Research is not an end in itself. Ultimately, it must have an impact on society, politics, culture or the economy for its purpose to fully unfold. And that is what the UGB Transfer Prize created by Universitätsgesellschaft Bonn (UGB) is all about. The 10,000-euro Prize is awarded in recognition of projects through which University of Bonn staff and students effectively transfer knowledge in innovative yet practical ways so as to visibly benefit society at large.

Artificial intelligence is here to stay, as became abundantly clear at the University of Bonn’s second digital AI Day. About 200 staff members joining the online event on June 30, 2025 were shown informative use cases giving them lots of ideas and insights into the strategic role that AI can play in administration. Looking back at the developments that occurred last year, Vice Provost Holger Impekoven talked about the specific structures, tools and formats the AI pilot initiative has yielded thus far and discussed the next steps planned in the evolutionary process. His talk touched on technical advances, training opportunities and how the primary goal in deploying AI—in a responsible manner—is to heighten productivity and relieve administrative burden in day-to-day operations. Highlighting the importance of this change process, Provost Holger Gottschalk encouraged all administrative staff to actively participate in it.

More than 90 events on the topic of sustainability: The city of Bonn is hosting the “Summer of Change” cultural festival for the first time. More than 30 cultural institutions, scientific organizations, and associations are putting together a diverse program, including the University of Bonn. In Science Cafés, citizens can chat with researchers over a cup of coffee and learn exciting things about biodiversity (July 9, 4 p.m.) and planetary health (August 7, 4 p.m.).

Three days of scientific exchange, workshops, and new impulses: Until July 2, 2025, members of the Bonn-Cumming Host-Directed Pandemic Therapeutics Program are gathered at University Hospital Bonn (UKB) for a symposium to reflect on the current state of their research and discuss further steps. The joint program of the Cumming Global Centre for Pandemic Therapeutics at the University of Melbourne and of the University of Bonn aims to combat future pandemics with novel therapeutics.

A new special exhibition at the University of Bonn Mineralogical Museum is devoted to evolution processes in minerals. A piece of the moon, a piece of Mars, some of the oldest rocks in earth history and rocks from all over the planet are on display there. 

What was life like some 8,000–9,000 years ago for the people on the East Mound at Çatalhöyük, an important Neolithic settlement in central Anatolia? And what role did women hold in their society? An international team led by Turkish, Danish, Swedish and US researchers has investigated the genetic material of a total of 131 individuals who are buried there. What is striking is the preference afforded to female lineages. Their findings have now been published in the journal “Science.” Dr. Eva Rosenstock from the Bonn Center for ArchaeoSciences at the University is involved in the paper. 

On Saturday, July 5, the University of Bonn will celebrate this year's Universitätsfest – and at the same time a special anniversary: For 20 years, it has been holding a ceremony as part of this festival to bid farewell to its graduates from the current year. Around 2,000 of them have registered for this year's event. For the first time, the celebration will take place in an expanded public format in the Hofgarten park. After the internal graduation ceremony, the event will be open to the public at around 3:30 p.m. The celebrations will include a performance by the Kölsch rock group Cat Ballou. The media are cordially invited to report on the event.

The University of Bonn has improved its position in the 2025 CEWS rankings, which rate universities for aspects of gender equality. It has climbed from Group 6 to Group 3 in the overall rankings, putting it in the top 25 percent of all universities in Germany. The University is now among the leading pack in five out of six categories. The rankings are drawn up every two years by the Center of Excellence Women and Science (CEWS) based on the official statistics for higher education.