The top positions are held by the Freie Universität Berlin and the Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, followed by the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), University of Konstanz and Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (LMU). Positions six to ten are held by Heidelberg University, the Technical University of Munich (TUM), Technische Universität Berlin, the University of Göttingen, and the University of Freiburg.
For the 2023 Humboldt Rankings, research stays undertaken by individuals sponsored by the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation during the time from 2018 to 2022 were analysed. The rankings show where in Germany researchers have worked during the past five years with the help of a Humboldt fellowship or award. To avoid statistical bias arising from differences in the size of the host institutions, the rankings relate the number of research stays to the number of professorships at the respective university.
Foundation President Robert Schlögl said:
"During the last five years, Humboldtians from other countries were hosted at 130 universities and more than 400 other institutions in Germany, including non-university research institutions, associations and companies. Each one of these nearly 6,500 research stays has enriched our science system with new ideas and impetus. Science thrives on a diversity of perspectives.”
The Humboldt Rankings are issued for two different groups: universities and non-university research institutions and other institutions. Looking at non-university research institutions, Max Planck institutes head the list: The Max Planck Society’s Fritz Haber Institute in Berlin, the Max-Planck-Institut für Eisenforschung in Düsseldorf and the Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems in Stuttgart and Tübingen hold the top three positions.
The methodology used for the current rankings was modified in places in order to better reflect changes in the underlying conditions. As a result, the findings and rankings cannot be directly compared with those from the last rankings. Since each institute has strengths in certain fields, the Humboldt Rankings additionally list the absolute positions according to academic field.
Further Reading
- Alexander von Humboldt Foundation: The Humboldt Rankings 2023
