The University of Greifswald was founded in 1456 and is one of the oldest academic institutions in Europe. Over 12,000 students from all over the world receive the most modern academic instruction and exciting research opportunities in a time-honoured environment. Research priorities at the University of Greifswald are in the life sciences, physics and geosciences, cultural interaction in the Baltic/Nordic region, as well as law and economics. Our scientists engage in inter-disciplinary collaborations across faculties and aim for excellence in both research and teaching.

Research

Recently, the University of Greifswald has received international attention for its outstanding research in genomics, medicine and physics. The Centre for Research Support (ZFF) helps scientists apply for grants and scholarships, and fosters links between the university and the business world, e.g., within the framework of the Siemens Centre of Knowledge Interchange (CKI). At the present time the University has six main research focuses: working together closely with the regional Max-Planck Institute, Physicists are exploring the possibilities of nuclear fusion in Plasma Physics. Biologists, Geographers and Geologists are investigating the Bodden countryside and cooperating in the field of Natural Ecology.
Interdisciplinary approaches are also given great emphasis in the rising sector of Molecular Biology/Molecular Medicine/Biotechnology, where Medics, Chemists, Pharmacists and Biologists are all working together with common aims. The second central working field of Greifswald Medicine, Community Medicine and Dentistry, is a unique one in Germany. Here, the main focus is on the so-called ‘public illnesses’.
Those researching in Humanities have their focuses in the exploration of Medieval culture and in the analysis of identity and integration in the Baltic Sea Region. A further field of work, research into health systems, is planned for the near future.

Faculties

• Faculty of Theology
• Faculty of Law and Economics
• Faculty of Medicine
• Faculty of Philosophy
• Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences

Physics Research at Greifswald

The institute with 10 professors, plus 4 professors from the Leibniz and Max-Planck partner institutes, represents the areas from plasma, atomic, solid state physics and quantum theory to biophysics, environmental, and computer-based physics. Best conditions for studying physics are found in the modern buildings and active research environment.