Jacobs University Bremen

Jacobs University Bremen

jacobs university

Logo of Jacobs University Bremen
Motto Inspiration is a Place
Type Private
Established 2001 (2001)
President Katja Windt
Administrative staff
 394 academic/research staff (of which 130 are Professors)[1]
Students 1253 (WS 2014/15)
Location Bremen, Germany
Campus Urban, 80 acres (0.32 km2)
Website www.jacobs-university.de

Jacobs University Bremen (previously International University Bremen, IUB) is an international, private residential university in Vegesack in Bremen-Nord, Bremen, Germany.

Jacobs University is an English-speaking higher education institution and combines aspects from the American and German academic systems. The exact grading system follows the German one (from 1 the highest to 5 the lowest), and the study length is also 3 years as other German public and private universities.

History and accreditation

Jacobs University Bremen Campus Center

History

In the hope of transforming Bremen from a traditional harbor and shipyard business location into one of Germany’s leading science locations, the city’s senate decided to convert the Roland Barracks in North Bremen, a military logistics academy until the middle of the 1990s, into a scientific institution. In November 1997, a first exchange of ideas takes place between representatives of the City State of Bremen, Bremen University and Rice University, Houston, Texas. The result: a recommendation to set up an international and highly selective private research university with a focus on science and engineering and English as the language of instruction. In August 2001 the first 131 undergraduate students from 43 nations as well as 26 faculty members arrive on campus. Later, they are joined by the university’s first 2 PhD students. IUB is officially opened on Sept. 20, 2001, with former German Chancellor Helmut Schmidt as keynote speaker.

IUB, which then offers 14 study programs in engineering, the natural and social sciences as well as the humanities, becomes the first private university in Germany to be accredited by the German Council of Science and Humanities (Wissenschaftsrat). In November 2006 IUB receives a 200-Mio-Euro donation from the Jacobs Foundation. It is the largest private donation ever bestowed onto a scientific institution in Europe and marks a major turning point in the university’s development. In honor of the Jacobs Foundation’s remarkable donation IUB changes its name to Jacobs University Bremen in February 2007.

Accreditation

1999 State approval by the Free Hanseatic City of Bremen

2001 Accreditation by the German Council of Sciences and Humanities

2004 Accreditation of all undergraduate programs by the German Accreditation Council (ACQUIN)

2008 Re-accreditation by the German Council of Sciences and Humanities

2010 Confirmation of the state approval by the Free Hanseatic City of Bremen

Achievements

2006 Jacobs gains an investment of €200 million by the Jacobs Foundation, at the time the largest donation in Europe ever made by a private foundation to a university.

2008 Jacobs University receives its distinction as Selected Landmark in the innovation contest »365 Landmarks in the Land of Ideas« in the field of »science«. The Land of Ideas initiative rewards ideas and projects that make a lasting contribution to Germany.

Official opening of the Bremen International Graduate School of Social Sciences (BIGSSS), a joint »Exzellenzinitiative« project by Jacobs University and the University of Bremen federally sponsored with €5.6 million.

Jacobs University's professor Katja Windt is awarded the Alfried Krupp Prize, a scholarship for Young Professors endowed with €1 million. She is also named »Professor of the year« by the German Association of University Professors and Lecturers.

2009 Jacobs University's professor Antje Boetius is honored with the Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Prize 2009, Germany’s most renowned research award by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft endowed with €2.5 million.

2010 Jacobs University's professor Thomas Heine obtains the Starting Independent Researcher Grant by the European Research Council endowed with €1.5 million; the application process is highly competitive: only about 10% to 15% of all proposals are successful.

Jacobs University's spin-off Phytolutions GmbH receives its distinction as Selected Landmark in the »365 Landmarks in the Land of Ideas« contest in the field of »environment«.

2011 Jacobs University's deep-sea crawler Wally receives its distinction as Selected Landmark in the »365 Landmarks in the Land of Ideas« contest in the field of »science«.

2012 BIGSSS is again funded with another €9 million by the »Exzellenzinitiative«.

2014 Jacobs University alumnus Juraj Draxler appointed Slovakia's Minister of Education.[2]

2014/2015 The process of restructuring and reorganization the academic profile including programs and research area are succefully carried out. Jacobs University can meet the demands of a globalized societies and traderelations.[1][3][4]

The university

University leadership

Since 10 February 2014, Katja Windt has been President of Jacobs University. She succeeded Prof. Dr. Heinz-Otto Peitgen who was President [5] for only one year, from 1 January 2013 until his early departure at the end of 2013, following his resignation. His predecessor Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. mult. Joachim Treusch succeeded the University’s founding President Dr. Fritz Schaumann on 1 July 2006. Since January 2008 Prof. Dr. Karin Lochte, Director of the Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research, is Chair of the Board of Governors.[6][7]

