Technische Universitaet Muenchen (TUM) (English: Technical University of Munich) is a research university with campuses in Munich, Garching and Freising-Weihenstephan. It is a member of TU9, an incorporated society of the largest and most notable German institutes of technology.
TUM was founded in 1868 by King Ludwig II of Bavaria. The university’s motto is “Mensch und Technik” (People and Technology). With about 42,800 students in 2019, it is the largest technical university in Germany by student count. Of these, about 12% are international students coming from 127 countries altogether. Around 3,200 scientists ensure that close to EUR 870 million flows into the university each year through third-party funding – making TUM one of Germany’s top five funding recipients among universities. More than 170 start-ups have been spun off TUM since 2002. In 2018 alone, 160 companies were founded by TUM alumni or researchers; this makes TUM one of Europe’s leading entrepreneurial universities.
The main campus is situated on what was once royal land at the edge of Munich’s English Garden park. The city center can be reached from there within 10 minutes by public transport or 25 minutes on foot. The Weihenstephan Science and Education Center in Freising-Weihenstephan houses faculties for agriculture and food sciences as well as information technology; both areas are closely linked with practice thanks to numerous partnerships with industry representatives and institutionalized formats such as workshops, conferences and symposia held regularly on site.
Garching Campus is home to all central research facilities as well as many departments specializing in natural sciences: chemistry and biochemistry, physics, geosciences and environmental engineering – to name just a few examples. Research reactors operated here include FRM II, which is one of the world’s most powerful neutron sources, attracting scientists from all over the globe who come to use its unique capabilities for their experiments.
Many different degree programs – Bachelor’s, Master’s and Doctoral – are offered at TUM across a wide range of subjects covering engineering disciplines, natural sciences, medicine & life sciences as well as management & social sciences . Interdisciplinary cooperation between various subjects often leads to new insights that couldn’t be gained by working within just one field – another strength of TUM research which benefits society as a whole through improved understanding and solutions to global challenges such