Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (JGU) sees itself as an integral part of society, with which it cooperates closely and openly. It perceives knowledge transfer as one of its primary objectives. In doing so, JGU addresses three dimensions of transfer:
- Openness: exchanging knowledge and sharing it with other stakeholders.
- Innovation: applying knowledge and turning it into innovations.
- Responsibility: deriving action from knowledge and thus acting responsibly.
JGU | open
JGU cooperates with partners in the Mainz and the Rhine-Main region, in Germany and worldwide. As an open university, it supports numerous activities in the field of Open Science; a separate page provides an overview.
With respect to research infrastructure, the core4u project is developing services for core facilities, such as professional support and advice on the interdisciplinary use of the university's research equipment and services, transparent terms of use for external users and other forms of resource sharing. As a member of the Alliance for National High Performance Computing (NHR), JGU supports the strengthening of methodological competence in the use of high-performance computing in addition to the provision of computing capacities. Within the National Research Data Infrastructure (NFDI) association, JGU contributes to the development, networking, utilization and accessibility of scientific data resources in Germany.
Especially for the non-university audience in and around Mainz, JGU offers a multifaceted portfolio of knowledge transfer: In addition to its own formats such as the Johannes Gutenberg-Stiftungsprofessur (Johannes Gutenberg Endowed Professorship), the Studium Generale or the Physik im Theater (physics in the theater) series, digital offerings such as the JGU Magazine and the research podcast Minds of Mainz, the university participates in the annual Science Market and other popular science formats of the Mainz Science Alliance and the city's science communication campaign Wissen im Herzen.
JGU has numerous scientific collections that encompass a wide range of objects from the natural sciences, humanities, social sciences and medicine. They not only represent central infrastructures for research and teaching, but also enable scientific thinking and work to be communicated beyond the university in a vivid and comprehensible way. With the Schule des Sehens (School of Seeing), JGU has an intermedia showroom and experimental space with changing exhibitions from all disciplines as well as a digital exhibition platform. The Green School in the botanic garden offers a place of learning about natural science and biodiversity with a focus on school classes. Both facilities thus build a bridge between research, practical education and social participation. The Junior Campus Mainz of JGU and Mainz University of Applied Sciences offers extracurricular learning projects for pupils of all ages and school types as well as further training for teachers. Finally, the annual Tag der offenen Uni (Open University Day) gives pupils an insight into study programs and the lively campus of JGU.
The Q+ study program gives enrolled students the opportunity to continue their education beyond their degree program together with fellow students from all departments in an interdisciplinary way by dealing with current scientific and social issues. In the RMU study program, JGU students can attend additional courses at the University of Frankfurt or the Technical University Darmstadt.
The Centre for Continuing Education (ZWW) coordinates all continuing education programs at JGU under the aspect of lifelong learning and develops individual offers for companies, institutions, and individuals.
JGU | innovative
JGU supports research collaborations and innovative formats of cooperation with partners from industry and other sectors. In the clusters Etos and CurATime, as well as in numerous of their research networks, scientists from JGU work together with partners from the industry on relevant topics of the future. All universities in Rhineland-Palatinate have joined forces in the AI Alliance to bundle, intensify and transfer activities in the field of artificial intelligence.
JGU promotes technology transfer based on intellectual property in order to bring knowledge into practice. Successful JGU spin-offs include the companies Biontech, TRON, StarSeq and neQxt. Advice and support for prospective founders is provided by the JGU Startup Center and the University Medicine Startup Office, which are also members of the cross-university Startup Office Mainz. Since 2018, the university is a partner of the Young Entrepreneurs in Science (YES) training program of the Falling Walls Foundation which aims at raising entrepreneurial thinking among early career scientists. The Interdisciplinary Centre for Clinical Studies (IZKS) supports scientists at the University Medical Centre in translating scientific findings into clinical practice. The Healthcare Hackathon offers a framework for interdisciplinary teams consisting of physicians, nurses, experts, employees and patients to work together on creative solutions for the healthcare of tomorrow.
As a partner of the Gutenberg Digital Hub and the Gutenberg Health Hub, JGU supports the start-up ecosystem in the region together with companies, start-ups and other public institutions. Cooperating with other players such as the Technologie Zentrum Mainz (Mainz Technology Center) and the municipal biomindz GmbH, JGU is driving the development of Rhineland-Palatinate and the city of Mainz as a hub for biotechnology and life sciences. The cross-university Biotechnology Academy Rhineland-Palatinate provides a central contact point for networking science and business in the state.
JGU | responsible
JGU sees itself as a competent, advisory and trustworthy partner for science and society, politics, business and culture. It actively participates in scientific, artistic, social and political discussions and thus contributes to the further development of society. With the Mercator Science-Policy Fellowship Program, JGU has built up a network within the Rhine-Main University alliance that is unique in Germany and gives scientists access to multipliers in federal and state ministries and authorities, in the EU Commission and international organizations, as well as in media and non-profit organizations. The Mainzer Medieninstitut (Mainz Media Institute) contributes to the academic monitoring of media law and media policy in Germany and Europe. The planned Media House will provide an interdisciplinary research, cooperation and meeting center on campus.
In numerous research associations and expert networks such as the international FORTHEM Labs, scientists at JGU deal with global challenges and other topics of high social relevance. The Zukunftsnetzwerk (Future Network), which emerged from a student initiative and encompasses all departments and status groups, aims to further develop climate and sustainability education in an interdisciplinary and action-oriented manner in university teaching. With the Zukunftsmodul (Future Module), an interdisciplinary, innovative study module with a focus on climate change has been designed for this purpose, which is to be expanded into a certificate program Nachhaltige Entwicklung (Sustainable Development). In addition, public panel discussions and other formats with national experts are offered in the Zukunftsveranstaltungen (Future Events) series.