Although the TU9 alliance was formally established in 2006, its origins may be traced back to the middle of the 19th century when several of the universities that make up the alliance were established. During the time of the Industrial Revolution, there was a demand for higher education institutions that were capable of providing a level of technical education that was of a high enough standard to serve the rapidly expanding industries of the day.
In response to this need, several of the universities that make up the TU9 were founded, and they immediately gained a reputation for outstanding performance in the academic fields of engineering and technology.
These universities continued to develop and advance throughout the 20th century, always keeping a strong emphasis on education in technical and engineering fields but also extending into other fields of study. Additionally, they started placing a higher priority on research, which resulted in tremendous progress in the fields of science and technology.
The rectors and presidents of these universities joined together in 2003 to establish the initiative known as "TU9 German Institutes of Technology." The effort was a reaction to the implementation of Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Germany as a part of the Bologna process, which attempted to make higher education degrees across Europe more comparable to one another. The TU9 group had the goal of ensuring that the new system would maintain the same high quality as well as the particular profile of German engineering education.
In 2006, the TU9 organization became formally established as a registered association (known in German as "eingetragener Verein"). Its primary goal is to maintain the excellent standard of technical education offered in Germany and to increase the exposure of the organizations that make up its membership on a worldwide scale. The nine institutions that make up TU9 are working together in the hopes of having a collective impact on educational policy in Germany and securing adequate financing for teaching and research.
Since its inception, the TU9 has been actively engaged in cooperative efforts to advance the goals of its member institutions and to guarantee that technical education in Germany will continue to be of the highest possible standard. The member universities are responsible for a substantial number of major scientific and technical breakthroughs as well as the production of a significant number of noteworthy alumni.
Quick Facts
- The TU9 universities are a significant contributor to economic expansion in Germany. These universities are also the sites of research and development facilities of a world-class caliber and are responsible for the education of the scientists and engineers that are essential to Germany's economic success.
- There are around 280,000 students attending the nine institutions that are members of the TU9 union, with over 60,000 of those students coming from foreign countries.
- TU9 universities employ more than 37,000 academic staff, including professors, lecturers, research assistants, and more.
- TU9 universities are actively engaged in R&D, with a total annual budget of over €4 billion.
- Over the course of the last several years, the total amount of financing for research projects at the TU9 universities has exceeded 10 billion euros.
- TU9 universities have over 100 Nobel Prize-winning alumni and faculty members.
TU9 Universities:
RWTH Aachen University
Technische Universität Berlin
