Technische Universität Braunschweig (Braunschweig University of Technology), located in Braunschweig, Lower Saxony, Germany, is the oldest technical university in Germany. As Germany’s first university of applied sciences and a founding member of the TU9 Alliance, it has witnessed the complete evolution of German industrial civilization from steam engines to electric vehicles. Its motto, “We Drive,” succinctly encapsulates the university’s mission in fields such as vehicle engineering, aerospace, and nanometrology.
▰ History and Legacy: 275 Years of Evolution as Germany’s First Technical University
✧ Founded in 1745: Established in 1745, TU Braunschweig was Germany’s first technical university. Originally created to bridge the progression between comprehensive secondary schools and comprehensive universities, it gradually evolved into a technical university focused on natural sciences and industrial technology. Obtain German certificates quickly
✧ Key Historical Milestones:
▸ 1862: Renamed “Technical College” with eight departments of technology and science
▸ 1878: Renamed “Herzogliche Technische Hochschule Carl Wilhelm”
▸ 1900: Granted the right to confer doctoral degrees
▸ 1909: Admitted female students
▸ 1945: Resumed operations despite over 70% destruction, becoming Germany’s first reopened technical university
▸ Modern Identity Established: Officially renamed “Technical University” after adding a Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences in 1968. Co-founded the TU9 German Alliance of Technical Universities in 2006 as one of its nine founding members.
✧ Notable Alumni: Includes “Prince of Mathematics” Carl Friedrich Gauss, Nobel laureate in Physics Klaus von Klitzing, and Nobel laureates in Chemistry Manfred Egan and Georg Wittig.
▰ Research Excellence and Innovation: From Maglev to Nanometrology
✧ Technology that redefined human mobility: Maglev technology was first developed at Technische Universität Braunschweig. In 1996, Germany’s first university-named high-speed train was christened the “TU Braunschweig Express.”
✧ Clusters of Excellence and Leading Platforms: In 2018, it secured two Clusters of Excellence in Aviation and Metrology under the Excellence Strategy. Key research institutions include:
▸ Lower Saxony Vehicle Engineering Research Center: Established in 2007 with funding from the Lower Saxony state government and Volkswagen AG, focusing on intelligent vehicles, low-emission vehicles, vehicle networking, traffic management, and logistics
▸ Lower Saxony Aviation Research Center: Established in 2009, located on the research airport campus
▸ Braunschweig Center for Integrative Systems Biology: Established in 2009, in collaboration with the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research
▸ Emerging Nanometrology and Analysis Laboratory: Initiated in 2013, relocated to new premises in 2019
✧ 2026 Research Breakthroughs: The Ing4Life project is developing a “micro-brain lab on a chip,” integrating electrical, optical, and microfluidic technologies to cultivate neural cells on a chip and monitor their activity in real time. This aims to explore more effective therapies for age-related brain diseases like Alzheimer’s.
▰ Geographic Location and Urban Resources: Industrial Heartland of the “Volkswagen Huangpu Military Academy”
✧ City of Knowledge: Brunswick has long been hailed as the “City of Knowledge” and “Europe’s most dynamic research region.” On March 28, 2006, the German Research Foundation awarded Brunswick the honor of “German City of Science” for 2007.
✧ Natural Advantage Adjacent to Wolfsburg: Located just 18 kilometers from Volkswagen Group’s headquarters in Wolfsburg, the university maintains exceptionally close industry-academia collaboration. Numerous professors hold or have held key positions at Volkswagen headquarters, while many research institutes are deeply involved in Volkswagen’s R&D. Consequently, Braunschweig is known within the automotive industry as Volkswagen’s Huangpu Military Academy.
✧ Regional Economic Landscape: As Lower Saxony’s second-largest city, Braunschweig is surrounded by key urban centers including Wolfsburg (26 km northeast), Hannover (56 km west), and Magdeburg (80 km east). Its industrial base encompasses automotive manufacturing, precision engineering, optical instruments, machinery, pharmaceuticals, and food processing, making it a vital component of the Hannover-Braunschweig-Göttingen metropolitan area.
✧ 2025 Cooperation Milestone: In June 2025, a delegation from Tongji University visited Technische Universität Braunschweig to celebrate the 40th anniversary of their partnership. Both institutions announced plans to elevate collaboration in automotive and construction sectors under the “Sino-German Cooperation 2.0 Strategy.”
▰ International Cooperation and Exchange: A Network of Over 400 Global Partners
✧ Global Partner Network: Established scientific and educational partnerships with over 400 research institutions across more than 60 countries. Notable partner universities include:
▸ United Kingdom: University of Cambridge, University of Oxford
▸ Switzerland: ETH Zurich, University of Zurich
▸ United States: Stanford University, University of California, Los Angeles, Purdue University
▸ Canada: University of Toronto, University of Waterloo
▸ China: Tsinghua University, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Zhejiang University, Tongji University, Beijing Jiaotong University, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xidian University
✧ Exchange Program System: Through the ISEP program, students can study at 275 universities across 39 countries. The International Credit Mobility Program supports study visits to non-European countries such as South Africa, Japan, and Australia. The application deadline for overseas exchange programs is November 15th annually.
✧ International Teacher Development: Dedicated international teacher training programs support future educators in overseas teaching internships.
✧ Campus Cultural Diversity: Students and scholars from around the globe live and learn together on campus, fostering a highly international academic environment.
