University of Passau
Encyclopedia
The University of Passau (German
Universität Passau) is a public research university
located in Passau
, Lower Bavaria
, Germany
. Founded in 1978, it is the youngest university in Bavaria and has therefore the most modern campus in the state. Nevertheless, it is the extension of the centuries old Institute for Catholic Studies.
Today it consists of five faculties and offers degree programs at undergraduate, graduate and postdoctoral levels in 22 courses.
founded by Fürst
Leopold in 1612. In 1773 the University was renamed to fürstbischöfliche Akademie, a name that highlighted its relationship to the bishop
. Nevertheless, in 1803 it was degraded to merely a kurfürstliches Lyzeum and lost hence its status as a university. After some years of abandonment, it was refounded 1803 as Passauer Lyzeum.
This Lyzeum grew over the years until it became a Philosophy
-Theology
University
in 1923. During the Nazi Era the University was forced to change its logo, but in 1950 a new seal with the "Maria vom Siege" was introduced. The new logo represented Mary
with The Child as she defeated the evil. While this was appropriate for a religious College, it was regarded as not appropriate for the new university, and substituted by the current neutral logo. The city council had already begun the necessary negotiations to found a university as a development of the old Faculty as early as 1969.
The campus of the University of Passau is probably unique in Germany. Except for the Department of Catholic Theology, which is in the city centre, all faculties are situated on one street on a single campus. This is very advantageous for internal communication of students and staff because Passau offers many interdisciplinary courses. Hence it is possible that law courses take place in the philosophy faculty and vice versa. The campus lies on the riverside of the Inn River
, which makes it an idyllic place to study. Furthermore there are many gardens and meadows that are popular with students in the summer.
The Nikolakloster is the only exemption to the college's modern architecture. Today, this old convent
is home to the languages department but it was here that the university was born. Only in 2006 was the ITZ International House building completed. It is the last building in the row and is home to many international staff offices, students clubs and language classes.
The sport facilities include a soccer and athletics field, a gym and 4 sport halls, which are available to staff and students alike.
A wide range of coached sports is available for free for students, among them soccer, volleyball, basketball, rowing and aerobics.
The University of Passau has a refectory with a capacity of 560 places. The refectory has won several awards for excellence. There are also four cafeterias on campus which offer sandwiches, confectionery, coffee, soft drinks and beer.
The university's kindergarten
is open to children of students and staff. It is unusual in Germany for universities to have day care
, but the reasonably priced service is well used by students with young children.
The Senate is the 'legislative branch' of the university. The president and vice-presidents are senators ex officio, as are also the deans of the faculties, and the university's equal opportunities officer.
The University of Passau has five schools: Humanities, Law, Catholic Theology, Informatics and Economics.
The catholic theology school and the Chair for Philosophy are planned to be inactive for the next 15 years beginning 2009/2010, a process that's been very controversial because its lecturers have been awarded many times in recognition to its research achievements. The school only offers Catholic theology education for students enrolled in a teaching training program and a graduate program in Caritas
management and applied Catholic theology.
Passau enrolls a total of 8,058 students; 91% of these are German. There are 681 international students, representing 71 different countries. The largest group of foreign students come from Austria
, with 103 students, which is due to Passau's location on the German-Austrian border. There are a total of 64 Bulgaria
ns, 52 Russia
ns, 48 Czechs
, 46 students from Ukraine
and 38 from China
. There are also students from Latin America, Southeast Asia (mainly in the MA and Ph.D. Programmes), Africa and the Middle East. Passau's international students rate is above the German average.
and Cardiff University
in the UK, the Autonomous University of Barcelona
and Autonomous University of Madrid
in Spain
, Lund University
in Sweden
, Texas A&M University
in the United States
, the Universidad del Salvador
in Argentina
, the University of Santiago, Chile
, the Université Laval
in Canada
, Kyoto Sangyo University
in Japan
, Thammasat University and University Chiang Mai in Thailand, Universitas Indonesia in Indonesia as well as the National University of Vietnam and the Lahore University of Management Sciences
in Pakistan
.
, Unicef and AIESEC
, several departments of European organizations of students in certain disciplines like AEGEE
and ELSA, five clubs dedicated to fostering international relations and cultural exchange, several subject orientated groups, an association of cultural studies students, a debate society, one student management consulting groups, and two religious student groups.
have a long-standing tradition in Germany's students life, although having a very different meaning as in the United States. Students who are member of fraternities often have a very conservative political attitude and sometimes a traditional religious point of view. For this reason they are not accepted by everyone and many students even mock their members. There are five fraternities in Passau:
A nice welcome tradition for first year students in Passau, who usually are not from the Bavaria or even are for the first time there, is a welcome reception on the city hall with typical Bavarian food. Leberkäse
and Bavarian Pretzel
s (which are different from the American ones) and beer
are served. The welcome speech is held by the rector and the city's mayor.
