The EU at TU Dortmund University

In combination with the introduction of the tiered higher education system of Bachelor's and Master's degree programs as part of the Bologna Process and the subsequent opportunity to pursue a doctoral degree, the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS) facilitates the international mobility of students: ECTS ensures that students can easily have their academic qualifications and course achievements gained at a European university recognized at other universities within the EU.

In winter semester 2023/24, 477 EU citizens from 23 member states studied at TU Dortmund University. 219 of them obtained their university entrance qualification abroad before entering university. Applicants who have obtained their university entrance qualification within the EU or are EU citizens can apply for a degree program at our university on equal terms with students who have obtained their university entrance qualification in Germany (Abitur).

The EU funding program Erasmus+ enables students and university staff to gain international experience and to network with other European institutions. Erasmus+ supports stays and internships abroad for students as well as joint Master's degree programs, such as the International Master of Advanced Methods in Particle Physics (IMAPP) at TU Dortmund University, the University of Bologna and the University of Clermont Auvergne.

In the framework program for research “Horizon Europe,” the world's largest individual funding program for research, the EU supports projects that are intended to contribute to sustainable development, in particular to the digital and green transition. The program has five main objectives, including the necessary social transformations: adapting to climate change, building climate-neutral and smart cities, protecting water and the oceans, protecting soil and promoting innovation in cancer research and treatment.

Since it was established in 2007, the European Research Council (ERC) has funded open-topic pioneering research projects by scientists regardless of their nationality or age. The ERC offers four funding programs: Starting Grants (at the beginning of a career), Consolidator Grants (during the consolidation phase of an independent research group), Advanced Grants (established excellent researchers) and Synergy Grants (teams of two to four promising researchers). In addition, grant recipients can apply for a Proof of Concept Grant to further develop a research result from their ERC-funded project to transfer this into the market or society.

The European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) is part of the European cohesion policy. It contributes to the improvement of living conditions in structurally weaker regions in the EU and thus to reducing imbalances between the various regions. In the ERDF program, the EU supports projects in NRW in the fields of innovation, sustainability, support for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), quality of life, mobility and structural change in coal-mining regions. In addition to universities and research institutions, ERDF funding is also available to local authorities and SMEs.