On October 01, 2009, the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) was founded by a merger of Universität Karlsruhe (founded 1825) and Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe (founded 1956).
KIT bundles the missions of both precursory institutions: A university of the state of Baden-Wuerttemberg with teaching and research tasks and a large-scale research institution of the Helmholtz Association conducting program-oriented provident research on behalf of the Federal Republic of Germany. Within these missions, KIT operates along three strategic fields of action: research, teaching, and innovation. Seven KIT-Centers pool the research activities, eleven KIT- departments stand for a research- and student oriented teaching and learning culture.