Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences and Humanities

Mission Statement of the Academy

The Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences and Humanities (BBAW), formerly the Prussian Academy of Sciences, is Germany's capital academy. As a reform-oriented working academy, it was reconstituted in the wake of German reunification and has been continuously developing its profile since 1993 under the conditions of open, digital, and globally networked science. It combines a tradition dating back more than 325 years with the aspiration to actively shape science and bring it to bear on society.

The work of the BBAW is oriented toward the common good. It combines independent, excellent, and long-term research with evidence-based consulting. It provides scientific guidance in social transformation processes and helps to make complex challenges understandable and manageable.

Committed to the ideal of Theoria cum praxi of its founder Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz, the BBAW sees itself as a laboratory of enlightenment. It regards science as a public task and as the basis for informed, responsible decisions for the common good. It therefore promotes dialogue between science and society. It is committed to scientific exchange, cross-border cooperation, and joint work on key issues for the future in European and international contexts.

In line with this self-image, the BBAW addresses key issues of the future, makes scientifically sound contributions to social and political consulting, and conducts long-term research into globally intertwined cultural heritage. It also takes the initiative to repeatedly examine the scientific system as a whole. At the same time, it communicates science in a variety of formats and promotes understanding of scientific processes in an open, democratic society.