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Goals and Fields of Action

In their decision to found the Berlin University Alliance and in the proposal they submitted in the Excellence Strategy of the German federal and state governments, Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Technische Universität Berlin, and Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin set themselves the long-term goal of jointly creating an integrated research environment in Berlin, shaping it as the driving force. In doing so, the four alliance partners want to contribute to making Berlin a leading research hub in Europe.

To this end, the Berlin University Alliance has set five goals (Objectives) and three overarching Cross-Cutting Themes.

Overview of the Objectives and Cross-Cutting Themes

Objective 1: Focusing on Grand Challenges

Interdisciplinary and cross-institutional research on urgent societal issues of global significance are a central concern of the partners. So far, the “Grand Challenges” of social cohesion and health from a global perspective (global health) have been pursued through competitive calls for research funds. A third topic is to be decided in a participatory process.

Objective 2: Fostering Knowledge Exchange

Knowledge exchange is understood as a multidirectional process through which scientific ideas and research results are carried outward and external perspectives and experiences flow back into research. For this purpose, the Berlin University Alliance is setting up a Knowledge Exchange Office, promoting research communication and supporting the implementation of research forums that are intended to strengthen the dialogue between scholarship and society.

Objective 3: Advancing Research Quality and Value

The Berlin University Alliance pursues a common strategy to develop and promote the value, quality, integrity, and credibility of research. To achieve its goal, the Berlin University Alliance has set up a Center for Open and Responsible Research (CORe). This is supplemented by joint research activities and the Berlin OpenX Initiative.

Objective 4: Promoting Talent

The Berlin University Alliance aims to attract the best scholars and scientists of all career levels for the alliance, to provide them with optimal support, and to keep them in Berlin. To this end, the alliance partners will set up an integrated career and recruiting space, which will include offers for doctoral and postdoctoral students as well as the establishment of joint tenure track professorships.

Objective 5: Sharing Resources

The aim of the Shared Resources Center (SOURCE) is to make better use of and expand the research infrastructure of the four alliance partners. As a contact point for scholars and scientists, SOURCE provides access to scholarly collections, large-scale equipment and IT resources, and offers support in the areas of research data management and open access publications.

Diversity and Gender Equality

The cross-institutional Diversity and Gender Equality Network (DiGENet) of the Berlin University Alliance aims to promote a cultural change toward a more diverse and gender-sensitive research environment. The “ProFiL” program, which has existed since 2004 to promote female scholars and scientists on their way to professorship, has been expanded with funding through the Excellence Strategy.

Teaching and Learning

Simplified access to courses offered by all the alliance partners and establishing new joint degree programs strengthens the connection between cutting-edge research and teaching. The Berlin Student Research Opportunities Program (StuROPX) supports projects by students with a particular research interest.

Internationalization

The Berlin University Alliance has concluded three strategic partnerships: with the University of Melbourne, the University of Singapore, and the University of Oxford. In 2020 a Center for Advanced Studies was jointly founded with the University of Oxford. The Berlin Center for Global Engagement (BCGE) supports cooperation with the Global South. There is also a joint EU liaison office in Brussels.