20. May 2025

Internationality, Top-Level Research and Spirit of Innovation Why Bonn University Ambassadors are representing the University of Bonn abroad

Why Bonn University Ambassadors are representing the University of Bonn abroad

Having got to know the University of Bonn inside out during a research visit, the 15 active Bonn University Ambassadors are now performing an ambassadorial role for their German alma mater.  They are all successful researchers at research institutions in other countries, where they tell interested students and fellow researchers about how they might study and work in Bonn. They also engage in close dialogue with researchers at the University through joint teaching, event and research formats and put people in touch with contacts abroad. Four Ambassadors tell us why they have chosen to represent their German alma mater and what they appreciate about our city.

Prof. Dr. Veena Kumari,  Brunel Universität of London (UK),  Psychology
Prof. Dr. Veena Kumari, Brunel Universität of London (UK), Psychology © Barbara Frommann / Uni Bonn
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Professor Veena Kumari, 
Brunel University of London (UK), 
Psychology

What’s your research about?

I’m a cognitive neuroscientist and use methods taken from experimental psychology, clinical psychology, electrophysiology and neuroimaging to understand mental health conditions.

What’s your link to Bonn?

I first came to Bonn to work with my colleague Professor Ulrich Ettinger, for which I was supported with a Humboldt Research Prize. Working with my team, I experienced an extremely supportive environment for research and was impressed by the cutting-edge techniques and lab facilities I could use to study how the human brain works.

What do you like about Bonn?

I really enjoyed staying in one of the University apartments beside the Rhine and come back to visit Bonn every year. My group has been collaborating with colleagues from Bonn for over eight years now, and we don’t see that changing for many years to come.

 

My favorite experience being a Bonn University Ambassador has been… 

…interacting with other ambassadors, all of them seasoned researchers from a range of countries and disciplines. I find this dialogue very stimulating and a source of fresh ideas for launching and cultivating new scientific partnerships.


Professor Roberto Hofmeister Pich, 
Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul (Brazil), Philosophy

What’s your research about?

My main field of research is the history of medieval philosophy and early modern thought, but my projects also touch on the philosophy of religion and the metaphysical background to theological systems.

 

What’s your link to Bonn?

My education in philosophy was greatly influenced by some outstanding teachers at the University of Bonn, who I’ve worked with in various ways since I finished my doctorate.

 

What do you like about Bonn?

The University of Bonn is a place of excellence in teaching and research. It has some exceptional professors and researchers, and the atmosphere there is very international and collaborative. Studying in Bonn opened up the most important prospects for me and my career as a researcher and University professor in my home country, Brazil.

 

My goal as a Bonn University Ambassador is to…

…highlight the University’s excellence by promoting international collaboration with leading universities and top-level researchers in Brazil.

Prof. Dr. Roberto Hofmeister Pich,  Pontifícia Universidade Católica  do Rio Grande do Sul (Brasilien), Philosophie
© Barbara Frommann / Uni Bonn

Studying in Bonn
opened up the most
important prospects
for me and my career.  


Prof. Dr. Benjamin Kofi Nyarko,  Universität Cape Coast (Ghana),  Geografie
© Barbara Frommann / Uni Bonn

Professor Benjamin Kofi Nyarko, 
University of Cape Coast (Ghana), 
Geography
 

What’s your research about?

Risk profiling, hydrodynamic modeling, landscape dynamics, climate change and nature-based solutions.

 

What’s your link to Bonn?

I did my doctorate at the University of Bonn’s Center for Development Research, or ZEF, and have stayed in touch ever since.

 

What do you like about Bonn?

The University of Bonn is somewhere that encourages cultural diversity and internationalization. Cutting-edge technologies and a supportive environment make for a highly interdisciplinary approach to scientific work.

 

What does your role as a Bonn University Ambassador entail?

I encourage students and researchers to think of the University of Bonn as the destination of choice for higher education in Europe. As well as sharing information and advice, my job also involves representing the University’s interests and forging links with other institutions.


Professor Kikuko Kashiwagi, 
Kansai University (Japan), 
German Language and Literature

 

What’s your research about?

My research focuses on 20th- and 21st-century German literature, German drama and European ethnology.

 

What’s your link to Bonn?

I came to Bonn as a Humboldt Research Fellow 10 years ago to work with Professor Michael Wetzel, who’s known for his interdisciplinary research style.

 

What do you like about Bonn?

The University of Bonn is one of Germany’s leading universities and provides a fantastic environment for research with the perfect blend of tradition and innovation. The city is also the gateway to the romantic Rhine.

 

I’m a Bonn University Ambassador because…

…I’m impressed by how open-minded and innovative the University is. Under the leadership of Rector Michael Hoch, it’s grown into a center of expertise for study and research, and I’m honored to be able to pass this spirit on in my role as an Ambassador.

 

Prof. Dr. Kikuko Kashiwagi,  Kansai Universität (Japan),  Germanistik
© Barbara Frommann / Uni Bonn
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