Conducting research on a global scale
Engaging with the world
Excellent research thrives in an environment that fosters diversity of people and perspectives. The University of Freiburg aims to attract outstanding talent from all over the world. Their knowledge and diverse ideas make a significant contribution to overcoming the social challenges of our time. Together with its international partners and institutions such as the Freiburg Institute for Advanced Studies (FRIAS) and the Freiburg Rising Stars Academy (FRSA), the University of Freiburg creates the conditions for this. It strives to enable international researchers at all career stages to pursue long-term research careers in Freiburg, to connect local researchers globally, and thereby to pool knowledge available worldwide and make it accessible beyond the campus.
The university already attracts many international talents: 13 percent of its professors and 28 percent of its doctoral students are from abroad. It regularly hosts Alexander von Humboldt Fellows and runs programmes such as the Freiburg Postdoctoral Academy (FPA) for researchers in the early stages of their careers. Researchers at the University of Freiburg, in turn, are involved in numerous international projects and maintain close contact with colleagues abroad – through individual collaborations, at faculty level, or via strategic alliances at university level.
The University is also committed to free and pluralistic scholarship worldwide and to reducing knowledge asymmetries. It supports at-risk academics through networks such as Scholars at Risk and funds researchers from the USA as part of a Global Fellowship Programme. As the first German signatory to the Africa Charter, it advocates for an ethically grounded and partnership-based engagement on an equal footing on the African continent.
Freiburg Institute for Advanced Studies (FRIAS)
The Freiburg Institute for Advanced Studies (FRIAS) is the University of Freiburg’s international research centre. It brings together researchers from Freiburg and around the world. FRIAS’s fixed-term fellowships enable researchers to focus on their projects. FRIAS also offers funding programmes open to members of the University of Freiburg and researchers from around the world. Its events, involving FRIAS Fellows, members of the University and the general public, further enrich academic and cultural life.
Freiburg Postdoctoral Academy (FPA)
The Freiburg Postdoctoral Academy (FPA) aims to support national and international postdoctoral researchers working in the university’s three key research areas: Pathways to Sustainability, Languages of Knowledge and Signals of Life. The FPA brings together outstanding early-career researchers from Freiburg and around the world to foster interdisciplinary dialogue and open up career opportunities. FPA members collaborate on research projects and publications, organise academic conferences and workshops, and engage with the public.
Freiburg Rising Stars Academy (FRSA)
The Freiburg Rising Stars Academy (FRSA) is aimed at early-career researchers and connects them with researchers at the University of Freiburg. The programme aims to promote interdisciplinary collaboration and academic careers across national borders. Among other things, the FRSA offers its fellows access to the Clusters of Excellence CIBSS – Centre for Integrative Biological Signalling Studies and Future Forests, interdisciplinary research networks and other partner institutions. In addition, it offers mentoring by researchers from various disciplines and the option of a research stay of several months in Freiburg.