Berlin is the capital and largest city of Germany, both by area and by population. Its more than 3.85 million inhabitants make it the European Union’s most populous city, as measured by population within city limits having gained this status after the United Kingdom’s, and thus London’s, departure from the European Union. Simultaneously, the city is one of the states of Germany, and is the third smallest state in the country in terms of area. Berlin is surrounded by the state of Brandenburg, and Brandenburg’s capital Potsdam is nearby. The urban area of Berlin has a population of over 4.5 million and is therefore the most populous urban area in Germany.

The city has five public research universities and more than 30 private, professional and technical colleges (Hochschulen), offering a wide range of disciplines.

Freie Universität Berlin is a leading research institution. It is one of the 13 German universities being funded through the German government’s Excellence Strategy and is part of the only University Consortium of Excellence, the Berlin University Alliance. The four Berlin partners – Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Technische Universität Berlin, and Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin – submitted a joint proposal in the Excellence Strategy entitled Crossing Boundaries toward an Integrated Research Environment. The four institutions’ long-term goal is nothing less than to turn Berlin into an integrated research environment and one of Europe’s leading research hubs.

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