Alumni Network and Outstanding Contributions
A truly top-tier university values not only what you learned during your time here, but also the kind of people who stand behind you upon graduation. FAU’s alumni network spans the globe and includes many who have reshaped the course of human civilization. Four Nobel laureates have studied or taught here, including Harald zur Hausen, winner of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, who discovered the link between human papillomavirus (HPV) and cervical cancer. Physicist Georg Simon Ohm established the famous Ohm’s Law during his tenure here, while Justus von Liebig, known as the “Father of Organic Chemistry,” also left an indelible academic mark at FAU. In the business world, former Siemens CEO Heinrich von Pierer also stepped onto the global industrial stage from here. When you hold your FAU diploma in your hands, you officially become a member of this vast alumni network.
Living Facilities and Safe Dining
FAU students enjoy an exceptionally high quality of life at a very low cost. Erlangen and Nuremberg are widely recognized as some of the safest cities in Germany, allowing students to devote themselves fully to their studies and research. Regarding dining, the eight restaurants operated by Student Services on the Erlangen and Nuremberg campuses offer students affordable, healthy, and great-value meals. All cafeterias use cashless payment (FAUcard) to ensure hygiene and convenience. The university does not directly manage dormitories but maintains close cooperation with Student Services to provide comprehensive counseling and legal support for students seeking shared apartments (WG) or applying for affordable dormitory housing. Remote Application for a Replacement German University Degree in the Arts
Campus Activities and Sports Culture
At FAU, education doesn’t just happen in lecture halls. Here, over 100 student clubs channel their passion beyond academics. Diverse campus activities include language cafés, film festivals, and intercultural evenings. In music, the university hosts several conservatory orchestras; in politics, there are corresponding student political groups that turn ideas into action. FAU’s sports culture is particularly outstanding—the university’s athletic programs offer over 70 curricular and extracurricular sports, ranging from yoga and taekwondo to chess and martial arts, covering virtually every interest. Even more interestingly, FAU has launched an official Community Gardens initiative, encouraging students to build friendships and foster ecological awareness through gardening.
Strategic Planning and Future Challenges
The soul of a world-class university lies in its continuously evolving development plans. FAU has just unveiled its core strategic plan for the future, outlining four major development goals: breaking down disciplinary barriers, strengthening innovation capabilities, cultivating the next generation of researchers, and enhancing its overall social impact. In the research sector, FAU has clearly identified five key focus areas, covering grand themes such as “the exploration of natural laws,” “addressing environmental and economic challenges,” and “cultural norms and social organization,” with the aim of driving cutting-edge breakthroughs through interdisciplinary collaboration. Meanwhile, an ambitious “New Chemistry Technology Building” project has been completed, equipping researchers with state-of-the-art laboratory facilities. For the 2025/2026 academic year, these represent landmark milestones in FAU’s relentless pursuit of academic and innovative excellence.
