The Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg (OVGU) was founded in 1993 and is one of the youngest German universities. It was formed in a merger of three existing institutions to create a university with a distinctive profile, so that in many areas it is able to draw on a considerably longer tradition. It is located in Magdeburg, the capital city of the federal state Saxony-Anhalt. The University comprises 9 faculties and 13,800 students.

A University with a Distinctive Profile

Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg has a distinctive profile. It aims to create a lean and sharply-defined structure with its main focus of expertise in the traditional areas of engineering, the natural sciences and medicine. It also views economics and management and the social sciences and humanities as essential disciplines for a modern university in the information age.

The most prominent areas of research emphasis are the neurosciences, dynamic systems in process engineering and biomedicine, plus automotive/digital engineering. In addition, transfer-related areas of emphasis include medical technology, renewable energies, fluidised bed technology, research into dementia, computational visualistics and experimental economics.

Affiliated institutes and the University's Technology Transfer Center act as links between academia and industry. They facilitate businesses' access to the University's research resources while simultaneously promoting innovation. The Faculty of Medicine and University Clinic, which are located on their own campus, are the “educational home” to around 1600 trainee doctors.

An excellent staff-student ratio, state-of-the-art equipment, a high level of flexibility in terms of course structure and a close relationship to professional practice provide the ideal conditions for successful study outcomes.

The educational portfolio of the university is constantly adjusted to the ever-increasing complexity of a networked work and research environment. Most of the 100 courses are bachelor and master programs. There are also many possibilities to combine different subjects across the faculties. Students find ideal study conditions: modern laboratories, experimental workshops and clinics with high-performance computer technology as well as an excellent ratio between staff and students. The offer of a sound, thorough education combining a high level of theoretical expertise with practical experience makes Magdeburg an attractive alternative. Dual courses of study are also on offer, certified by the Chamber of Industry and Commerce, where university study programmes are integrated into vocational education and training in a company.

The proximity to research opportunities and the practical application of business-related topics are considered a particular trademark of teaching in Magdeburg.

Excellence in Research

High-tech laboratories such as the Microstructure Centre, the laboratory for image processing and neuro-computing, as well as the test facility for a fluidised bed membrane reactor enable education to respond to emerging challenges posed by the latest trends in information technology. The University‘s research profile is technically oriented. It is characterized by the interdisciplinary co-operation of engineering, natural and life sciences as well as business studies, humanities and social sciences. Another important advantage deserving to be mentioned is the university’s close co-operation with the Max Planck Institute for Dynamics of Complex Technical Systems, the Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology and the Fraunhofer Institute for Factory Operation and Automation with its Virtual Development and Training Centre (VDTC) as well as the collaboration with five associated institutes.

The World of Scholarship

Approximately 3,500 foreign students from more than 100 countries study at Magdeburg University. With a share of international students in excess of 25 per cent, OVGU occupies a position well above the national average in Germany. In addition, every year, on average 250 foreign academics and scientists visit the University. Numerous cooperation agreements with universities in 60 countries offer students and academics from Magdeburg excellent opportunities to study and conduct research abroad.

Dual degree programmes with American and British universities, as well as with Ukrainian, Bulgarian and Polish institutions, enable students to graduate simultaneously from both places of study. OVGU is especially committed to exporting its qualifications. The University has established German study programmes in, among other countries, the Ukraine, Vietnam, Russia and Belarus.

More and more English -language courses are being offered. Numerous international programmes have been put in place, including the “Eastern Partnerships” programme, the interactive internet platform, “VOCAL”, which, among other things prepares students for studying abroad, and the “Staff Mobility Week”. The “Integrated Welcome Weeks” offer orientation support for students as they carry out all of the necessary administrative processes and also familiarize them with the diversity of life on campus. The students get support from the International Office in cooperation with the Student Union and IKUS, a voluntary association of OVGU students.

The University received in 2011 from the National ERASMUS Agency of Germany the E-Quality Label for ERASMUS Mobility. In 2005 the LEONARDO Office Saxony Anhalt at the University received as the first European Institution the ERASMUS Quality Prize in the category student mobility.

Graduate Academy

Since 2010, doing a PhD at Magdeburg has also meant carrying out research under the umbrella of the Graduate Academy and thus benefiting from its wide-ranging support. The Graduate Academy was founded in order to enable young academics, as an important group at the University, to integrate even more and to continue to optimize their working conditions.

The objective is to bring PhD students together in thematic groups across working group and faculty boundaries, in order to achieve greater integration of their mainly interdisciplinary subjects.

Hard facts

9 faculties with over 100 institutes and chairs

197 full professors

13,800 students, among them 25 per cent foreign students from more than 100 countries

staff of 7,000

100 internationally oriented study courses

five local collaborative research centres

seven centres of excellence

thirteen research groups supported by the German Research Foundation (DFG) or others

Faculties:

Mechanical Engineering

Process and Systems Engineering

Electrical Engineering and InformationTechnology

Computer Science

Mathematics

Natural Sciences

Medicine

Humanities, Social Science & Education

Economics & Management