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.

Physics for Grandparents: Dieter Meschede Is Now a “Senior Professor” in Two Fields

The response has been overwhelming: “Physics for Grandparents and Other Curious Minds” had to be streamed online due to the large number of participants. Ultimately, the series enables listeners to find answers to their grandchildren’s pressing questions. The series of events is currently on hiatus. It will resume in the winter semester—with an added boost. Physicist Prof. Dr. Dieter Meschede can now count on support from the Wilhelm and Else Heraeus Foundation—and the audience will benefit as well.

Impaired Cell Recycling Leads to Muscle Weakness

Myofibrillar myopathy type 6 (MFM6) is a rare genetic muscle disorder that leads to severe muscle weakness and a drastically shortened life expectancy due to a disruption in muscle protein regulation. Researchers at the University Hospital Bonn (UKB) and the University of Bonn developed a mouse model for the disease and were thus able to show that a disruption in cellular recycling—known technically as autophagy—is the primary trigger for the disease. Their findings have been published in the journal Nature Communications.

Cosmic Order Inside Star Clusters

A team of astrophysicists from Nanjing University and University of Bonn have demonstrated that, rather than being random, the mass of new stars born inside a star cluster is actually governed by a defined process of self-regulation. Their work has been published in the journal “Research in Astronomy and Astrophysics.”

What did people eat and drink in the Bronze Age South Caucasus?

What culinary practices prevailed in the South Caucasus during the Bronze Age? The cuisine was remarkably diverse. This is what an international research team from the Universities of Bonn and Bari, along with other scientific institutions such as the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) and the Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences report. The new evidence highlights a multi-ingredient cuisine alongside the central role of dairy products, fruit, and grape-based beverages in Kura-Araxes communities. The findings have now been published in the journal PNAS.