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.

The Institute for Archaeology and Cultural Anthropology at the University of Bonn, together with the Society of Archaeological Institutes in Cologne and Bonn (VarI) and the Verein von Altertumsfreunden im Rheinlande e.V., will be providing an insight into past worlds on July 5 in the LVR-Landesmuseum Bonn at Colmantstr. 14–16. Open from 11 am to 5 pm, the Day of Archaeology will see researchers showcase their work and lead visitors on virtual tours of sites of great historico-cultural significance.

There is currently no way to stop calcification of the aortic valve. If all else fails, the valve must be replaced. To better understand the development of this common disease, researchers from Bochum and Bonn have taken a close look at defective valves. They were able to show that endothelial cells that line the tissue play a major role, as is the case with other vascular diseases. In addition, they were able to see that what happens varies greatly depending on whether someone’s aortic valve has three leaflets – as is usually the case – or just two. The team reports its findings in the Journal of the American Heart Association.