The University of Oldenburg is a university with strong ties in the region and a deep commitment to international and interdisciplinary collaboration. Here, knowledge comes about through the integration of research and teaching. It is this connection that fosters the culture of cooperation among faculty and students, who actively engage in our research-oriented degree programs with research-based approaches to academic learning.

The University of Oldenburg sees itself as an open university that welcomes the diversity of its students, faculty, staff and guests, which enriches our community and enable its further development. The university aims to serve its student body with academic programs designed to meet the needs of diverse groups. It promotes continuing and professional education and offers various learning formats as well as advising and support services.

The university is a place for research and teaching, critical reflection and constant pursuit of knowledge. The University of Oldenburg is committed to involving students in processes of thinking and research, with the goal of educating outstanding minds that will shape the future of our society. We encourage and create conditions for applying skills in the professional world and advancing international mobility. This educational process is viewed as a joint effort by teachers and students to identify societal challenges and create responsible solutions. Our degree programs are aligned with these values and the university supports students on their path to developing their skills for both professional as well as personal life.

Students’ learning processes and academic successes are the focus of teaching and learning at the University of Oldenburg. Students are encouraged to become independent learners who organize and design their learning process independently, in order to be able to question and critically address academic issues from a number of perspectives. The role of the academic staff is to familiarize students with theories and methods for obtaining knowledge, to support students’ learning processes with subject-appropriate educational formats and suitable pedagogical methodology, and to adapt teaching to current challenges. The university supports our academic staff in these endeavors through regular offers for professional development in higher education.

The University of Oldenburg considers academic excellence, interdisciplinary cooperation and the complementary relationship of research and teaching to be prerequisites for innovative research: Research is communicated through argumentation and imparts the ability to comprehend knowledge, while learning involves questioning this existing knowledge. Educational formats based on learning through research are a key element in all of our degree programs. This research-based learning approach enables students to acquire skills necessary for analyzing, methodologically processing and critically reflecting upon a range of issues. Students are thus prepared for a wide array of demanding professional activities, both within and outside academia.

Implementing learning through research results in academic degree programs that enable students to think beyond the content of their courses and to be active in shaping the research process from the very beginning. Academic staff provides support through teaching that focuses on issues that allow for students’ active participation in academic research.

At the University of Oldenburg, everyone involved in teaching and learning continuously reflects on the quality of academic programs and their institutional framework and initiates necessary adjustments and improvements concerning teaching and learning in higher education.