Saarland University (USAAR) is a modern mid-sized public university in Southwest Germany near to France, Luxemburg and Belgium with a strong research focus offering a broad range of studies and degrees. The university maintains a wide spectrum of disciplines in research and education, including medicine, law, economics, humanities, natural sciences, and engineering. Today, 16,300 people are studying in Saarbrücken and Homburg (faculty of medicine), 23 per cent of whom are international students. Saarland University’s institutional identity is defined by three main areas of research and teaching: (1) Informatics, (2) NanoBiomedical Life Sciences and (3) European Studies and Research. The campus of USAAR is also home for other major research institutions, such as Max Planck, Helmholtz, Leibniz and Fraunhofer institutes or the German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence.
Being the only comprehensive university in the Federal State of Saarland, USAAR assumes its responsibility as a driver for regional development. The university is particularly renowned for its strong entrepreneurial esprit and has been awarded the label “Exist-Gründerhochschule” (EXIST entrepreneur university) due to its high number of start-ups and the extensive support provided for young entrepreneurs. With the establishment of the Scheer School of Digital Sciences at Saarland University, fostering digital skills has become a key focus.
Since its Franco-German foundation in 1948, USAAR’s strong European focus has been a core element of its profile and a defining feature across education, research, innovation, and regional engagement. This is particularly evident in its membership in the University of the Greater Region (UniGR), a cross-border network of six universities in Belgium, France, Germany, and Luxembourg, as well as its role as the coordinating institution of the European University Alliance "Transform4Europe".