The University of Stuttgart is a public research university founded in 1829. It is one of the oldest technical universities in Germany, with highly ranked programs in civil, mechanical, industrial and electrical engineering. The university is a member of TU9, an association of the largest and most notable German institutes of technology, and also a member of various excellence groups, such as: German Universities Excellence Initiative, PEGASUS, EUA, TIME. The University of Stuttgart is constantly ranked among the best 400 universities in the world by all the major ranking organizations like QS, Times Higher Education and ARWU. Alumni of the University of Stuttgart include some Nobel Prize winners and former CEOs of global companies such as ABB, Porche and Volkswagen.