University of Konstanz
Encyclopedia
The University of Konstanz is a university
in the city of Konstanz
in Baden-Württemberg
, Germany
. It was founded in 1966, and the main campus on the Gießberg was opened in 1972. As one of nine German Excellence Universities today University of Konstanz is counted among Germany's most prestigious institutions of higher learning and has a strong reputation as a research institution. The University is consistently ranking among the top 200 Universities in the world according to Times Higher Education World University Rankings
(194th, as of 2011).
Recently awarded as part of the German Excellence Initiative, the University of Konstanz offers a superb combination of learning and lifestyle opportunities. Over 10,000 students from close to 100 countries are enrolled at the university, while over 130 links to European partner universities and numerous exchange programmes facilitate global networking. All in all students can choose from more than 100 degree programs. It is particularly well known for its political science
and law department
s as well as for its mathematics
, computer science
, biology
and psychology
programmes. The sports programme at Konstanz University is among the best nationwide. Moreover, Konstanz University cooperates with a large number of foreign universities such as Johns Hopkins University
, Yale University
, the University of British Columbia
, University College Cork, and the University of Zurich
. Its award winning library is open 24 hours a day and boasts more than two million books.
, computer
s and language training. New forms of self-administration replaced traditional university structures. In 1966 the university began its work in a wing of today's Inselhotel, formerly a Dominican
monastery
. Professor David Daube
, Regius Professor of Civil Law
at the University of Oxford
, gave the inaugural lectures.
The beginning was makeshift - in the middle of Sonnenbühl
on the edge of the town quarter Petershausen
on the right side of the Rhine, with only a handful of professors and a few dozen students. Starting in 1967, today's campus was developed through individual construction projects on the hill known as the Gießberg. Until today, the university has continued to be structurally altered and expanded. In 2007 the University joined the national Exzellenzinitiative competition and succeeded in becoming Germany's smallest and youngest University of Excellence.
, one of Germany’s most popular watersports locations, is right on the doorstep, and the university has its own beach. Winter and alpine sports fans will find perfect conditions in the neighboring Alps. The town’s cultural offerings range from the open-air “Rock am See” festival to the legendary “Seenachtsfest” and the regional carnival
(“Fasnet”). In addition, the Swiss metropolis of Zurich is just an hour away. The Lake Constance region is one of Europe
’s most innovative IT
locations.
The university was planned as a place of life and learning, in which the new forms of research and teaching should be reflected in the architectural style. Dense construction, short paths, the absence of large auditoriums in exchange for a large number of seminar rooms, as well as the variety of work, traffic, and quiet areas, are all part of the architectural concept. In addition, there was the idea of creating lasting "Kunst am Bau" (structural art) accents, so that the building of a desolate concrete landscape could be avoided in an effective manner.
. As of 2007, the university has been designated as an elite German "University of Excellence
".
University
A university is an institution of higher education and research, which grants academic degrees in a variety of subjects. A university is an organisation that provides both undergraduate education and postgraduate education...
in the city of Konstanz
Konstanz
Konstanz is a university city with approximately 80,000 inhabitants located at the western end of Lake Constance in the south-west corner of Germany, bordering Switzerland. The city houses the University of Konstanz.-Location:...
in Baden-Württemberg
Baden-Württemberg
Baden-Württemberg is one of the 16 states of Germany. Baden-Württemberg is in the southwestern part of the country to the east of the Upper Rhine, and is the third largest in both area and population of Germany's sixteen states, with an area of and 10.7 million inhabitants...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. It was founded in 1966, and the main campus on the Gießberg was opened in 1972. As one of nine German Excellence Universities today University of Konstanz is counted among Germany's most prestigious institutions of higher learning and has a strong reputation as a research institution. The University is consistently ranking among the top 200 Universities in the world according to Times Higher Education World University Rankings
Times Higher Education World University Rankings
The Times Higher Education World University Rankings is an international ranking of universities published by the British magazine Times Higher Education in partnership with Thomson Reuters, which provided citation database information...
(194th, as of 2011).
