Germany, Higher Education in

The German higher education system has a rich history. The world’s first research university was established in Berlin in 1810 by Wilhelm von Humboldt. From an international comparative perspective, the idea of the Berlin University, that is, a university where research and teaching took place under one roof and were embodied in one role, the professor, was historically new. Therefore, the German system had a strong impact on very different national systems worldwide—from Scandinavia through to American research universities and Japan. After the early 20th century, however, the system began to lose its appeal and at the end of the 20th century, the German system was seen as passé in international higher education policy.

Since the 2000s, one can observe an increasing international interest in higher ...