About | University of Tübingen

The Hector Research Institute of Education Sciences and Psychology is an internal research institute of the University of Tübingen. This means that we fulfil the central tasks of universities - research, teaching and transfer - and benefit from our integration into the University of Tübingen. In terms of scientific quality, we orientate ourselves to the standards of leading research institutes, which in Germany (cf. the Leibniz Institutes) generally have a non-university base. We demonstrate that internationally competitive cutting-edge research is not only possible at German universities, but also promotes interdisciplinary anchoring, particularly in the field of educational research, and favours an exchange with practice. The following vision statement serves as a compass for our work:

We advance science that makes learning and teaching more successful.

Our research aims to better understand and improve teaching and learning processes. In a changing world, we strive to answer some of the most important questions about educational processes through the best possible research. Our findings provide a basis for decision-making and form the foundation on which practical applications can be built to sustainably improve the education system. We are currently investigating the following questions, among others: How can the talents and competences of pupils and students be promoted in the best possible way? To what extent do schools and universities shape the motivation and personality of young people? How are digital media and AI applications changing everyday education and how can we utilise these changes as opportunities?

We transform the landscape of research on education with a collaborative, interdisciplinary, and multilevel research program.

By bringing together expertise from different disciplines and levels and working together in research hubs, we create new perspectives and approaches that change the understanding of education in the long term. Our integrative research strategy enables us to comprehensively address complex educational issues and develop innovative solutions that can have a far-reaching impact on the educational landscape. As part of various networks of leading international academics, we also collaborate with researchers from all over the world to conduct excellent research in Tübingen.

We train the next generation of leaders in education.

Our degree programmes are aimed not only at undergraduate students, but also at teachers and managers in the education sector who wish to gain further qualifications while working. Supplemented by the academic training of doctoral students and postdocs, the Hector Institute prepares excellently trained experts at all career levels to adequately recognise and evaluate problems in the education system and to develop and implement evidence-based innovative solutions for the challenges of tomorrow's education.

We inspire society to embrace empirical evidence in education.

We make the results of our research visible through interviews, publications in national and international newspapers, lectures or cooperation projects with practitioners. In this way, we provide the basis for evidence-based decisions in the field of education and are committed to a constructive and mutually enriching dialogue between science and practice. In addition, the Hector Institute is an important point of contact for education policy and education administration in Baden-Württemberg.

Institute history: Improving the educational landscape with the Hector Foundation

The Hector Research Institute of Education Sciences and Psychology was founded in 2014 on the basis of substantial funding from the Hector Foundation II, extensive support from the University of Tübingen as well as the state of Baden-Württemberg and began its work in 2015. The state of Baden-Württemberg finances the institute's own postdoctoral academy PACE (Tübingen Postdoctoral Academy for Research on Education).

The foundation
The Hector Foundation II is a non-profit limited company founded in 2008 by Dr h.c. Hans-Werner Hector and Josephine Hector. It supports projects in the fields of education, science and culture in order to contribute to solving social challenges. The foundation supports outstanding research and teaching and is committed to improving the educational landscape in Germany. Through its generous donations, the Hector Foundation II has been instrumental in the establishment and further development of the Hector Institute as an internal university research institute. Since the establishment of the Institute, the trust placed in it and the financial support of the Hector Foundation II have ensured excellent educational research in Tübingen.