Association of Mathematical and Scientific Excellence Centers in Schools

MINT-EC (Verein mathematisch-naturwissenschaftlicher Excellence-Center an Schulen e. V.) is a non-profit association based in Berlin that operates Germany's national excellence school network for upper-secondary schools with a strong profile in mathematics, computer science, natural sciences and technology (the German acronym MINT). Founded in 2000 on the initiative of the Bundesvereinigung der Deutschen Arbeitgeberverbände (BDA), it has been under the patronage of the Standing Conference of the Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs (Kultusministerkonferenz, KMK) since 15 October 2009. The association's mission is to inspire and support pupils in MINT subjects, with particular attention to girls, who are traditionally underrepresented in these fields. It awards the MINT-EC-Zertifikat to recognise outstanding pupil achievement. Schools with an upper-secondary level (Sekundarstufe II) can apply through an annual selection procedure to join the national excellence school network. Membership is not the same as association membership; schools are certified for four years and must reapply for recertification. Selection criteria include a documented MINT focus in the school programme, continuous provision of advanced MINT courses, gifted education, external partnerships with universities and companies, interdisciplinary approaches, targeted support for girls, career orientation and teacher training. In the founding year 2000, 34 schools were selected nationwide. Today the network comprises around 360 schools in Germany and abroad, including German schools in Turkey, Austria, the United States, Ecuador and Greece. The network reaches roughly 330,000 pupils and 30,000 teachers. MINT-EC offers multi-day research events for pupils in cooperation with schools, universities, research institutes and companies; competitions for pupils and school leaders; the Zukunftsforum as its largest network event; school leadership conferences and training on school management and development; specialist conferences and further training for subject teachers; interdisciplinary thematic clusters for school leaders and teachers; and an alumni network for former MINT-EC pupils. From 2017 it ran the HPI Schul-Cloud pilot project with the Hasso Plattner Institute and the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), which ended in March 2022. The association is funded by the employers' association Gesamtmetall, the Bavarian business associations (vbw/vbm/bayme) and the Siemens Stiftung. It works closely with Science on Stage Deutschland in a shared office. The managing director is Dr. Niki Sarantidou.

MINT-EC was founded in 2000 on the initiative of the Bundesvereinigung der Deutschen Arbeitgeberverbände (BDA) as a non-profit association (e. V.) with its seat in Berlin. In its founding year, a first selection procedure chose 34 schools nationwide to form the nucleus of the national excellence school network. The association's purpose was to promote pupils' interest and achievement in the MINT subjects — mathematics, computer science, natural sciences and technology — and to build a network linking schools with companies, universities, research institutions and associations. On 15 October 2009, the Kultusministerkonferenz (KMK), the standing conference of the German state education ministers, took MINT-EC under its patronage, giving the network formal recognition at the highest education-policy level. Over the following decade the network expanded steadily across all 16 federal states and also to German schools abroad. By the 2020s it comprised around 360 schools in Germany and abroad, reaching roughly 330,000 pupils and 30,000 teachers. The distribution across states is uneven: almost a third of the schools are in North Rhine-Westphalia, with additional concentrations in the Munich metropolitan region, the Berlin conurbation and the Rhine-Main area. In eastern Germany, many network schools are former specialised schools. A major digital initiative began in 2017 when MINT-EC, the Hasso Plattner Institute (HPI) and the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) launched the pilot project HPI Schul-Cloud. The project aimed to replace maintenance-intensive computer labs and give all school participants — pupils, teachers, administration, school leadership and parents — simple and secure access to digital education, cooperation and organisation services via the web and from any display device. The Schul-Cloud was not a finished product but was developed together with the participating schools. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the schools involved were able to respond comparatively quickly to the new requirements of distance learning through the Schul-Cloud. The project ended in March 2022. MINT-EC is funded by the employers' association Gesamtmetall, the Bavarian business associations (vbw/vbm/bayme) and the Siemens Stiftung. It works closely with Science on Stage Deutschland in a shared office. The association continues to run its annual selection and recertification procedures, its events for pupils, teachers and school leaders, and its alumni network. The managing director is Dr. Niki Sarantidou.

• 2026

  Schulleitungstagung 2026 held in Nuremberg on 16–17 March; MINT-EC-Zukunftsforum 2026 takes place.

• 2022

  HPI Schul-Cloud pilot project ends.

• 2017

  HPI Schul-Cloud pilot project launched with the Hasso Plattner Institute and BMBF.

• 2009

  Kultusministerkonferenz (KMK) takes MINT-EC under its patronage.

• 2000

  MINT-EC founded on the initiative of the BDA; first selection procedure chooses 34 schools nationwide.

National excellence network for secondary schools with outstanding MINT profiles, funded by employers' associations and the Siemens Stiftung and patronised by the KMK.

• MINT-EC-Zertifikat

  Award for particularly committed pupils with outstanding achievements.

• Zukunftsforum

  The largest network event for pupils and teachers.

• HPI Schul-Cloud

  Pilot project (2017–2022) for a digital teaching and learning platform developed with MINT-EC schools.

1. 1Home - MINT-ECmint-ec.de
2. 2Über Uns - MINT-ECmint-ec.de
3. 3Team - MINT-ECmint-ec.de
4. 4Verein mathematisch-naturwissenschaftlicher Excellence-Center an Schulende.wikipedia.org
5. 5Association of Mathematical and Scientific Excellence Centers in Schoolswikidata.org