Description of the institute

The concept of the comprehensive university is a central component of Heidelberg University's institutional strategy and ensured the University's success in the German Excellence Initiative. The University places special emphasis on initiating and maintaining a dialogue across traditional subject boundaries and developing new forms of interdisciplinary cooperation. The following are four of the University's outstanding research areas:

• Molecular and cellular basis of life
• Structure and pattern formation in the material world
• Cultural dynamics in globalised worlds
• Self-regulation and regulation: individuals and organisations

The two clusters of excellence "Asia and Europe in a Global Context" and "Cellular Networks", both funded by the Excellence Initiative, represent additional research foci. Another strength of Heidelberg University lies in its numerous collaborations and alliances with non-university research institutions and companies in Heidelberg and the Rhine-Neckar region and its strong involvement in two top-level clusters of the Federal Ministry of Education and Research.