News — University of Bonn

Gerd Faltings to Receive the 2026 Abel Prize

For the first time ever, the Abel Prize has gone to a German—and this one is based at the University of Bonn! Mathematician Professor Gerd Faltings will receive the award in a ceremony in Oslo on May 26, 2026. The accolade has been presented every year since 2003 by the Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters in the presence of the country’s king Harald V. Professor Faltings is a Professor Emeritus of the University of Bonn and a former director of the Max Planck Institute for Mathematics (MPIM) in the city.

Bonn Most Successful University in Excellence Strategy

The Excellence Commission, made up of the Committee of Experts and the science ministers at federal and state level, announced earlier today that the University of Bonn has been awarded funding from the federal and state governments for a further seven years (2027–2033). With its eight Clusters of Excellence, the University of Bonn will thus retain its crown as the most successful University of Excellence in the contest as it enters the new funding period. The University will now take additional strategic steps to establish itself in the leading pack of the world’s best universities over the long term, says Rector Professor Michael Hoch.

Fat cells play key role in avoidance learning

If humans or animals eat something that causes them to feel unwell, they subsequently avoid this food source. Until now, it has been unclear precisely how this avoidance learning takes place. A new study shows that communication between the brain cells and fat cells could play a crucial role here. The participants from the Universities of Bonn and Tohoku (Japan) and University Hospital Bonn have revealed the previously unknown mechanism in the fruit fly Drosophila. It may also exist in a similar form in mammals and even in humans. The results have now been published in the journal Neuron.

Marking 150 Years of Geodesy in Bonn

The University of Bonn will be celebrating 150 years of geodesy in the city on Tuesday, April 21, 2026. With a special ceremony, the University’s Institute of Geodesy and Geoinformation will be acknowledging its long tradition in research and teaching while also turning its thoughts to the future. Specifically, it will be asking what contributions geodesy will need to make to society, science and technology over the coming decades.

Digital Conservation

Research on ancient DNA is surging, but how can it be ensured that human remains of irreplaceable significance are preserved? This is the question investigated by an international research team led by the University of Bonn. Their findings have now been published in the journal “PLOS ONE.”

University of Bonn Establishes Translation Hub

Since the beginning of February 2026, the University of Bonn has been home to the new North Rhine-Westphalian Coordination Office for Translation Matters in Higher Education (‘Landeskoordinationsstelle für Übersetzungsangelegenheiten im Hochschulwesen des Landes Nordrhein-Westfalen’). It is developing an online platform offering sample translations, translation resources and training sessions, while serving as a central contact point for translation-related questions. The platform is scheduled to launch in late April 2026.