Kiel University (CAU)

As the only fully-fledged university in Schleswig-Holstein, the Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel (CAU) offers an interdisciplinary academic environment. Dynamic interfaces are constantly emerging between the disciplines of its eight faculties, which are reflected in teaching and in an integrative research profile.

In 2008, four research foci were established: Life Sciences, Marine Sciences, Nanosciences and Surface Sciences. Each priority area brings together the expertise of various faculties from the natural sciences, social sciences, engineering, law and the humanities. Today, the research priorities are firmly embedded in the university structures. They complement the widely diversified individual research in the subjects and form the university basis for the clusters of excellence “ROOTS – Connectivity of Society, Environment and Culture in Past Worlds” and “Precision Medicine in Chronic Inflammation” (PMI).

At the same time, joint research infrastructures such as a clean room, a laboratory for the analysis of ancient DNA, a platform for molecular in-vivo imaging and Europe’s largest scientific next-generation sequencing platform were created. A joint computer centre provides high-performance computer systems and storage services and develops sophisticated concepts for the management of research data.