University of Passau

The University of Passau stands for excellent research and outstanding study conditions in one of the most beautiful cities in Germany. Cosmopolitanism and diversity are essential components of this excellence. Passau combines science, culture, and entrepreneurial spirit in a unique way. This close networking is one of our greatest strengths.

Students from more than 100 countries study here at four faculties. Many courses are interdisciplinary and cross-faculty. With over 260 partner universities worldwide, numerous double degree programmes and a broad and subject-specific range of foreign languages, the university creates a strong international focus. A distinctly welcoming culture and the creation of excellent working conditions for all members – especially for students and early career researchers – are central objectives of the university. Its graduates benefit from a global network for life.

The University of Passau was founded in 1978 as a so-called borderland university at the tri-border region, and quite literally had the theme of Europe in sight with its immediate border with Austria and proximity to the Iron Curtain. This history is addressed by the thematic focus and transferred in research and teaching into a modern intercultural profile with European emphasis.

The European responsibility for finding common solution strategies for the global challenges of our time has increasingly led to our research addressing development issues and has given rise to the Master’s degree programme in Development Studies spanning different faculties. The location of the campus in the middle of the FFH territory (Natura 2000), a highly efficient building technology and a conscious use of natural resources create the framework for this.

Since 2011, the University of Passau has consistently focused on another global development: the social impact of digitalisation. The expansion programme Technik Plus and the second phase of the successful DFG Graduate Research Training Group Privacy led to the emergence of sustainable impulses for interdisciplinary collaboration among faculties, with an emphasis on creating synergies between the humanities and computer science.