Humboldt Rankings 2017: Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces (Potsdam) is ranked number two

The Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces in Potsdam-Golm Science Park is ranked number two among the non-university research institutions and is one of the best addresses for foreign scientists in Germany

According to the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation the Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces (MPIKG) is one of the high-end addresses for foreign junior scientists and Humboldt awardees in Germany. The foundation informed that from 2012-2016 the institute became second place among the non-university research institutions. In total 36 research stays of foreign laureates and scholarship holders were counted for the rankings.

The excellent standing of the institute is particularly remarkable because it was founded only 25 years ago in the new eastern states of Germany. Therefore the international visibility and networking had to be established in a rather short period which was obviously successful.

Humboldt Rankings 2017
From 2012 to 2016, Humboldtians spent 5.901 research stays in Germany. 75% of these stays were undertaken at universities and 25% at non-university research institutions. Every stay is the result of a decision to select a host and research partner in Germany and makes a statement about the disciplines in which German research is so good that it wins the international contest for the best minds; and about which German scientists and scholars foster particularly intensive international contacts. Humboldtians do, after all, choose their own hosts and make their own decisions based on the hosts’ academic performance and international visibility. So, being near the top of the Humboldt Rankings is an important indicator for international contacts and reputation.

The Humboldt Rankings include a weighted ranking of universities. However, as each institution has its own particular strengths and weaknesses in the various disciplines, the Humboldt Rankings also differentiate according to four major academic areas: Humanities and Social Sciences; Life Sciences; Natural Sciences and Engineering Sciences. The tables are currently arranged according to the absolute rankings. A university’s weighted ranking for the respective academic area can still be seen.

In the case of stays at non-university research institutions the total ranking and this differentiation is only applied to the absolute figures.