Recently awarded as part of the German Excellence Initiative, the University of Konstanz offers a superb combination of learning and lifestyle opportunities. Over 10,000 students from close to 100 countries are enrolled at the university, while over 130 links to European partner universities and numerous exchange programmes facilitate global networking. All in all students can choose from more than 100 degree programs. It is particularly well known for its political science
Political science
Political Science is a social science discipline concerned with the study of the state, government and politics. Aristotle defined it as the study of the state. It deals extensively with the theory and practice of politics, and the analysis of political systems and political behavior...
and law department
Law school
A law school is an institution specializing in legal education.- Law degrees :- Canada :...
s as well as for its mathematics
Mathematics
Mathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity...
, computer science
Computer science
Computer science or computing science is the study of the theoretical foundations of information and computation and of practical techniques for their implementation and application in computer systems...
, biology
Biology
Biology is a natural science concerned with the study of life and living organisms, including their structure, function, growth, origin, evolution, distribution, and taxonomy. Biology is a vast subject containing many subdivisions, topics, and disciplines...
and psychology
Psychology
Psychology is the study of the mind and behavior. Its immediate goal is to understand individuals and groups by both establishing general principles and researching specific cases. For many, the ultimate goal of psychology is to benefit society...
programmes. The sports programme at Konstanz University is among the best nationwide. Moreover, Konstanz University cooperates with a large number of foreign universities such as Johns Hopkins University
Johns Hopkins University
The Johns Hopkins University, commonly referred to as Johns Hopkins, JHU, or simply Hopkins, is a private research university based in Baltimore, Maryland, United States...
, Yale University
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
, the University of British Columbia
University of British Columbia
The University of British Columbia is a public research university. UBC’s two main campuses are situated in Vancouver and in Kelowna in the Okanagan Valley...
, University College Cork, and the University of Zurich
University of Zurich
The University of Zurich , located in the city of Zurich, is the largest university in Switzerland, with over 25,000 students. It was founded in 1833 from the existing colleges of theology, law, medicine and a new faculty of philosophy....
. Its award winning library is open 24 hours a day and boasts more than two million books.
History
In 1965 the founding committee of the university developed the concept of a reform university with new forms of study and teaching, a central administration and central facilities for technologyTechnology
Technology is the making, usage, and knowledge of tools, machines, techniques, crafts, systems or methods of organization in order to solve a problem or perform a specific function. It can also refer to the collection of such tools, machinery, and procedures. The word technology comes ;...
, computer
Computer
A computer is a programmable machine designed to sequentially and automatically carry out a sequence of arithmetic or logical operations. The particular sequence of operations can be changed readily, allowing the computer to solve more than one kind of problem...
s and language training. New forms of self-administration replaced traditional university structures. In 1966 the university began its work in a wing of today's Inselhotel, formerly a Dominican
Dominican Order
The Order of Preachers , after the 15th century more commonly known as the Dominican Order or Dominicans, is a Catholic religious order founded by Saint Dominic and approved by Pope Honorius III on 22 December 1216 in France...
monastery
Monastery
Monastery denotes the building, or complex of buildings, that houses a room reserved for prayer as well as the domestic quarters and workplace of monastics, whether monks or nuns, and whether living in community or alone .Monasteries may vary greatly in size – a small dwelling accommodating only...
. Professor David Daube
David Daube
David Daube DCL, FBA was the twentieth century's preeminent scholar of ancient law. He combined a familiarity with many legal systems, particularly Roman law and biblical law, with an expertise in Greek, Roman, Jewish, and Christian literature, and used literary, religious, and legal texts to...
, Regius Professor of Civil Law
Regius Professor of Civil Law
Regius Professor of Civil Law may refer to -*Regius Professor of Civil Law *Regius Professor of Civil Law...
at the University of Oxford
University of Oxford
The University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...
, gave the inaugural lectures.
The beginning was makeshift - in the middle of Sonnenbühl
Sonnenbühl
Sonnenbühl is a municipality in the district of Reutlingen, state of Baden-Württemberg, Germany....
on the edge of the town quarter Petershausen
Petershausen
Petershausen is a municipality in the district of Dachau in Bavaria in Germany....
on the right side of the Rhine, with only a handful of professors and a few dozen students. Starting in 1967, today's campus was developed through individual construction projects on the hill known as the Gießberg. Until today, the university has continued to be structurally altered and expanded. In 2007 the University joined the national Exzellenzinitiative competition and succeeded in becoming Germany's smallest and youngest University of Excellence.
