Accompanied by the brass players of Campus Brass, the Rectorate, the deans and the Bonn University Ambassadors entered the auditorium in ceremonial robes. Right at the start of his address, Rector Hoch highlighted the University’s hugely successful past year: “For the second year in a row, we are the most successful university in the Excellence Competition. We were able to increase the number of our Clusters of Excellence from an impressive six to an incredible eight, and in March we were officially conferred our Excellence status for another seven years. The international reviewers have confirmed: This is rapid development toward becoming a world-class university,” said Hoch.
Despite the absence of an Abitur graduating class in North Rhine-Westphalia, the University had seen a very strong influx of students—many of them from abroad and from other German federal states, he stressed. The successful system accreditation would mean a further boost in teaching quality, and the leasing of a floor in the former Karstadt building would ensure that students have a central hub in the heart of the city.
Objective: ranking among top 50 worldwide
Amid all the successes of the past, Hoch also outlined the path for the coming years. “Over the next seven years, we want to rise to the top 50 universities in the world. We are the university that can do it!” The University of Bonn was destined to become one of the best universities in the world if everyone worked together. “We have the passion and the energy!”
Mayor Guido Déus also highlighted the University’s achievements. “These are all accomplishments of which the University and the city can be proud,” he said. The city supported the University in its development projects as much as possible, he added, because the University enriched Bonn’s social, economic and cultural landscape.
Emotional awarding of an honorary doctorate
Another highlight of the evening was the conferral of an honorary doctorate on chemist Helmut Schwarz. He is one of the world’s leading researchers in the field of organic chemistry. With this honorary doctorate, the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences honors a scientist who has also taken on responsibility for the advancement of science beyond his own discipline.
“Ten honorary doctorates from around the world—that says more about Helmut Schwarz’s incredible achievements than any laudatory speech could,” said Walter Witke, Dean of the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, who delivered the laudatory speech. Schwarz’s spectacular work had garnered worldwide attention and demonstrated his exceptional scientific creativity as well as his courage. “International exchange and the support of young people were particularly important to him, based on his conviction that this is the best path to peaceful and trusting coexistence.” Schwarz has had close ties to the University of Bonn for many years. From 2010 to 2025, he served on its University Council and supported its development with great dedication. The honor thus also expresses gratitude for his many years of personal commitment.
“You have been and remain a valuable partner to our University,” said Rector Michael Hoch, addressing the honoree. “You have always encouraged us to follow our own path and have played a part in the successes our University has celebrated in recent years. Thank you for bringing your experience and strategic foresight to it.” Referring to Helmut Schwarz’s profession, he added, “Chemists bring together what belongs together. It’s about connections and building bridges. And that is exactly what you have always done.”
Helmut Schwarz was deeply moved by the honor. “In recent years, the University of Bonn has become a rare, shining jewel in Germany’s vast scientific landscape,” Schwarz said in his acceptance speech. “This afternoon, my academic journey comes full circle. With the honorary doctorate conferred upon me by the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, I have become a member of the University of Bonn. I could hardly be happier.” At the same time, he dedicated his speech to the importance of basic research and the people who conduct it: “No society—and certainly no university—can or should do without such scientists. The singular achievements of these individuals lay in staying true to their own ideas, venturing beyond well-trodden paths and defying all resistance from the academic establishment,” said Schwarz. “The disruptions and revolutions in a discipline are, without exception, due to the passion of individual researchers.”
Pauline Kalle, Chair of the General Students’ Committee (AStA), brought the students’ perspective to the ceremony. She thanked the University for its constructive cooperation and for listening to students’ concerns. At the same time, she highlighted the hardships that many students face. She noted that the Federal Education and Training Assistance Act (Bundesausbildungsförderungsgesetz, BAföG) reform had been too modest, and that the increase in flat-rate payments was insufficient to cover even housing costs. One-third of students in Germany were at risk of poverty. While the AStA offered various forms of emergency aid, these measures provided only limited relief. She spoke positively about the University’s successful system accreditation, in which student representatives had also played a part.
In addition to Campus Brass, the International Choir provided the musical entertainment for the evening.