Also a traditional part of Passau's students life is the O-Woche, an integration week for all first year students. During the O-Woche the students have the possibility to take guided tours through college, libraries, the city and of course, the bars and discos.
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
Universität Passau) is a public research university
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...
located in Passau
Passau
Passau is a town in Lower Bavaria, Germany. It is also known as the Dreiflüssestadt or "City of Three Rivers," because the Danube is joined at Passau by the Inn from the south and the Ilz from the north....
, Lower Bavaria
Bavaria
Bavaria, formally the Free State of Bavaria is a state of Germany, located in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the largest state by area, forming almost 20% of the total land area of Germany...
, 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...
. Founded in 1978, it is the youngest university in Bavaria and has therefore the most modern campus in the state. Nevertheless, it is the extension of the centuries old Institute for Catholic Studies.
Today it consists of five faculties and offers degree programs at undergraduate, graduate and postdoctoral levels in 22 courses.
History
The university was founded on August 1, 1978 at the behest of the Bayerischer Landtag (Bavarian State Congress). However its history goes back to 1622 when an Institute for Catholic Studies was incorporated to the GymnasiumGymnasium (school)
A gymnasium is a type of school providing secondary education in some parts of Europe, comparable to English grammar schools or sixth form colleges and U.S. college preparatory high schools. The word γυμνάσιον was used in Ancient Greece, meaning a locality for both physical and intellectual...
founded by Fürst
Fürst
Fürst is a German title of nobility, usually translated into English as Prince.The term refers to the head of a principality and is distinguished from the son of a monarch, who is referred to as Prinz...
Leopold in 1612. In 1773 the University was renamed to fürstbischöfliche Akademie, a name that highlighted its relationship to the bishop
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
. Nevertheless, in 1803 it was degraded to merely a kurfürstliches Lyzeum and lost hence its status as a university. After some years of abandonment, it was refounded 1803 as Passauer Lyzeum.
This Lyzeum grew over the years until it became a Philosophy
Philosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
-Theology
Theology
Theology is the systematic and rational study of religion and its influences and of the nature of religious truths, or the learned profession acquired by completing specialized training in religious studies, usually at a university or school of divinity or seminary.-Definition:Augustine of Hippo...
University
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 1923. During the Nazi Era the University was forced to change its logo, but in 1950 a new seal with the "Maria vom Siege" was introduced. The new logo represented Mary
Blessed Virgin Mary (Roman Catholic)
Roman Catholic veneration of the Blessed Virgin Mary is based on Holy Scripture: In the fullness of time, God sent his son, born of a virgin. The mystery of the incarnation of the Son of God through Mary thus signifies her honour as Mother of God...
with The Child as she defeated the evil. While this was appropriate for a religious College, it was regarded as not appropriate for the new university, and substituted by the current neutral logo. The city council had already begun the necessary negotiations to found a university as a development of the old Faculty as early as 1969.
Campus
Inn River
The Inn is a river in Switzerland, Austria and Germany. It is a right tributary of the Danube and is approximately 500km long. The highest point of its drainage basin is the summit of Piz Bernina, at 4,049 metres.- Geography :...
, which makes it an idyllic place to study. Furthermore there are many gardens and meadows that are popular with students in the summer.
Convent
A convent is either a community of priests, religious brothers, religious sisters, or nuns, or the building used by the community, particularly in the Roman Catholic Church and in the Anglican Communion...
is home to the languages department but it was here that the university was born. Only in 2006 was the ITZ International House building completed. It is the last building in the row and is home to many international staff offices, students clubs and language classes.
The sport facilities include a soccer and athletics field, a gym and 4 sport halls, which are available to staff and students alike.
The University of Passau has a refectory with a capacity of 560 places. The refectory has won several awards for excellence. There are also four cafeterias on campus which offer sandwiches, confectionery, coffee, soft drinks and beer.
The university's kindergarten
Kindergarten
A kindergarten is a preschool educational institution for children. The term was created by Friedrich Fröbel for the play and activity institute that he created in 1837 in Bad Blankenburg as a social experience for children for their transition from home to school...
is open to children of students and staff. It is unusual in Germany for universities to have day care
Day care
Child care or day care is care of a child during the day by a person other than the child's legal guardians, typically performed by someone outside the child's immediate family...
, but the reasonably priced service is well used by students with young children.
