Research and Study at the University of Excellence in Bonn

With eight Clusters of Excellence, we are Germany's most successful University of Excellence, producing evidence-based academic contributions that help our modern, complex and changing society address the global challenges of the 21st century. Supporting the next generation is central to our mission.

We aim to inspire and foster young talent, early-career researchers and emerging leaders who play a vital role in safeguarding our democracy and shaping a future of progress, prosperity, and sustainable transformation in a digital and globally connected world.

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Latest News

Wanja Wiese Awarded Heisenberg Grant

The German Research Foundation (DFG) has accepted Privatdozent Wanja Wiese from the University of Bonn to its Heisenberg Programme. This provides five years’ worth of funding that enables researchers to complete high-quality projects and thus further enhance their academic and scientific reputation. A philosopher and mathematician, Wiese studies the possibility of consciousness in artificial systems and now stands to receive funding of up to €570,000.

What makes forest protection work?

A new study from the Institute for Food and Resource Economics at the University of Bonn shows that the success of nature conservation measures depends partly on the credible enforcement of environmental laws. The study “Enforcement drives conservation policy impacts at the Brazilian agricultural frontier“ has now been published in the academic journal "Global Environmental Change" and was led by Dr. Javier Miranda, University of Bonn, in collaboration with Prof. Dr. David Wuepper, University of Bonn, and Prof. Dr. Jan Börner, University of Bonn.

Europe’s Digital Dependence Is Rising—the U.S. and China Pull Ahead

Dependence on digital technologies in the European Union continues to grow—despite all calls for greater digital sovereignty. Between 2010 and 2023, Europe’s “Digital Dependence Index” (DDI) rose by 0.5 percentage points, while China reduced its dependence by nearly 11 percentage points and the U.S. by 6 percentage points. A major weakness lies in digital platforms, where European countries are almost entirely dependent on foreign providers. This is according to a policy study by the Vodafone Institute and the Center for Advanced Security, Strategic and Integration Studies (CASSIS) at the University of Bonn.

How deeply do spiders sleep?

Humans and vertebrates go through various stages of sleep, including REM (rapid eye movement) sleep characterized by rapid eye movements and muscle twitches. Can a similar sleep state be observed in spiders? Researchers from the Institute of Organismic Biology at the University of Bonn investigated this in the Australian jumping spider Portia fimbriata.

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We are Uni Bonn!

Together we are the "we": The roots of the success of the University of Excellence Bonn lie in its people. In the #WeAreUniBonn campaign, we present employees, students, and alumni who, with their remarkable achievements, contribute to the success of our university.

Angkana Rüland

The mathematician focuses on challenges that arise in the natural sciences and lead to mathematical questions. Prof. Dr. Angkana Rüland was awarded the Leibniz Prize for her work.

Cyrill Stachniss

Prof. Dr. Cyrill Stachniss is an expert in robotics and research for sustainable plant production. He is one of the two spokespersons for the PhenoRob Cluster of Excellence.

Jaqueline Lorenzen

The new public law of sustainability is Prof. Dr. Jaqueline Lorenzen’s area of expertise. For this reason, she was appointed Argelander Professor of Law on Sustainability and Ecological Transformation.

Dominik Bach

Prof. Dr. Dominik Bach's research uses artificial intelligence to advance our understanding of mental illnesses. He is the Hertz Professor of Artificial Intelligence and Neuroscience.

Events

Friday Oct 30, 2026

Working in Multicultural Teams

International Club ...

09:00 AM - 04:00 PM

We would like to invite you to a one-day intercultural workshop in English focusing on “Intercultural communication in a professional context”. In this ...

Friday Oct 30, 2026

Modulabschlussprüfungen erstellen und bewerten - Einführung

Lennéstraße 6, 53113 Bonn

02:00 PM - 05:00 PM

Bei diesem Workshop handelt es sich um eine Veranstaltung im Rahmen des hochschuldidaktischen Qualifizierungsprogramms des Bonner Zentrums für Hochschullehre ...

Friday Oct 30, 2026

Pro-Motion: PhD Café

International Club, ...

07:00 PM - 09:00 PM

The PhD Café provides international doctoral students with an informal setting for networking and exchanging information.

Friday Oct 30, 2026

Karl Simrocks Leben und (Netz-)Werk nachgelassen

Hauptgebäude der ...

06:00 PM - 07:30 PM

Der Vortrag "Erzählende Dinge – beredte Zeugnisse: Karl Simrocks Leben und (Netz-)Werk nachgelassen" führt vor, wie sogar persönliche Gegenstände „mnemische ...