Translating Humboldt into the 21st Century
In its Institutional
Strategy Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, whose foundation marked the
origin of modern reform universities, translates the guiding principles
of its foundation into the 21st century. Ideas are put forward and
measures are taken to advance the further integration of teaching and
research, the exchange between the scientific disciplines, the
dismantling of hierarchies, the intensification of the international
aspects of research and teaching, the support for young researchers,
the transfer of research results into modern society and the strategic
development of top-level research.
In the centre of these efforts is the “Interdisciplinary Research Institute of Life Sciences”, which Humboldt-Universität operates jointly with the Charité (the medical faculty of Berlin universities) and which is based on a broad concept of life science research. After all, it is in the life sciences – often referred to as “the guiding science of the 21st century - that cooperation at the highest level of research takes place at the interface of arts, humanities and the natural sciences. Thus, Humboldt-Universität meets the complexity of problems and challenges of life science research by establishing life sciences as an integrative scientific entity consisting of a multitude of disciplines.