Faculty and student body

There are currently 1253 students from 114 countries pursuing Bachelor’s, Master's, and PhD degrees. Currently there are 130 professors and over 260 research and instructional personnel working with the undergraduate and graduate student population.[1]

Alumni

Jacobs University’s alumni association was founded in 2004 by the university’s pioneer graduating class. Since then, the number of Jacobs alumni has increased more than tenfold from 130 to over 3,000, about 80% of which have joined the alumni association.[8] To provide a legal framework for the alumni’s participation in shaping the university’s future, the Jacobs University Bremen Alumni & Friends GmbH was founded in 2008. Co-owned by the alumni association (99%) and the university (1%), the company became one of Jacobs University’s three shareholders.[9]

Partner

In order to guarantee the practical orientation and students' networking capability, Jacobs University works with several companies and institutions. This network and cooperation offers interships and jobs perspectives for alumni.[10]

Academic profile

Jacobs University's transdisciplinary approach is mirrored in all focus areas of research and teaching. The university’s profile combines research and teaching equally and focuses on three general topics:

Research

Scientists from different fields work together across disciplinary boundaries in highly innovative Research Centers. Moreover, the Jacobs University accounts for third-party founds, e.g. DFG (Deutsche Forschungsgesellschaft). The 8 research centers at a glance:

AgeAct

AgeAct aims at providing a better understanding of how biological, behavioral and contextual processes interact to form individual aging outcomes. The research work will lay the foundation for the development of successful personalized interventions and improve the quality of life in older age in the sense of a healthy, productive and meaningful life.

COSYP

The Cognitive Systems and Processes research center studies the generic processes in cognition as basis for artificial systems. This aim is linked to two core scientific endeavors, namely the understanding of cognition and the quest for building artificial intelligent systems.

CoWell

The Research Center is a unique endeavor bringing together economists, epidemiologists, political scientists, psychologists and sociologists under one thematic umbrella – human agency. In the light of the most recent empirical evidence CoWell finds support for a comprehensive process-tracing approach that cuts across disciplines and methodological orientations.

MAMOC

Mathematics, Modeling, and Computing hosts research at the interface between mathematics, natural sciences, modeling, and high-performance computing with applications in engineering and science.

MOLIFE

The Molecular Life Science Center hosts research at the interface between mathematics, theoretical natural sciences, modeling, and high-performance computing with applications in engineering and science. It is a place for research within and between these areas, and strives to contribute to the modeling of complex systems.

VisComX

Visual Communication and Expertise aims at explaining visual production, distribution, usage and reception processes, as well as the meanings of mass-mediated and interpersonally communicated visuals in contemporary aesthetic, cultural, economic, historical, political, and social contexts.

Jacobs Center on Lifelong Learning and Institutional Development (JCLL)

Interdisciplinary in nature, the center focuses in research, teaching and consulting on the behavioral and social sciences aspects of demographic aging and its effects on the labor market. The understanding and facilitation of lifelong learning is an important element in this problem constellation.

Bremen International Graduate School of Social Sciences

BIGSSS integrates excellent areas of graduate education and research at the University of Bremen and Jacobs University into a synergetic inter-university institution designed to become an internationally competitive model of graduate education. BIGSSS' guiding principles are education to excellence, quality assurance, and effective funding. It is supported by the German Excellence Initiative.[13]

China Global Center

The “China Global” Center deals with one of the pivotal issues of our time: the growing significance of China for Germany and Europe at large. The center’s main research objective is to assess the political, cultural, social and economic facets of China’s growing global roles. It does so through interdisciplinary research and in close collaboration with partner institutions in China and other countries. The institute will conduct projects which are relevant for the corporate world, and it creates dialogue forums for the general public sphere.[14]

Teaching and study programs

Jacobs University's academic programs provide a broad range of academic majors in the natural sciences and engineering, the humanities and the social sciences. All classes are taught in English. A transdisciplinary approach to academic study allows students to discover how different fields interconnect and develop a problem-oriented perspective. Jacobs University offers research opportunities for students from early on. Interactions with faculty and staff as well as personal involvement in its development are trademarks of this young university.[12]

Foundation Year Program

Jacobs University offers a Foundation Year Program that is designed to provide high school graduates with academic skills essential for undergraduate studies. Among these are the necessary credentials for admission to English-speaking universities, advanced competence in English, strong study and academic skills as well as fundamental subject orientation in economics, engineering and the natural sciences. Students who complete the program successfully have the opportunity to apply to regular Jacobs University undergraduate programs or to other universities worldwide.[15]

Preparatory study programs

The Medical Natural Sciences program and the Medical Preparation program prepare students for later studies in medicine at German state universities (or medical schools in the neighboring countries) and provide general career orientation in the health sector.[16]

Exchange programs

Jacobs University has established student exchange programs with Universidad de Murcia Spain, Rice University, Washington State University, Carnegie Mellon University in the USA, Sciences Po in France, Lafayette College in the USA, Thammasat University in Thailand, Università degli Studi di Cagliari and Università degli Studi di Roma "La Sapienza" in Italy, and more recently with the University of Aberdeen in Scotland and Instituto de Empresa in Spain.[17]

Degrees

Jacobs University’s offers study programs leading to a Bachelor’s degree in 3 years, a Master’s degree in 1.5 to 2 years, a Ph.D. or an Executive MBA.

