In the latter part of the 19th century, there was a stream of immigration between the ports of Bremerhaven, Germany and Galveston, Texas. The influx of German immigrants into Texas during those years led to the founding of a number of German-American communities in the region between Houston and Austin. This human flow has been augmented over the last quarter century by a scientific exchange between Rice University, Texas and the public University of Bremen. This exchange reached a peak in the 1990s, particularly in the field of mathematics.

The founding of the new International University Bremen (IUB) in the last year of the 20th century by the city-state of Bremen, Rice University, and the University of Bremen is an outgrowth of the links between Bremen and Rice University. IUB, which plans to enroll its first students in fall 2001, will be the first comprehensive, private, English-language institution on the European continent offering B.A.s, M.A.s, and Ph.D.s to an international student body. The campus will feature an international digital library, extensive student and faculty exchange programs, and a variety of joint educational and research ventures between institutions in the Americas, Europe, Africa, Asia, and Australia.

IUBís Development
IUB made the transition from an idea on paper to an institution-in-the-making in a very short time frame. The idea was germinated when a former officers´ logistics academy of the German Army became available in a residential setting just 15km to the north of Bremen´s city center. Bremen´s progressive city-state government agreed to the idea of creating the first true private university in Germany on the site of the former military academy. This, in turn, led to a number of contacts with leading academic institutions in North America to determine if a strong partner could be found to assist in institutional development efforts.

Due to the history of collaboration between Rice University and Bremen, the call to Rice University in fall 1997 was received with considerable interest. A delegation of Rice University officials was dispatched almost immediately to begin discussions with Bremen civic leaders. The original notion was to create a branch campus of Rice University in Germany, but after preliminary discussion it became clear that the more compelling approach would be to create a new independent international university in Bremen with its own board of directors and mission.

This concept was detailed in a white paper drafted by David Auston, then provost of Rice and now president of Case Western Reserve University in Ohio. The white paper was followed shortly by a memorandum of understanding between Rice and the city-state of Bremen, which in turn called for the creation of a planning committee to begin conceptualizing the new university´s structure. The planning committee was assisted in its efforts by the rector of the public University of Bremen, Jürgen Timm.

Once the initial planning documents were prepared and approved, the next key step was to establish a Board of Governors to guide the institution through its birth. Reimar Lüst, president of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation and former director general of the European Space Agency, agreed to take on the role of chair of the Board of Governors. In addition, a planning corporation was founded.

On February 11, 1999, the International University Bremen was officially founded at ceremonies in the historic Bremen townhall. The university´s founding was widely noted in the media as an initiative that would help reform German higher education by providing a private alternative to the state-run universities.

In a significant follow-up step, a contract was concluded between IUB and the city-state of Bremen whereby the city-state placed DM 230 million (U.S.$115 million) at the disposal of the university for start-up funding. These funds were to be used to pay for the purchase of the military academy by the university, the remodelling and reconstruction of several key buildings, and the completion of the planning effort.

In addition, Rice University assigned two academic administrators to work for two years on the development of IUB. Their key task has been to take the planning documents and turn the Board of Governor´s vision into reality. An international search for academic deans has been undertaken to fill the next two key leadership posts: dean of science and engineering and dean of humanities and social science.

IUB's Mission and Profile
The institution´s mission statement proclaims the thrust of the academic program. It reads: An independent institution for the advancement of education, research, international leadership, and global citizenship. Legally, the university´s structure has been stipulated as a not-for-profit corporation with limited liability (GmbH) operating for the public good. Along with the president and academic deans, other key functions now in development include articulation of the research agenda, planning for an information resource center, creation of a student affairs division, establishment of a technology-transfer arm focusing on the creation of an adjacent science park, and the formation of a fund raising and public relations apparatus.
 
IUB will differ from other established German universities in a variety of important ways: tuition will be charged; faculty will not be tenured--the 100 plus member faculty will be hired with limited-term, renewable contracts; enrollment will be modest (1,200 students by 2005); admissions will be highly selective; instruction will be offered in English rather than in German; and the university will have the look and feel of an American college campus, with the goal of creating an environment in which students and faculty are part of an academic community.

One key feature of the plan for student life at IUB is implementation of a residential college system to which all students and faculty will be assigned. The goal is to create an academic community where all members become involved and share ideas among one other. In addition, international internship programs will be offered to all students so that they can blend theory together with practical solutions to problems.