Saarland University has earned an international reputation for its research in computer science and informa¬tics and for work in the life sciences and nanosciences. The university is also distinguished by close ties to France and by its strong European focus. All of the major German scienti¬fic organizations are represented on campus, which is home to two institutes of the Max Planck Society, two institutes within the Leibniz Association, two Fraunhofer institutes of applied research, two Helmholtz research centres and the German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence. Compared to other mid-sized universities, Saarland University receives above-average levels of third-party funding from sources such as the German Research Foundation (DFG), the German Government and the European Union. The ERC Grant – the most lucrative research prize bestowed by the European Union –, for instance, has already been awarded 21 times to researchers associated with Saarland University. With its pronounced international focus and strong ties to universities in Europe and around the world, Saarland University is more in¬ternational than almost any other German university. International students currently make up about 21 percent of the student body. Saarland University main¬tains over 500 cooperative partnerships with institutions of higher education around the world, giving every student the opportunity to complete part of their study programme abroad.