Library
The library was founded together with the university in 1978 and opened its doors for students and citizens of Passau in the same year with one reading room. The University Library is the main library of the university, and constitutes together with the 5 libraries of the faculties and institutes, the integral university library system, headed by the director of the University Library, Dr. Steffen Wawra. The University Library's stocks exceeds today two million books and 3050 journals. There is a total of 1000 work places for students in the reading rooms, which are open 16 hours a day.Governance
The Rectorate is the 'executive body' of the university, headed by president Walter Schweitzer. The rectorate consists of the chancellor, Ludwig Bloch, who is the head of the central administration and responsible for the university's budgeting, and three vice-presidents, Univ.-Prof. Dr. Burkhard Freitag, Univ.-Prof. Dr. Ulrich Manthe and Univ.-Prof. Dr. Ernst Struck.The Senate is the 'legislative branch' of the university. The president and vice-presidents are senators ex officio, as are also the deans of the faculties, and the university's equal opportunities officer.
Schools
Caritas (charity)
Caritas Internationalis is a confederate of 164 Roman Catholic relief, development and social service organisations operating in over 200 countries and territories worldwide....
management and applied Catholic theology.
Associated institutes
- Center for European Law
- Marketing and economics Institute
- European Documentation Center
- Informatics Research Campus
- Cultural Sciences Research Institute
- University's Organizational Law Research Institute
- Economical Ethic Institute
- History of Psychology Institute
- Software and Information systems Institute
- IT-Security and Security Law Institute
- Inter cultural Communication Institute
- International and foreign law Institute
- Journalism training and communications research Institute
- Agricultural and environmental law Institute
- East Bavarian Research Institute
- Private Budgeting Institute
- Applied Software systems for technical informatics Institute
- Center for education, teachers and university's staff training
Teachers and students
The university employs as 2008 more than 500 academic staff, of which 107 hold a chair "Lehrstuhl". The rest are research assistants and postgraduate students.Passau enrolls a total of 8,058 students; 91% of these are German. There are 681 international students, representing 71 different countries. The largest group of foreign students come from Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
, with 103 students, which is due to Passau's location on the German-Austrian border. There are a total of 64 Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
ns, 52 Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
ns, 48 Czechs
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
, 46 students from Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
and 38 from China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
. There are also students from Latin America, Southeast Asia (mainly in the MA and Ph.D. Programmes), Africa and the Middle East. Passau's international students rate is above the German average.
Cooperation
The University of Passau is known beyond the borders of Bavaria and Germany for its international orientation and atmosphere. The college holds cooperation agreements with 160 foreign universities in Latin America, USA, Europe, Asia and Australia that allow its students to study abroad during its academic career. Among the partner universities are King's CollegeKing's College London
King's College London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom and a constituent college of the federal University of London. King's has a claim to being the third oldest university in England, having been founded by King George IV and the Duke of Wellington in 1829, and...
and Cardiff University
Cardiff University
Cardiff University is a leading research university located in the Cathays Park area of Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom. It received its Royal charter in 1883 and is a member of the Russell Group of Universities. The university is consistently recognised as providing high quality research-based...
in the UK, the Autonomous University of Barcelona
Autonomous University of Barcelona
The Autonomous University of Barcelona is a public university mostly located in Cerdanyola, near the city of Barcelona in Catalonia, Spain....
and Autonomous University of Madrid
Autonomous University of Madrid
The Autonomous University of Madrid is one of the top university of Spain and commonly known by its Spanish initials UAM or as "la Autónoma"...
in Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, Lund University
Lund University
Lund University , located in the city of Lund in the province of Scania, Sweden, is one of northern Europe's most prestigious universities and one of Scandinavia's largest institutions for education and research, frequently ranked among the world's top 100 universities...
in Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
, Texas A&M University
Texas A&M University
Texas A&M University is a coeducational public research university located in College Station, Texas . It is the flagship institution of the Texas A&M University System. The sixth-largest university in the United States, A&M's enrollment for Fall 2011 was over 50,000 for the first time in school...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, the Universidad del Salvador
Universidad del Salvador
The Universidad del Salvador is a Jesuit university in Buenos Aires, Argentina. In addition to its main Campus, it has instructional and research facilities in Pilar, Buenos Aires; San Miguel, Buenos Aires; Santa Cruz, Misiones; and Bahía Blanca, Buenos Aires...
in Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
, the University of Santiago, Chile
University of Santiago, Chile
The University of Santiago of Chile is one of the oldest public universities in Chile.The institution was born as Escuela de Artes y Oficios in 1849, under the government of Manuel Bulnes...
