University of Constance

University of Constance which German citizens refer to as "Little Harvard on Lake Constance" operates as a public research university which maintains its presence in southern Germany near the Swiss border. The university belongs to an exclusive group of German universities which maintain their status as "University of Excellence" because it possesses a research environment which reaches international academic standards. The campus attracts visitors because of its beautiful contemporary buildings which stand on a hillside that provides views of the entire Lake Constance lakefront. The university designed its campus as a "campus of short distances" because It wants to create spaces which foster community interactions while allowing students to travel easily throughout its main areas.

Founded in 1966 as a "reform university," the institution was established with the goal of breaking away from the rigid, traditional structures of older German universities. The university established its current unified campus in 1972 after operating from multiple city center buildings during its first years. The organization decided to establish new operational structures because its organization needed to establish a historical framework which would build smaller departments that support direct researcher communication. The university has achieved multiple successes since 2007 through the German Excellence Initiative which has provided funding and international recognition that helped the university reach its current status as one of the world's top young universities.