New CHE ranking certified: FAU one of the top universities

Ranking particularly highly for its relevance to practical application, research and international character

Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU) has received excellent ratings from the Centre for Higher Education (CHE). The FAU has received top marks in almost all subjects under scrutiny in a special evaluation for university ranking entitled “Diversity of Excellence” which was carried out by CHE and was published today. Across the three categories of relevance to practical application, research, and internationality, it has been proven to rank among the top universities in Germany.

According to CHE, FAU fares particularly well among the national competition as regards its applied approach to scientific research and teaching. Here, the university achieved top marks in all five of the subjects under scrutiny – business studies, economics, educational science, electrical engineering, IT and mechanical engineering. Furthermore, the business studies and economics departments scored points with third party funding from the private sector (in absolute terms and per faculty member) and also received very good marks from students as concerns the professional relevance of the courses on offer. Educational science received excellent ratings in the category third party funding from the private sector (in absolute terms and per faculty member). Electrical engineering and IT came out with top marks in the categories third party funding from the private sector (in absolute terms and per faculty member) and invention disclosure (in absolute terms and per faculty member). Mechanical engineering achieved top marks for third party funding (in absolute terms and per faculty member) and received very good ratings from students for the practical and professional relevance of the courses on offer. “These results clearly attest to the fact that the practical relevance that FAU strives for across many disciplines has indeed been realised to great success”, points out Vice President Prof. Joachim Hornegger. “Excellent research with a high international profile and substantial practical relevance go hand in hand at Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg.”

Top results for research certify the rankings given to the English studies/American studies, electronic engineering, IT and business studies departments. English studies/American studies also received particularly good ratings for the categories publications and doctorates (in absolute terms and per faculty member), third party funding per faculty member. Electrical engineering and IT scored points in the categories publications (in absolute terms and per faculty member), doctorates and inventions (in absolute terms and per faculty member). The business studies department came out top in the categories third party funding (in absolute terms and per faculty member), publications and doctorates (in absolute terms and per faculty member).

The psychology department is also out in front in terms of international orientation. This faculty has been able to secure a particularly high quota of EU third party funding (in absolute terms and per faculty member) thanks to subject areas with an international focus and research questions of supranational interest.

The special rating “diversity of excellence” is based on 2010 and 2011 CHE university rankings which were specifically evaluated on the categories research, international orientation, relevance to practical application and student orientation. CHE compared 84 universities in the subject areas English studies/American studies, educational science, psychology, Romance studies, business studies, economics, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, IT and communication studies/journalism for the special ranking “Diversity of Excellence 2011″.

The results for the special ranking “Diversity of Excellence 2011” can be downloaded in full at www.che.de/vielfaeltige-exzellenz

Further information for the media:

uni | media service | news No. 304/2011 on 24.11.2011