Ranking

Jacobs University has been receiving top grades in the University Ranking by the Centre for Higher Education Development (CHE), the most comprehensive and detailed ranking of higher education institutions in German-speaking countries.[1] [18]

Location and facilities

Campus and residential colleges

The 80-acre Jacobs University Bremen campus offers what, in Germany, is a new concept for teaching, research, and living. Undergraduate students live in four residential colleges on the campus. Each college comprises students and faculty of different disciplines, origins, and ages. Exchanges between students and faculty are encouraged outside as well as inside the seminar rooms.Jacobs University is home to four residential colleges: Alfried Krupp College, Mercator College, College 3, and College Nordmetall. A variety of common rooms can be booked by students for conferences and meetings, playing games, practicing dance, and watching movies or sports. The colleges offer similar amenities but foster their own unique identities with different traditions and events. Each college is headed by a College Master, a professorial member of academic staff and their family,

Staff and student facilities

There is a sports and convention center, playing fields, a cinema, a theater space,and a dedicated student facility building (the Student Activity Center) including a late-night shop, the Interfaith House (serving the multiple purpose of a church, concert venue and praying location open to every religion), a café, multiple student clubs and even a kindergarten/preschool. In terms of academic resources, there are lecture halls, classrooms and laboratories in different locations around the campus as well as the modern Information Resource Centre (including an actual library and access to online research resources).

Extracurricular activities

There is a variety of student clubs at Jacobs University. They can basically be divided into sports clubs and “Arts and Culture” clubs. Sports activities include, for example, rowing,[19] football, basketball, volleyball, cricket, rugby, badminton, cheerleading, ballroom dance, salsa, breakdance, slacklining, ultimate frisbee and martial arts. Exemplary clubs within the category “Arts and Culture” are the campus newspaper “Pulse of the World”, the model United Nations society “BRIMUN”, the debating society, the environmental club, the arts club. The construction of a student theater in 2011 has allowed more students to participate in the performing arts. A new music room with rentable instruments, a recording booth and practice material has recently been built.[20] Student clubs have recently extended in to the creation of international competitions (Jacobs Hackathon[21] and Jacobs Startup Competition and the "Women's International Leadership Conference[22]).

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "- Jacobs University". Retrieved 21 July 2015.
  2. ↑ https://www.minedu.sk/ministrom-skolstva-sa-stal-juraj-draxler/
  3. ↑ https://www.jacobs-university.de/2014/05/jacobs-university-setzt-neuausrichtung-konsequent-um
  4. ↑ https://www.jacobs-university.de/2014/03/diversity-health-mobility-–-die-fokussierung-der-jacobs-university-drei-worten-meilenstein-d
  5. ↑ New leadership in office at Jacobs University
  6. ↑ Katja Windt elected President of Jacobs Univ http://jacobs-university.de/2014/02/katja-windt-elected-president-jacobs-university
  7. ↑ New leadership in office at Jacobs University http://www.jacobs-university.de/2013/01/new-leadership-office-jacobs-university
  8. ↑ "Alumni". Retrieved 21 July 2015.
  9. ↑ ”Privilege and Challenge”, In: Jacobs Magazine, Winter 2010/11, p. 37
  10. ↑ https://www.jacobs-university.de/partners
  11. ↑ http://www.jacobs-university.de/research/fields-projects
  12. 1 2 https://www.jacobs-university.de/academics
  13. ↑ https://www.jacobs-university.de/research-centers
  14. ↑ "- China Global". China Global. Retrieved 21 July 2015.
  15. ↑ "Foundation Year". Retrieved 21 July 2015.
  16. ↑ "Preparatory Study Programs". Retrieved 21 July 2015.
  17. ↑ "Outgoing Students". Retrieved 21 July 2015.
  18. ↑ "- Jacobs University". Retrieved 21 July 2015.
  19. ↑ "Jacobs University Rowing | Welcome!". rowing.jacobs-university.de. Retrieved 2015-11-23.
  20. ↑ http://www.jacobs-university.de/student-life
  21. ↑ "jacobsHack! Fall 2015". jacobsHack!. Retrieved 2015-11-23.
  22. ↑ "Women's International Leadership Conference". Women's International Leadership Conference. Retrieved 2016-05-09.
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