Study and research in Germany

Universities

Universities are the classical form of higher education institution. The 102 universities operating in Germany at present focus of teaching methodological and theoretical knowledge. Research and teaching are closely combined with each other. Most of the universities are so-called full universities which offer the whole spectrum of academic subjects. As a rule, these include law, arts and humanities, cultural studies, natural sciences and economics/business administration, teacher training  and, with some exceptions, medicine. 

Some universities have a strong technical/engineering focus and consequently call themselves technical universities or universities of technology, even though students can also increasingly study arts, humanities and social sciences subjects there today. 
In comparison to the more applications and practice oriented Fachhochschulen, the universities attach great importance to basic or fundamental research. As far as possible, the orientation and interpretation of this research should be free from political targets and externally-controlled interests. The principle of the freedom of research and teaching is a highly-valued asset at Germany's universities – a response to the misuse of science and research in Germany's more recent history.
Single subject universities represent a special form of institution in German higher education. Institutions that have specialised in a single discipline include the Hannover Medical School (MHH), the University of Lübeck (medicine), the University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, the German Sport University Cologne, and the University of Administrative Sciences Speyer.

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