Scientific collaborations – Berlin’s open research atmosphere
The variety of partners, networks and cooperation opportunities in Brain City Berlin is unparalleled anywhere in the world. The close, interdisciplinary cooperation between the various institutions typical of Berlin leads to future-oriented solutions. Berlin’s universities, technical colleges, private colleges and non-university research institutions are also in close contact with the Berlin technology parks and the many research-related companies in the capital.
Berlin University Alliance - Berlin universities in an alliance
The Berlin University Alliance (BUA) is a university alliance for innovative research and teaching. In July 2019, the Alliance of the Freie Universität Berölin,Techische Universität zu Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin with Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin was awarded the title of Excellence University by the Federal and State governments as part of the Excellence Strategy (ExStra). The alliance receives permanent funding of 15 to 28 million Euro per year.
The overall goal of the Berlin University Alliance is to create a joint, integrated research space in the Brain City Berlin. As a driving force, the alliance wants to develop the top international level of the science location further.
Berlin Research 50 - Alliance of non-university institutions
In February 2020, the non-university research institutions and centres of the Brain City Berlin merged. The BR 50 (Berlin Research 50) initiative aims to develop strategies for research and to have exchanges both with politics and society in the future. Another goal of the alliance: to facilitate coordination between the non-university research institutions.
Members of the alliance come from all scientific fields. They include institutes of the major scientific organisations Leibniz Association, Max Planck Society, Helmholtz Association and Fraunhofer Society as well as the Federal departmental research institutes and the Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation.
IFAF Berlin - Strengthening research at Universities of Applied Sciences
The Institute for Applied Research Berlin (IFAF Berlin) pools the research expertise of the four State-run Berlin Universities of Applied Sciences: ASH Berlin, Berliner Hochschule für Technik (BHT), HTW Berlin – University of Apllied Sciences and the Hochschule für Wirtschaft und Recht Berlin (HWR Berlin).
With the support of the State of Berlin, IFAF Berlin promotes cross-university knowledge and technology transfer as well as projects for integration, digital cultural transformation and start-up financing. Scientists work in a practical way with non-profit organisations and medium-sized companies.
Oxford/Berlin science cooperation
In December 2017, the Oxford University, Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-University zu Berlin, Technische Universität Berlin and Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to establish a far-reaching collaboration. As part of this until now unique partnership, an environment is to be created for new joint projects in humanities, social sciences, medicine and natural sciences. Non-university institutions such as museums and libraries are also included. Objective of the Oxford/Berlin scientific cooperation: to support excellent, innovative and interdisciplinary scientific collaborations that are not restricted by institutional or international borders.
ECDF - joint research and groundbreaking alliances
The Einstein Centre Digital Future (ECDF) is funded by the Einstein Foundation Berlin. The declared objective of the foundation is to “promote science and research in Berlin”. The ECDF sees itself as an inter-university nucleus dedicated to the digitisation of society. It combines innovation with interdisciplinarity and connects scientists from different disciplines to research one of the most important topics of our time.
Zukunftsorte - the Berlin future locations
Science and business are pooling their potential at Berlin’s future locations in order to create something groundbreaking in various areas. One of the youngest future locations in Berlin is the Siemensstadt Square.
International cooperation between Berlin universities
From the Brain City Berlin, researchers cooperate with institutions around the world and make a decisive contribution to the internationalisation of the location.
- Freie Universität Berlin: international network university with five liaison offices in Cairo, New Delhi, Moscow, Beijing and São Paulo.
- Humboldt-University zu Berlin: Strategic network of 375 partner universities, 300 of which are partner universities in the ERASMUS program countries.
- Technische Universität Berlin: 7 strategic partner universities: University of Technology Sydney (since 2017), Poiltecnico di Milano (since 2013), Vienna University of Technology (since 2013), St. Petersburg State Politechnical University (since 2013), Norwegian University of Science and Technology (since 2012), Warsaw University of Technology (since 2012), Tongji University (since 2020); Representative offices in Brussels and Cairo as well as membership in the DWIH in New York and São Paulo.
- Berlin University of the Arts: 150 partner universities worldwide.