Name and Mission Statement

In the se­cond cen­tu­ry A.D., the Greek uni­ver­sal scho­lar Clau­di­us Pto­le­my crea­ted a de­tai­led at­las of the world known at that time. In this work the name Leu­pha­na is men­tio­ned for the first time: It de­scri­bes a set­t­le­ment in nort­hern Ger­ma­nia, which in the 19th cen­tu­ry was as­si­gned to to­day's Lüne­burg. By to­day's stan­dards, the map is not very pre­cise, which is why the con­nec­tion bet­ween Leu­pha­na and Lüne­burg - like many things in sci­ence - is not cer­tain know­ledge, but an as­sump­ti­on.

Pto­le­my's thirst for know­ledge and his ti­re­less at­tempt to make know­ledge usa­ble through struc­tu­ring cha­rac­te­ri­se his work and are still in­dis­pensa­ble pre­re­qui­si­tes for suc­cess­ful sci­ence to­day. The Uni­ver­si­ty of Lüne­burg feels con­nec­ted to this spi­rit of dis­co­very through its name Leu­pha­na.

The mission statement of Leuphana University is based on three core concepts: 

Humanism

In its long tradition, the basic idea of humanism presumably has been the freedom of self-determined individualisation. This freedom of self-determination, however, demands responsibility and a constant willingness to learn. 

At Leuphana University, one third of all College programmes and a quarter of all Graduate School programmes are dedicated to fostering humanistic educational purposes in a specialised curriculum: in the Leuphana-Semester at College level and in the Complementary Studies courses. Additionally, our Doctoral programmes promote critical academic reflection.

Digitality, cultures of critique, democracy, entrepreneurship, sustainability and diversity are important subjects of research in the context of the fundamental question of freedom and responsibility. 

An atmosphere of diversity and mutual esteem inspires the academic campus life at Leuphana University.  

Sustainability

We consider sustainability to be a holistic and ongoing challenge. In order to understand its implications in depth and to offer a wide range of study programmes on sustainability, Leuphana University established the first and only faculty of sustainability in Europe.

 Our objective is creating a model sustainable campus. 

Enroute, our University was EAMS (Eco-Management and Audit Scheme) certified in 2000, was labelled family-friendly in 2010, has been climate neutral since 2014, was awarded the label Fairtrade University in 2016 and was nominated for the German Sustainability Award in 2017.



The new Central Building was presented at the Expo Shanghai in 2010 as one of the most energy efficient public buildings worldwide. Leuphana University runs on 100 % green power and is supplied with regenerative heat. A photovoltaic system has been installed on ten buildings on campus. 

Application Orientation

In our understanding, a humanistic approach to an application oriented education implies the recognition of opportunities as much as courage and ability to act with self-reliance for the common good. 

From their first semester on, our students are engaged in practical projects, particularly during the Opening Week and the Conference Week. The research focus of the faculty of business and economics is on the economical and legal conditions of entrepreneurial thinking and action. 

Researchers at the Methodology Centre are concerned with the question of how to successfully apply day-to-day experience to research and science. Leuphana University offers start-up consulting, grants and networking as well as support for the development and implementation of projects to students and alumni. Our Social Change Hub (SCHub) fosters social entrepreneurship and engagement.
 
As a result, Leuphana has repeatedly been awarded the title most entrepreneur-friendly University of medium size in Germany. Many of these young student-founded businesses are built on the idea of sustainability. 
On the basis of our mission statement, Leuphana University has developed a strategic plan for the years 2016 - 2025.