Success in the Excellence Strategy: GSI and FAIR congratulate closely affiliated universities
04.11.2026 |
The GSI Helmholtzzentrum für Schwerionenforschung and the international accelerator center FAIR warmly congratulate their closely affiliated universities in Darmstadt, Frankfurt, Mainz, Jena, Bochum, and Cologne on their selection as Universities of Excellence. The locations were recently announced as part of the federal and state governments’ Strategy for Excellence. This funding, which will be provided through the most significant federal-state program from 2027 onwards, sends a strong signal to the scientific community and highlights the international visibility of this research.
The long-standing, intensive collaborations range from joint research projects and joint professorships to the development of programs for early-career researchers. In this context, the universities’ areas of expertise and the specialized research infrastructures of GSI and FAIR complement each other perfectly.
“We would like to congratulate everyone at the universities involved on this success within the Excellence Strategy. Close collaboration with the universities is of great value for us. GSI/FAIR is very much looking forward to continuing on this path together and optimally combining academic activities with the scientific capabilities of a non-university research institution,” said Professor Thomas Nilsson, Scientific Managing Director of GSI and FAIR.
One example of this outstanding collaboration are the Helmholtz Institutes in Mainz and Jena. Both are GSI branches located on the campuses of Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz and Friedrich Schiller University Jena. GSI/FAIR also has a long-standing collaboration in various fields of physics with the Rhine-Main Universities Network (RMU)—an alliance consisting of the Technical University of Darmstadt, Goethe University Frankfurt, and Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz—as well as with the Ruhr University Bochum and the University of Cologne.
The collaboration also extends to the education of future professionals: For example, starting this year, the Rhine-Main universities and GSI/FAIR have pooled their expertise in accelerator science, which is unique in Europe, through the trilateral master’s program “Particle Accelerator Science,” giving students access to a cross-campus, internationally oriented range of courses in this field. (BP)