, the Université Laval
Université Laval
Laval University is the oldest centre of education in Canada and was the first institution in North America to offer higher education in French...
in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, Kyoto Sangyo University
Kyoto Sangyo University
is a private university in Kita-ku, Kyoto, Kyoto, Japan.- History :The university was established in 1965. The founder was an astronomer named Toshima Araki , who intended to nurture students so that they could have their spiritual foundation upon the traditions of Japanese culture and contribute...
in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, Thammasat University and University Chiang Mai in Thailand, Universitas Indonesia in Indonesia as well as the National University of Vietnam and the Lahore University of Management Sciences
Lahore University of Management Sciences
The Lahore University of Management Sciences, usually referred to by its acronym LUMS, is a university located in Lahore, Pakistan. LUMS was established in 1984 by a group of industrialists and people belonging to Pakistan's leading private and public sector corporations, to provide rigorous...
in Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
.
Student Associations
The university supports a number of student groups in various fields of interest. Among them are eight political groups, two drama clubs, three university orchestras, two choirs, several NGO’s groups such as Amnesty InternationalAmnesty International
Amnesty International is an international non-governmental organisation whose stated mission is "to conduct research and generate action to prevent and end grave abuses of human rights, and to demand justice for those whose rights have been violated."Following a publication of Peter Benenson's...
, Unicef and AIESEC
AIESEC
AIESEC is a global youth organisation that develops leadership capabilities through their internal leadership programmes and engaging students and graduates in international student exchange and internship programmes for profit and non-profit organisations. Its international office is in...
, several departments of European organizations of students in certain disciplines like AEGEE
Association des Etats Généraux des Etudiants de l'Europe
AEGEE, or Association des États Généraux des Étudiants de l'Europe, known as European Students' Forum in English, is one of Europe's largest cross-faculty student organisations....
and ELSA, five clubs dedicated to fostering international relations and cultural exchange, several subject orientated groups, an association of cultural studies students, a debate society, one student management consulting groups, and two religious student groups.
Sports
Despite of the wide range of sports offered in the Sports Center of the university, there are only two teams that play at a competitive level. Here it is important to say that in Germany, unlike in the USA, university sport competitions have no tradition.- American Football - Passau Red Wolves
- Lacrosse Passau
Fraternities
FraternitiesStudentenverbindung
A Studentenverbindung is a student corporation in a German-speaking country somewhat comparable to fraternities in the US or Canada, but mostly older and going back to other kinds of...
have a long-standing tradition in Germany's students life, although having a very different meaning as in the United States. Students who are member of fraternities often have a very conservative political attitude and sometimes a traditional religious point of view. For this reason they are not accepted by everyone and many students even mock their members. There are five fraternities in Passau:
- CorpsGerman Student CorpsCorps are the oldest still-existing kind of Studentenverbindung, Germany's traditional university corporations; their roots date back to the 15th century. The oldest corps still existing today was founded in 1789...
Budissa Leipzig - K.St.V. Boiotro (affiliated with the Kartellverband katholischer deutscher StudentenvereineKartellverband katholischer deutscher StudentenvereineThe Kartellverband katholischer deutscher Studentenvereine) is a German academic corporate association with ninety member corporations in Germany, Austria and Switzerland...
) - BurschenschaftBurschenschaftGerman Burschenschaften are a special type of Studentenverbindungen . Burschenschaften were founded in the 19th century as associations of university students inspired by liberal and nationalistic ideas.-History:-Beginnings 1815–c...
Hanseatia - Akad. Burschenschaft Markomannia Wien (affiliated with the Deutsche Burschenschaft)
- K.D.St.V. Oeno-Danubia im (affiliated with the Cartellverband der katholischen deutschen StudentenverbindungenCartellverband der katholischen deutschen StudentenverbindungenThe Cartellverband der katholischen deutschen Studentenverbindungen or Cartellverband is a German umbrella organization of Catholic male student fraternities .-Foundation:...
)
Traditions
Leberkäse
is a specialty food found in the south of Germany, in Austria and parts of Switzerland, similar to bologna sausage...
and Bavarian Pretzel
Pretzel
A pretzel is a type of baked food made from dough in soft and hard varieties and savory or sweet flavors in a unique knot-like shape, originating in Europe...
s (which are different from the American ones) and beer
German beer
Beer is a major part of German culture. For many years German beer was brewed in adherence to the Reinheitsgebot order or law which only permitted water, hops and malt as beer ingredients until its repeal in 1988. The order also required that beers not exclusively using barley-malts such as wheat...
are served. The welcome speech is held by the rector and the city's mayor.
Also a traditional part of Passau's students life is the O-Woche, an integration week for all first year students. During the O-Woche the students have the possibility to take guided tours through college, libraries, the city and of course, the bars and discos.