The Hasso Plattner Institute (HPI) is one of a kind in the German university system:
• It is the first and, to date, the only university institute to be funded entirely by private donations.
• It is the only institute offering a degree in IT Systems Engineering - a hands-on alternative to conventional computer science programs.
• Its School of Design Thinking offers students from all fields an innovative supplementary program designed to foster the creative development of ideas.

Founded in 1998, the HPI is widely regarded today as one of the "rising stars in the field of information technology" (Karriere magazine, June 2006), receiving outstanding scores in recent rankings. For example, the German Center for Higher Education Development (CHE) rated the HPI's degree program as among the best in the country for four of the five most important assessment criteria (learning environment, academic guidance, IT infrastructure and research funding). The German federal government acknowledged the achievements of the Hasso Plattner Institute and its founder by holding its first national IT summit at the HPI in December 2006. The Institute works with internationally renowned academic institutions such as Stanford University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

A PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP
The HPI was founded as a public-private partnership by the non-profit Hasso Plattner Foundation for Software Systems Engineering. The Brandenburg state government contributed by providing the site for the Institute, a prime location next to the Griebnitzsee lake in Potsdam-Babelsberg. The buildings were constructed in 2000 and extended in 2005. A further building is scheduled for completion in 2009. Philanthropist Hasso Plattner had initially pledged to endow the foundation with more than €50 million of his own capital to fund the Institute's operations over a 20-year period. Meanwhile he has more than quadrupled his financial pledges, bringing his total contribution to well over €200 million.

450 STUDENTS, 50 PROFESSORS AND LECTURERS, 530 GRADUATES
Nearly 400 students have received a Bachelor's degree and more than 130 have earned a Master's degree since the programs began in the winter semester of 1999/2000. Twenty students have completed doctoral projects so far, and around 70 are in progress at the moment. The Institute presently has 450 students; 280 in the Bachelor's program and 170 in the Master's program. At HPI, students learn to understand, develop and master the intricacies of sophisticated IT systems and software products. They acquire the skills they will need to take up top-level positions as software architects, project coordinators or Chief Technology Officers (CTOs) in the IT sector. One of HPI's main aims is to foster an engineering culture in the field of IT systems engineering. There are currently about 50 professors and teaching staff working at the Institute. The professors at HPI are usually appointed in consultation with the University of Potsdam. Students are enrolled at the University of Potsdam and receive an internationally accredited Bachelor of Science or Master of Science degree when they graduate. The collaboration between the non-profit Hasso Plattner Institute for Software Systems Engineering GmbH and the University of Potsdam is governed by a contractual agreement.

IDEAL CONDITIONS FOR STUDYING AND WORKING
The Institute in Potsdam is a pioneer in its field, and its outstanding technical and structural facilities and excellent student-teacher ratio enable it to provide the high-flyers of tomorrow with optimal study and research conditions. Personal mentoring for all students is one of the Institute's top priorities. First-year students -a maximum of 80 of the best-qualified applicants are admitted each fall - participate in a special seminar intended to help them familiarize themselves with their new study environment. Students who are accepted for the Master's program (a maximum of 60 places are available annually) receive personal academic guidance from a university mentor. There are computer facilities for all students in the labs and seminar rooms - and no tuition fees to pay.

THE RESEARCH SCHOOL AND THE SCHOOL OF DESIGN THINKING
Since October 2005, the HPI's Research School of Service-Oriented Systems Engineering has offered a Ph.D. program modeled on the German Research Foundation's Research Training Groups. Every year, seven Ph.D. students and three postdoctoral researchers are admitted and awarded a grant. October 2007 saw the launch of the HPI School of Design Thinking, which provides 40 students from 30 different fields with the opportunity of working in multidisciplinary teams to develop uniquely user-friendly IT-related products and services. The HPI has been working closely in this area with Stanford University, one of America's leading academic institutions. The two schools will launch a joint innovation research program in the fall of 2008.

Oktober 2008