Bochum and Dortmund will apply jointly as Consortium of Excellence

Close cooperation since 2007

Ruhr University Bochum, TU Dortmund University and the University of Duisburg-Essen established the University Alliance Ruhr in 2007 to leverage synergies in research, teaching and administration as well as various cross-cutting topics. To strengthen joint cutting-edge research, they founded four joint Research Centers and a College in 2021, in which around 50 new professorships are being created. Thanks to the culture of cooperation, the universities in the Ruhr region were also successful in the latest phase of the Excellence Strategy and secured three Clusters of Excellence for funding from 2026. This result makes it possible to apply in the upcoming second funding line as a “University Consortium of Excellence.” 

“Our desired outcome would have been to apply as a trio in the second funding line and to be able to further develop our long-standing cooperation as an alliance,” says Prof. Martin Paul, President of Ruhr University Bochum. However, the Clusters of Excellence approved in May do not allow for this constellation. Instead, there were options for individual applications or an alliance of two. “We decided to take advantage of the remaining opportunity for our alliance and compete in the Excellence Strategy with a bilateral partnership,” says Prof. Manfred Bayer, President of TU Dortmund University. “The University Alliance Ruhr makes the Ruhr region one of the leading science hubs in Germany,” says Professor Barbara Albert, President of the University of Duisburg-Essen. “It is great that our two neighboring universities can demonstrate in the excellence competition the top level at which we conduct research, teach, and study together – and, above all, how we develop innovative concepts through collaboration.”

Joint journey continues

The University Alliance Ruhr will continue its cooperation in all areas. Beyond the Excellence Strategy which promotes cutting-edge research, there is potential to expand teaching through complementary offerings, to form partnerships in transfer or to jointly digitize administrative processes.

Next steps in the Excellence Strategy

In the second funding line of the Excellence Strategy, applications as a “University of Excellence” or “University Consortium of Excellence” can be submitted until 12 November 2025. Ten title holders as well as 15 other candidates nationwide including Ruhr University Bochum and TU Dortmund University are eligible to apply. From 2027, up to 15 Universities of Excellence or University Consortia of Excellence will be funded. They need to convince with an overall strategy that improves their positioning in the international research environment. Above all, effective management structures are required to ensure the capacity for institutional renewal.

Further information on the Excellence Strategy