Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz is a typical complete German state
university (with all faculties, except engineering) funded through
Rhineland-Palatine, one of the German federal states. There are about 700
professors and lecturers and about 25.000 students. ERASMUS links have been
established among others between Mainz and Reykjavík universities.
The Department of Earth Sciences of Mainz University, with 14 senior and 12
junior teaching staff in geology, geophysics, mineralogy and paleontology,
concentrates, besides on higher education, on research and emphasizes
geodynamics globally in close cooperation with Max-Planck-Institute for
Chemistry, Mainz. International collaboration is a general mode of research
of the institution.
Financial support of research comes typically from the German Science
Foundation (DFG), other foundations, and EU. Organizing international
cooperation is well established. DFG is funding a 'Graduate College' with 12
Ph.D students two of whom work on subjects related to Iceland.
Expertise and experience exist with work in Iceland in some university
departments of languages, biology and in earth sciences. Geological and
geophysical work has been supported and funded by the university in the
fields of gravity, seismology and isotope geochemistry. Most of the work is
in cooperation with Icelandic and other European institutions.