The Free State of Bavaria is funding four new elite degree programmes with twelve million euros, two of them at the University of Würzburg. They will start in the 2026 winter semester.
Under the umbrella of the Elite Network of Bavaria, the Free State of Bavaria is establishing four new degree programmes for particularly talented students in the fields of natural sciences, engineering, mathematics and computer science.
Science Minister Markus Blume: "Our elite study programmes offer a triple of excellence: excellent scientists train excellent students under excellent conditions. With the four new Elite Graduate Programmes at the universities in Bayreuth, Erlangen-Nuremberg, Munich and Würzburg, we are sending out a strong signal: We support the best - and we challenge them to take responsibility, think creatively and tackle new things."
Innovative Topics and Personalised Support
The degree programmes designed by the universities were examined in a science-led process by an international expert commission chaired by Professor Peter Strohschneider, former Chairman of the German Council of Science and Humanities and former President of the DFG, and by external expert committees and proposed to the Bavarian Ministry of Science for funding.
According to a press release issued by the Ministry, all of the recommended applications met the criteria for elite study programmes to the highest degree. In addition to the excellence of the academics involved, the innovative subject areas and the high academic standards, the outstanding individual support, modern forms of teaching and learning and extensive additional offers make the Elite Graduate Programmes highly attractive for particularly talented students.
The degree programmes are scheduled to start in the winter semester 2026/27. One is based at the University of Würzburg and the university is involved in a second:
Emerging Educational Technologies for Science Technology Engineering Mathematics, University of Würzburg
The digital transformation in education will require experts in the future who combine technological expertise, didactic knowledge and teaching practice. The Master's degree programme combines technological content with didactic approaches and thus creates a sought-after qualification profile. It is aimed at students studying to become teachers of STEM subjects as well as students studying computer science-related programmes and opens up new perspectives for both sides through this interlinking: students studying to become teachers gain an insight into software development processes and modern AI-supported learning environments, while students from the field of computer science develop a deeper understanding of didactics and can position themselves in a dynamically growing digital education market through this independent profile development. Thanks to renowned cooperation partners such as the Israel Institute of Technology, the FU Berlin and C.C. Buchner Verlag, this is a lighthouse project that can set standards nationwide.
