Institutional Strategy I
RWTH 2020: Meeting Global Challenges. The Integrated Interdisciplinary University of Technology
RWTH introduced Institutional Strategy I as part of the Excellence Initiative of the German federal and state governments, in November 2007, which was funded for an initial period of five years. The Strategy was titled RWTH 2020: Meeting Global Challenges – The Integrated Interdisciplinary University of Technology. With this successful application, RWTH was able to contribute to the expansion of top-level university research in Germany and participate in the global competition among universities.
Implementing four different measures, RWTH’s goal was to fully exploit its research potential to be able to meet the complex challenges of the future with the help of holistic research strategies. Above all, research topics that are highly relevant in social and global terms, as well as interdisciplinary and international cooperations should form the focus of internal university funding.
To consolidate and concretize RWTH’s profile as an integrated, interdisciplinary, and international university of technology, the University implemented a fundamental restructuring process. This saw all areas of the University focus on RWTH’s core competences in natural sciences and engineering.
To ensure that this complex process of restructuring and refocusing was realized in a swift and competent manner, the University developed four specific measures in Institutional Strategy I:
| Measure1 | Sharpening the Scientific Profile of the University | |
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Measure 1.1 Measure 1.2 |
Strengthening the Natural Sciences Fostering Interdisciplinary Research |
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| Measure 2 | Establishment of the Jülich Aachen Research Alliance (JARA) | |
| Measure 3 | Mobilizing People - Introduction of a University-wide Staff and Orginizational Development Strategy | |
| Measure 4 | Enhancing Corporate Governance | |
These measures were continued in a slightly modified form in the Excellence Initiative of the German federal and state governments until 2017, as defined in Institutional Strategy II.