Born on January 2, 1822, the professor and physicist Rudolf Clausius spent the years from 1869 to 1888 teaching and conducting research at the University of Bonn. As far as natural scientists are concerned, his name will always be associated with the definition of the second law of thermodynamics and the term “entropy.” It was he who linked the observation that thermal processes are irreversible to a hitherto undiscovered property that they shared, namely that the entropy of a system of this kind can only ever increase. His discovery had far-reaching consequences, not only for our understanding of how heat engines work—from steam engines through to generating electricity from fuels—but also for what we knew about information or the dynamics of biological processes. To describe this phenomenon, he coined the term “entropy,” a fundamental parameter in the natural sciences. Marking what would have been his 200th birthday next year, the University will be shining a light on the scientific achievements of an extraordinary thinker who, for a long time, remained forgotten.

The University of Bonn will start the academic year 2021/22 with a ceremony in the auditorium of its main building on Monday, October 18, at 5 p.m. All university members - especially students - as well as media representatives and all interested parties are cordially invited! The ceremony will be livestreamed on the internet.

What does “reconciliation” even mean? Every week from November 3 onward, two researchers will climb into the ring to argue about this topic in an online dialogue forum—and perhaps reconcile again once it is all over. Anyone who is interested can dial in via Zoom to follow the debates, which will be held every Wednesday from 6:15 to 7:45 pm. However, they will not be “duels” in the literal sense, as landing the better argument in a moderated discussion will be what counts. The floor will be opened after 45 minutes, with students, researchers and members of the public all welcome to participate.

Prof. Dr. Joachim von Braun from the Center for Development Research (ZEF) of the University of Bonn, has chaired the scientific group for the UN Food Systems Summit, which recently took place online. Some 40,000 participated at times. As Chair of the Scientific Group, Prof. von Braun chaired a committee of twenty-five internationally recognized experts who prepared the technical aspects of the Summit.

The University of Bonn has opened a "Green Office" as a central contact point for sustainability and to promote the exchange between students, teachers and other employees.

The University of Bonn continues to succeed in the competition for research funding. This is confirmed by the "Funding Atlas 2021" of the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research Foundation), which has just been published. It provides a detailed and clear documentation of the funding flows of public funding institutions to universities and research institutions in the period 2017-2019. In a Germany-wide comparison of DFG funding amounts, Bonn improves to 15th place.

Combining artificially created building blocks with natural ones - that is the goal of two new assistant professors at the University of Bonn. Biophysicist Dr. Alena Khmelinskaia and biophysical chemist Dr. Patrycja Kielb work at the interfaces of different disciplines and hold so-called Argelander professorships, two new posts created at the university with funds from the Excellence program. Such junior professorships are cornerstones within the concept of the six Transdisciplinary Research Areas (TRAs), in which researchers work jointly on future-relevant issues across the boundaries of disciplines and faculties. Alena Khmelinskaia and Patrycja Kielb are now building a bridge between chemistry, physics, and life sciences in the TRA "Building Blocks of Matter and Fundamental Interactions". Their work is relevant for the development of sustainable technologies in modern societies, for example, in medicine or energy research.

The University of St Andrews, with which the University of Bonn has a strategic partnership since 2018, tops the current ranking of the Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2021 of the best British universities. The Rector of the University of Bonn sends congratulations.