Germany: Three universities and two consortia join strategy to boost international competitiveness

The German universities of Freiburg, Jena and Cologne have been named Universities of Excellence, as well as two consortia: Rhine-Main Universities, which includes the universities of Darmstadt, Frankfurt am Main and Mainz, and the Ruhr Innovation Lab of the universities of Bochum and Dortmund.

With them, a total of 15 universities and higher education consortia will receive funding as centres of excellence from 2027, the government announced on 05/10/2026.

The Universities of Excellence are part of the Excellence Initiative of the German Council of Science and Humanities and the German Research Foundation (DFG) to promote cutting-edge research, deepen cooperation between disciplines and institutions, strengthen international cooperation and enhance the international appeal of German universities.

This strategy is the result of lengthy negotiations between the federal government and the German states. From 2027, €208 million will be available each year in the Universities of Excellence budget.

Universities receive an additional €10 to 15m per year, while higher education alliances get…