Campus
The campus is located on the Gießberg, about 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) from the center of the city. It is easily accessible by foot, bike, and through the public bus system of the city. Lake ConstanceLake Constance
Lake Constance is a lake on the Rhine at the northern foot of the Alps, and consists of three bodies of water: the Obersee , the Untersee , and a connecting stretch of the Rhine, called the Seerhein.The lake is situated in Germany, Switzerland and Austria near the Alps...
, one of Germany’s most popular watersports locations, is right on the doorstep, and the university has its own beach. Winter and alpine sports fans will find perfect conditions in the neighboring Alps. The town’s cultural offerings range from the open-air “Rock am See” festival to the legendary “Seenachtsfest” and the regional carnival
Carnival
Carnaval is a festive season which occurs immediately before Lent; the main events are usually during February. Carnaval typically involves a public celebration or parade combining some elements of a circus, mask and public street party...
(“Fasnet”). In addition, the Swiss metropolis of Zurich is just an hour away. The Lake Constance region is one of Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
’s most innovative IT
IT
-Organizations:* Institutes of Technology in Ireland* Intelligent Transit, a public transportation service in West Virginia* Intercity Transit, a public transportation service in the state of Washington-Media:* The Irish Times...
locations.
The university was planned as a place of life and learning, in which the new forms of research and teaching should be reflected in the architectural style. Dense construction, short paths, the absence of large auditoriums in exchange for a large number of seminar rooms, as well as the variety of work, traffic, and quiet areas, are all part of the architectural concept. In addition, there was the idea of creating lasting "Kunst am Bau" (structural art) accents, so that the building of a desolate concrete landscape could be avoided in an effective manner.
Organization
These are the 3 faculties into which the university is divided:- Faculty of Sciences
- Faculty of HumanitiesHumanitiesThe humanities are academic disciplines that study the human condition, using methods that are primarily analytical, critical, or speculative, as distinguished from the mainly empirical approaches of the natural sciences....
- Faculty of LawLawLaw is a system of rules and guidelines which are enforced through social institutions to govern behavior, wherever possible. It shapes politics, economics and society in numerous ways and serves as a social mediator of relations between people. Contract law regulates everything from buying a bus...
, EconomicsEconomicsEconomics is the social science that analyzes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. The term economics comes from the Ancient Greek from + , hence "rules of the house"...
and PoliticsPoliticsPolitics is a process by which groups of people make collective decisions. The term is generally applied to the art or science of running governmental or state affairs, including behavior within civil governments, but also applies to institutions, fields, and special interest groups such as the...
Rankings
As of 2011 the university is ranked 194th in the world (11th in Germany) by the Times Higher Education World University RankingsTimes Higher Education World University Rankings
The Times Higher Education World University Rankings is an international ranking of universities published by the British magazine Times Higher Education in partnership with Thomson Reuters, which provided citation database information...
. As of 2007, the university has been designated as an elite German "University of Excellence
German Universities Excellence Initiative
The Excellence Initiative of the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research and the German Research Foundation aims to promote cutting-edge research and to create outstanding conditions for young scientists at universities, to deepen cooperation between disciplines and institutions, to...
".
Points of interest
- Botanischer Garten der Universität KonstanzBotanischer Garten der Universität KonstanzThe Botanischer Garten der Universität Konstanz is a botanical garden maintained by the University of Konstanz. It is located about 250 meters northwest of the campus north parking lot in Konstanz, Baden-Württemberg, Germany, and open weekdays without charge.The garden was begun in 1972, with its...
, the university's botanical gardenBotanical gardenA botanical garden The terms botanic and botanical, and garden or gardens are used more-or-less interchangeably, although the word botanic is generally reserved for the earlier, more traditional gardens. is a well-tended area displaying a wide range of plants labelled with their botanical names...