Research and Study at the University of Excellence in Bonn

With eight Clusters of Excellence, we are Germany's most successful University of Excellence, producing evidence-based academic contributions that help our modern, complex and changing society address the global challenges of the 21st century. Supporting the next generation is central to our mission.

We aim to inspire and foster young talent, early-career researchers and emerging leaders who play a vital role in safeguarding our democracy and shaping a future of progress, prosperity, and sustainable transformation in a digital and globally connected world.

Welcome to Bonn – welcome to the world.

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Latest News

Less Fertilizer Through Smart Alliances

Over the course of evolution, plants have developed an elegant strategy to counteract a lack of phosphate in the soil — they form symbiotic relationships with soil fungi. These mycorrhizal fungi efficiently supply their plant partners with phosphate and other essential minerals. Recently, scientists at the Leibniz Institute of Plant Biochemistry (IPB) in Halle, in collaboration with partners at the University of Bonn, discovered a molecular switch that detects the plant's phosphate content and signals whether to initiate or inhibit the symbiosis. This signaling pathway could enable plants to form partnerships with soil fungi even when sufficient phosphate is available. The study, published in the renowned journal Science Advances, offers a potential solution to a long-standing agricultural problem and opens new avenues for reducing fertilizer use.

Green Hydrogen, Nesting Sites and Sustainable Breakfast Cereals

Sustainability Day had its modest yet meaningful five-year anniversary on May 13, 2026. Over 20 stands populated the University of Bonn’s Poppelsdorf Campus, offering varied opportunities for those attending to learn about how sustainability intersects with research, teaching, operations and transfer activities while creating motivation to get involved. Tomorrow’s energy, educational gaming and biodiversity were just some of the aspects illuminated.

Cell-specific quantification of sodium concentrations in brain tissue

The element sodium plays a key role in nervous system function. An international research team headed by the Institute of Neurobiology at Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf (HHU), in collaboration with the University of Bonn and the University Hospital Bonn, has now conducted a closer examination of the sodium concentration in astrocytes – special cells in the brain. To achieve this, the researchers developed a method, via which they can make the sodium content of individual cells in tissue directly visible, as they now describe in the scientific journal Nature Communications.

ELLIS Approves New AI Unit in NRW

North Rhine-Westphalia will become home to a new unit within the European Laboratory for Learning and Intelligent Systems (ELLIS), one of Europe’s leading networks for artificial intelligence research. The newly approved ELLIS Unit NRW brings together leading AI researchers and large-scale computing infrastructure across the region to advance open-source foundation models, trustworthy machine learning and AI applications for real-world environments.

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We are Uni Bonn!

Together we are the "we": The roots of the success of the University of Excellence Bonn lie in its people. In the #WeAreUniBonn campaign, we present employees, students, and alumni who, with their remarkable achievements, contribute to the success of our university.

Angkana Rüland

The mathematician focuses on challenges that arise in the natural sciences and lead to mathematical questions. Prof. Dr. Angkana Rüland was awarded the Leibniz Prize for her work.

Cyrill Stachniss

Prof. Dr. Cyrill Stachniss is an expert in robotics and research for sustainable plant production. He is one of the two spokespersons for the PhenoRob Cluster of Excellence.

Jaqueline Lorenzen

The new public law of sustainability is Prof. Dr. Jaqueline Lorenzen’s area of expertise. For this reason, she was appointed Argelander Professor of Law on Sustainability and Ecological Transformation.

Dominik Bach

Prof. Dr. Dominik Bach's research uses artificial intelligence to advance our understanding of mental illnesses. He is the Hertz Professor of Artificial Intelligence and Neuroscience.

Events

Saturday May 30, 2026

Welcome Center: Hiking tour in Siebengebirge

Siebengebirge

10:00 AM - 03:00 PM

The Welcome Center would like to invite you (and your partners, family members or friends) for a hiking tour in Siebengebirge, opposite of Bonn on the other ...

Saturday May 30, 2026

Outdoor Games

Hofgarten or in bad ...

03:00 PM

Looking for a chill evening of games outdoors in Hofgarten? 🎲🌳 Come hang out, bring your friends and some drinks. Perfect way to take a break from uni life. ...

Monday Jun 01, 2026

Joseph C. Miller Memorial Lecture by Sue Peabody

Hybrid event: Online via ...

04:15 PM - 05:45 PM

What can microhistory reveal that Big History cannot? Drawing on studies of enslaved and free people in revolutionary and abolitionist France, Sue Peabody ...

Monday Jun 01, 2026

Chit-Chat Lounge

International Club, ...

07:00 PM - 10:00 PM

We hold a Chit-Chat Lounge every Monday together with the International Students Department of the General Students’ Committee (AStA). It gives us a relaxed ...

Event Calendar

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Research and Study at the University of Excellence in Bonn