The Union of the German Academies of Sciences and Humanities is the umbrella organisation of eight academies of sciences and humanities that have joined together to promote their common interests. It assembles more than 1600 scholars from a diverse range of academic fields, all of which are outstanding representatives of their disciplines, both nationally and internationally. Together, they are committed to promoting scientific exchange, excellent research, and the emergence of new talent in the liberal arts and sciences. 

The Union coordinates the “Academies’ Programme”, one of Germany’s most important and most comprehensive research programmes in the humanities and cultural studies, the Union thus organises the joint research projects of its member academies. It promotes the exchange of information and experience between academies, engages in public relations activities and organises events on current issues in academe. Furthermore, the Union represents the German academies of sciences and humanities abroad and sends delegates to national and international science organisations. 

Academies of sciences and humanities in the German language area actually began to cooperate systematically more than a hundred years ago, forming the so-called “Cartel” at Leipzig in 1893, which sought to put into effect joint research projects. 

The Union of the German Academies of Sciences and Humanities has been a member of the Council for German Orthography since 2002 and is represented there by Prof. Dr. Werner Besch, a scholar at Bonn University and a member of the Northrhine-Westphalian Academy of Sciences and Arts. 

Since 2007, the Union of the German Academies has been among the sponsors of the “New Responsibility Foundation” initiative, which aims to create networks of outstanding young talents in Germany. The Union is represented on the board of directors by its president and on the executive board by its general secretary. 

The president of the Union of the German Academies of Sciences and Humanities represents the Union in several national and international institutions, e.g. on the board of trustees of the German Research Council, in the senate of the German Academy of Sciences Leopoldina, on the board of trustees of the Stifterverband für die Deutsche Wissenschaft or in the executive committee of the InterAcademy Panel (IAP).