The University of Augsburg was founded in 1970 and is thus one of the new, modern Bavaria universities. At approximately 19,000 students and an academic staff of about 1,200, it is still of a manageable size, yet it attracts students and scholars far beyond its immediate catchment area. The University of Augsburg offers a wide range of academic programs in arts, humanities, natural sciences, business, and law.
In its research, the University of Augsburg connects local with global perspectives in a network of academic discourses centered on five focus areas: Transnational Studies, Health Sciences, Resource Management, Materials Science, and Applied Computer Science. Besides, top-level research is being done in all disciplines represented at the university.
The University of Augsburg is situated on a landscaped campus to the south of Augsburg, quickly reached both by road and by public transport.
The University of Augsburg campus is one of the most pleasant places to study in Germany. Situated near the city center of Augsburg, the campus is spacious without being overwhelming. The modern buildings, functional and architecturally appealing, blend into a landscaped park with grassy areas, a lake, fountains, and several contemporary artists' sculptures.
The concentration of the academic buildings on one site simplifies the university's day-to-day working while encouraging communication. The individual faculties, the administration offices (including the Student Service Centre), the refectory, cafeterias, bars, and the libraries are all conveniently close together. This is a place where people study, teach, carry out research, and live. There is a sense of what "university" really means: a sense of community, cooperation, and solidarity between the lecturers and the researchers on the one hand. On the other hand, the students benefit from the research through the teaching they receive.
The University of Augsburg was founded in 1970. It is one of the new, modern universities in Bavaria, and with approximately 20,000 students, it is of a manageable size. It attracts students from far beyond its immediate catchment area. About 20% of the German students come from outside Bavaria, and at 10%, its share of international students is more extensive than at comparable universities.
The University of Augsburg maintains incredibly close partnerships with the Universities of Pittsburgh (USA), Osijek (Croatia), Iasi (Romania), and Khabarovsk (Russia). It has cooperation agreements with over forty universities in Europe, Asia, South Africa, North America, and Latin America. The number of ERASMUS exchange programs also continues to grow. There are currently exchange programs with more than 130 universities throughout Europe.
Foreign academics and students are warmly welcomed to all institutes of higher education in Augsburg and are offered professional advice about their stay. An office has been set up to answer all their questions, which they can consult before leaving their home country or arrival in Augsburg. This office deals with everything relating to residency permits (visas) and life's practicalities in Germany. If required, they can even arrange an airport transfer from Munich Airport to Augsburg.
Anyone who has studied or carried out research here can keep in touch with the University of Augsburg once they have returned home. "Alumni Augsburg International" is a flourishing network that benefits all current Augsburg students, too, as they can use it to find contacts almost anywhere in the world when they go abroad to study.
Augsburg is one of the oldest cities in Germany. The Roman Emperor Augustus founded the city more than 2000 years ago in 15 B.C. In the late Middle Ages and the Renaissance, the city developed into a trade and finance metropolis influential throughout the world. The famous Fugger and Welser merchant families ran their businesses from here. The wealth that abounded at that time is still reflected in the historic cityscape today. The town hall, constructed by the master-builder Elias Holl, the city palace of the Fuggers, and the Fuggerei, the oldest council housing estate in the world, bear witness to this. In addition to the Renaissance's splendid buildings and townhouses, a rich artisan tradition (goldsmiths and silversmiths, textile production) has left its mark on the city. With its narrow alleyways, the peaceful old town, canals, and bars, together with the busy squares and shopping precincts of this old "patrician city," create a charming Mediterranean atmosphere. Augsburg has even been called the northernmost city of Italy…
One Augsburg tradition that still influences today is the "Confessio Augustana" – the Lutheran profession of faith – which was first declared at the Imperial Diet of 1530. Another is the "Religious Peace of Augsburg," the first successful political settlement between the Christian faiths in the city in 1555. This Religious Peace is still celebrated today with a public holiday (8 August) exclusive to Augsburg. Every three years, the Augsburg Peace Prize is awarded to an important public figure. This tradition is also consciously cultivated on an everyday level: cooperation between residents from different ethnic backgrounds and faiths is an essential part of local politics. The university also participates in this program with the "Augsburg Academic Prize for Intercultural Studies," which has been awarded annually since 1998. It has now gained a reputation as one of the most renowned German prizes in this research field.
Today, Augsburg has a population of around 260,000. In addition to commerce and administration, the city's leading employers include several leading German, European, and international technology companies, such as Fujitsu Siemens, EADS, KUKA, MAN, and the international paper group UPM Kymmene, the successor to the old Augsburg paper company Haindl. The university has also decisively contributed to the emergence of environmental research and environmental engineering as future-oriented focal points for both the city and the region. Research projects in this field have resulted in close links between the University of Augsburg and numerous partners with interests in promoting environmental science, both at local and state levels and in the private sector.
Augsburg is a great tourist attraction because of its carefully preserved buildings, monuments, museums and churches, and its vibrant cultural scene. Here, too, the city continues to cultivate its old traditions. For example, Augsburg is the birthplace of Leopold Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus' father; the International Leopold Mozart Violin Competition occurs every two years. The playwright Bertolt Brecht was also born here. His work is kept alive in the city by performing his plays, readings, lectures, and exhibitions. Both Mozart House and Brecht House can still be visited today: good starting points for anyone wanting to follow the tracks left in the city by these two geniuses. Other Augsburg celebrities include Jim Knopf and Urmel from the Ice, the most famous representatives of the renowned Augsburg Puppet Theatre ("Augsburger Puppenkiste").
The city's geographical location is another factor that adds to the quality of life and makes it more attractive to tourists. Munich, the state capital of Bavaria, is within easy distance, as are several of Germany's most popular holiday destinations. These include the German Alps and the fairytale lakes of Upper Bavaria that provide the backdrop for Neuschwanstein Castle and the other royal castles built by King Ludwig II.
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