How Central Administration Sees Itself
A proactive administration fosters excellence in research and teaching by being efficient and saving time.
Central Administration at the University of Bonn sees itself as a modern partner for research and teaching that has an international outlook. It is expanding the University’s international networks with bilingual services, targeted support for language skills and dedicated offerings for international researchers. It is also working resolutely to accelerate the digitalization of administrative processes and is deploying agile methods to enable a flexible response to new challenges. As a learning organization, Central Administration provides researchers and teachers with the best possible support through strategic HR management and continual professional development.
At the heart of its new service concept is the distinction that it makes between four service levels: Self-Support, Front Office, Back Office and Specialist Teams. This structure serves to ensure optimized services for researchers while also adding value for the administration itself, because cutting-edge technologies and service structures help it to respond flexibly to current requirements and expectations.
Always improving our services
Central Administration keeps a close eye on its objectives and measures its levels of success in order to improve the quality of its services and of its underlying concept on an ongoing basis and guarantee this quality over the long term. One key step in this direction was taken in fall 2022 with the first University-wide satisfaction survey. Researchers were asked for feedback on the administration’s services in order to highlight its strengths and identify where further action was required. The results formed the basis for specific measures: contactability was improved, information was made easier to access, and innovative solutions were put in place with the aid of digitalization.
Central Administration then ran a second satisfaction survey in spring 2025 in order to close the quality loop—ultimately, there is no other way to check whether and in what ways researcher satisfaction with Central Administration’s services has improved. The findings from this second survey are currently being evaluated and discussed within the administration, with a clear increase in overall satisfaction with the administration's services.
University Administration's Service Portal
In the Service Portal, University employees can find all services and information relating to the university administration. You can use the simple search function to quickly find all services, retrieve applications, and deal with your concerns.
Digitalization of the administration at the University of Bonn
The digital transformation is being driven forward across Central Administration with support from the Digitalization of Administrative Processes Program, which was set up specifically for this purpose. This initiative ties in closely with the provisions of the E-Government Act of the state of North Rhine-Westphalia (E-Government-Gesetz NRW, EGovG NRW) and the Online Access Act (Onlinezugangsgesetz, OZG) as well as with the NRW government’s digitalization strategy and the University’s own specific requirements. The aim is to achieve lasting gains in efficiency, user-friendliness and transparency in administrative processes.
Portfolio management for administrative digitalization projects was set up in 2025 in order to align the many digitalization initiatives in the administration with the University’s strategic and operational objectives and thus determine a logical order of priority for delivering these initiatives.
Artificial intelligence (AI) has become a particular focus of the various digitalization projects in recent months. It opens up a wealth of possibilities—including specifically for Central Administration—for simplifying administrative tasks and making them efficient.
Central Administration has adopted a participatory approach to AI and has been quick to establish several communities of practice. Besides the inhouse “Fit for AI” training program, the administration also has its own large language model as well as organizing “AI days” and podcasts on the topic.
Division 1 - Academic and Legal Affairs
This division attends to all academic and legal matters.
Division 2 - IT and Computing Services
We deal with everything to do with data processing.
Division 3 - Human Resources
We provide the requisite support and assistance in all personnel matters.
Division 4 - University Infrastructure and Facility Services
We ensure that the University facilities are all in working order so that top-level researchers can get on and do their job.
Division 5 - Finances
The finances division manages all incomings and outgoings. It is also responsible for the central acquisitions section.
Division 6 - International Office
The International Office coordinates all the international activities of the University and provides support in all issues relating to international mobility and cooperation.
Division 7 - Research and Innovation Services
We provide advice and support in the research process, from start to finish.
Division 8 - University Communications
We organize all central communication activities, maintain the University communication channels and provide expert advice to those who need it.
Division 9 - Teaching and Academic Planning
We work on all issues surrounding the degree programs and other aspects of studying at the University of Bonn. We act as a contact point for students and faculties/members of the teaching staff alike.