG Funding Rankings. The performance-based allocation of resources through the Committee for Research (AFF) where professorships have a slimmer core budget is a Unique Selling Proposition USP.
Promoting young researchers
The Zukunftskolleg is unique in Germany in the field of promoting young scientists and researchers. It offers young scientists and researchers structures and a working environment with the greatest possible freedom and independence, thereby enabling them to concentrate solely on their research. In the other status groups, too, (doctoral students in the Graduate Schools, Junior Research Group Leaders, Assistant Professors, postdoctoral venia legendi or habilitation holders) the university supports its young scientists in developing their professional and scientific careers. One of the goals aims to "deprivatise" the training of doctoral students. The University of Konstanz aims to become a top-flight European base for young scientists and researchers.
Excellent Teaching and Studies Built on Research
The range of teaching offered to more than 10,600 students includes study opportunities Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Arts and Humanities as well as Law, Economics and Politics. Many of the 100 and more study opportunities have an interdisciplinary structure. Furthermore, the university has a range of international offerings, such as the Master's degree programmes in "Public Administration and European Governance" and "Quantitative Economics". Outstanding Rankings regularly confirm the exceptional quality of the studies offered, such as in the CHE University Ranking in 2010/2011 and 2011/2012, the "International Student Barometer 2010" and the Graduate Survey 2008. The university has committed itself to a culture of continuing advancement and development and to improving the scientific teaching that builds on research by using the latest research findings and methods in teaching and studies. It achieves this by integrating core facilities into the teaching activities. Collaborative research projects are fed back into the teaching. Excellence and Internationality are understood as an integral part of the quality of teaching with the goal of achieving the reliable internationalisation of the study opportunities offered. The Teacher Training Centre (ZLB) at the University supports the students during their training as grammar school teachers. The services offered by the Higher Education Didactics Centre (HDZ) at the university serves to strengthen the quality of teachers produced by Konstanz.
Internationalisation
The University of Konstanz continues to build and expand its International Visibility, its Excellence in Research and Teaching by attracting and recruiting outstanding international researchers and students, collaborating with excellent strong research universities worldwide plus raising its international competitiveness while, at the same time, maintaining good ties and contacts with an international and regional orientation. The Times Higher Education World University Ranking 2010 ranked the University of Konstanz 186, not least due to its high proportion of international scientists and researchers.
In Dialogue with the Public, Knowledge Transfer and Regional Integration
A further key task for the University of Konstanz involves engaging in dialogue with the general public and its further target groups as well as communicating its achievements and performance in the fields of Research, Teaching and Knowledge Transfer. Knowledge is exchanged and pursued at public events, in lectures and presentations, conferences, seminars and lecture cycles at home and abroad, in summer schools as well as via publications produced by university members. Whatever the measures may be, the university ensures that these are firmly anchored in the region, in particular through its role as one of the largest employers in the region. The 2,150 staff working at the University of Konstanz are divided into a group of 1,100 people working in the scientific field and 900 working in the science support field. Indeed, the university also responds to the expectations it receives from the region itself, from beyond the region as well as from international fields.
Contacts with Graduates, Friends and Sponsors
The University of Konstanz maintains good contacts with its graduates, friends and sponsors and aims to expand these on a continual basis. This also includes engaging in professional alumni activities together with a regular expansion of the offerings and services developed for the university's alumni.
The university's sponsors include (private) sponsors who support the university in material terms as well as the non-material sponsors of the university. The University of Konstanz is working on raising funds for scholarships and grants ("Konstanzer Stipendienfonds") and on using private resources to improve the research and teaching.
Gender Equality and Service Offerings
The University of Konstanz is committed to promoting Gender Equality between men and women as well as promoting families. The services and offerings provided by the university in these fields have won several awards and prizes nationwide and are a Unique Selling Proposition (USP) (including the Kinderhaus to be opened in Autumn 2011, and the publication of a Gender Code in 2010). The 24/7 library also maintains an exceptional position, and holds a leading position among Germany's libraries. The Library was distinguished four times in series from 2008 to 2011, coming 1st in the Library Index BIX and nominated by the foundation "ZEIT-Stiftung Ebelin und Gerd Bucerius" as the "Library of the Year 2010". The Student Services Centre (SSZ) provides students with all the services they need for their studies from a single provider. The Welcome Center offers a comprehensive range of services for (international) scientists and researchers. Career support and human resources development for junior researchers at all levels of qualification is offered by the the Academic Staff Development.
Technology Transfer
In the field of technology transfer, the University of Konstanz focuses its activities on providing management consultancy services for companies, on turning joint research and development projects into reality, on providing advice and consultancy services on the opportunities available for supporting research when collaborating with scientists and researchers from the university, engaging in contract research, awarding licences, providing advice and assistance when solving special problems through highly-qualified scientists as well as making metrological instruments available for physical, chemical and biochemical analyses. Cooperation with non-university research facilities and organisations is important in this respect, which – with the exception of the Max-Planck-Institute for Ornithology, Radolfzell – due to the university's location, are available, albeit at a great distance.
Promoting Professional Qualifications and Careers
The university's graduates also play a key role in promoting professional qualifications and careers. Close cooperation between teachers, the Careers Service as well as the Alumni Activities ensure that a wide and diverse range of opportunities and offerings are available (such as the Internship Placement Office and the Job Agency, the creation of a university-wide Mentoring programme, and the integration of alumni into the teaching). For career paths within academia the Academic Staff Development offers professional coaching and science-related skills training.
Student Participation and Organisation
The University of Konstanz encourages and expects its students to consistently contribute to and participate in the decision-making processes and decision-making bodies. This applies in particular for decisions relating to the use of tuition fees.
Sustainability
The University of Konstanz is committed to sustainable action in the fields of research, teaching and administration. Hence, the term "Sustainability" is defined comprehensively for the fields of Economics, Society, Politics and Ecology. Furthermore, a Master's degree programme on the topic of Sustainability is in the planning stage.
Social and Societal Commitment
The University of Konstanz and its members have committed themselves to social and societal action. University members are currently actively engaged in a good 140 initiatives and fields.
