The University of Oxford and the Berlin University Alliance have joined together to meet the challenges of our time. The result: an exciting research alliance and the first footprint of an ambitious journey to generate and share knowledge that benefits society and addresses issues affecting all of us across the globe.

Our goal is to reduce barriers and build bridges between academics and institutions to promote collaborative research. We are enhancing existing links between Oxford and the Berlin universities and research institutes, and have created an environment for taking forward new projects, covering all areas of academic research as well as initiatives involving the museums and libraries in both Oxford and Berlin. The partnership seeks to foster and support cutting-edge research, including cross-cutting thematic and inter-disciplinary work; knowledge exchange and public engagement; and developing the prospects of early career researchers and doctoral students. It builds on the tremendous strength and range of research in Oxford and Berlin, supporting academics in addressing global challenges and developing their European and global academic links, including in the Global South.

Together, we are empowering the next generation of the best and most talented researchers in Europe. Our partnership is vital to research without borders in Europe and beyond. We fund small and large projects that cross countries and disciplines and open up new insights into our world.

The Oxford Berlin Research Partnership was established in 2017 and includes the University of Oxford as well as the Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Technische Universität Berlin and the Charité – Universitätmedizin Berlin. 

It enables both partners to continue to forge international links, undertake international research, and uphold the values that underpin academic endeavour: freedom of speech, freedom of inquiry, freedom of collaboration, and freedom of movement.

We have already funded numerous workshops in research-supporting areas and diverse disciplines, nearly 60 seed-funded projects, in which around 1,000 academics, researchers and students have taken part and 5 Cooperation Groups working on Grand Challenge topics Social Cohesion and Global Health.

The OX|BER Research Partnership has identified common focus areas to map the enormous range of bottom-up connections as well as the first two BUA Grand Challenges, Social Cohesion and Global Health. The focus areas reflect current academic debates within the Partnership. We would like to highlight the potential for interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary collaborations that link the areas listed below..

Humanities  

• Understanding the Human Past
• Global Futures: Performance, Language, Art
• Diversity and Intercultural Communication 
• Environment and Global Shared Spaces 

MedSci 

Vaccines and Immunology

Cardiovascular medicine

Repair and regenerative paediatrics and developmental medicine

Neuroscience

Digital health 

STEM  

AI and Digital Transformation

Quantum Computing  

Reproducible Science 

Sustainable Life and Processes (including Urban Living)

Social Sciences 

Democratic resilience 

Conflict, peace and security 

Inequalities and the political economy of inequality 

The changing faces of governanc