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Into the Future with Excellence“A Wonderful Opportunity to Advance Our University”
3 April 2025, by Newsroom editorial office
Photo: University of Hamburg / Esfandiari
University President Hauke Heekeren greets on-site and remote participants.
Within the ongoing competition for clusters of excellence and the 2025 excellence evaluations, members of the Executive University Board have apprised all those studying, teaching, researching, and working at the University of current excellence strategy activities.
In 2019, the University of Hamburg achieved extraordinary success in the Excellence Strategy of the Federal and State Governments, a funding competition for top-level university research in Germany. After being granted 4 clusters of excellence, the University was deemed a University of Excellence—one of only 11 German universities and university alliances to earn the distinction and the only one in northern Germany. Even if, as University President Prof. Dr. Hauke Heekeren emphasized in the comprehensive exchange and information session, the excellence distinction is earned “permanently,” the University must be evaluated after 7 years. As a part of this process, which also encompasses renewal and new proposals for the clusters, the Executive University Board aims to involve all University members and ensure transparency about strategic goals and next steps.
“I have met many people at our University who are thrilled about our excellence status. But people frequently ask, ‘What does this have to do with me?’,” said Heekeren during his welcome speech. He compared the pursuit of excellence to being driven by the North Star and pointed out that it represents “a wonderful opportunity to advance our University.”
“Bringing great minds to Hamburg”
During the 2-hour event, representatives from a range of University departments illustrated what this specifically entails. Prof. Dr. Laura Marie Edinger-Schons, chief sustainability officer, and Prof. Dr. Sebastian Gerling, chief digital officer, introduced the concept of twin transformation—that is, thinking of sustainability and digitalization as cross-sectoral University tasks. “We cannot separate key transformation processes at our University but rather strive to further combine them,” said Edinger-Schons.
Prof. Tilo Böhmann, vice president for research, called it a major goal and a great chance to “bring great minds to Hamburg” within the Excellence Strategy. Among them is Prof. Dr. Iris Kesternich, nucleus professor of economics with a focus on empirical health economics, who provided the audience with insights into her field. In the area of studies and teaching, Hans Christian Schmidt represented one of the 97 student research groups approved so far and talked about SimLab, the surgery simulation lab he developed together with a group of fellow student researchers. Representatives from knowledge exchange, career paths, internationalization, and diversity also used lively examples to describe their work areas. Dr. Linda Jauch, head of Academic and Research Career Pathways, used the establishment of the Hub for Academic Career & Research Culture to highlight the special focus on supporting academics in the early stages of their careers.
The first decision is expected by 22 May.
Before taking audience questions at the end, University President Hauke Heekeren provided a detailed account of upcoming dates within the scope of the Excellence Strategy: On 22 May, the results of the evaluation of the existing 4 clusters and the current cluster application for Gateways to Health will be announced. Heekeren: “We need at least 2 clusters to be able to continue as a University of Excellence. I am very optimistic that we will achieve that.” By 1 August, the University must submit a self-assessment of the previous funding period as a University of Excellence. At the beginning of October, the University will undergo a 2-day on-site visit, before the evaluation outcome will be announced in March 2026, determining whether the University of Hamburg will keep its excellence status.
The University president invited all those interested in learning more details about the Excellence Strategy and people who were unable to participate in this information session to the next Campus fest on 25 June 2025 on Von-Melle-Campus. There will be a special Excellence Strategy exhibition stand.
Background to the evaluation of Universities of Excellence in 2025
Unlike clusters of excellence, Universities of Excellence receive their title and the corresponding funding on a permanent basis. Nevertheless, they must fulfill certain requirements for continued funding. First, they must successfully apply for at least 2 clusters of excellence. Second, an assessment is made on whether the goals set in the first funding phase have been achieved and what impact has unfolded at the respective location. For this purpose, the University of Hamburg—like all other German Universities of Excellence—will submit a self-assessment in the summer of 2025. The University will also present the work it has carried out to a group of evaluators in the fall of 2025. The evaluation results will be announced in March 2026. The next funding phase will begin in 2027 and will again last 7 years.
