Excellence, built together
The forsch 2026/01 spring/summer
The University of Bonn remains Germany’s most successful university of excellence—if that isn’t a good reason to celebrate! But in what ways does this excellence everyone is talking about actually manifest itself? At the University of Bonn, at any rate, it’s not just about awards, publications, and funding decisions. It truly comes to life where people are committed to achieving outstanding results in research, teaching, and everyday university life.
© Uni Bonn et al.
“Ghost Crystals” in Fossilized Leaves
Plants are seen as easy prey, essentially because they are unable to run away. Yet they do not make life all that easy for the creatures that want to eat them, with cacti, for instance, using a mineral—calcium oxalate—for protection. But it is not just the potential prick to your finger that can act as a deterrent: If large amounts of the minerals that are found in the leaves and stems of plants such as sorrel, parsnips or rhubarb enter the digestive tract in their raw state, they can also cause irritation there. “We only know very little about the evolution of calcium oxalate in fossil leaves,” says Professor Emeritus Jes Rust from the Institute of Organismic Biology at the University of Bonn.
Germany’s Youngest Abitur Holder Studying in Bonn
Whether it is media appearances, interviews or cameras in her lecture hall, Lina Heider is used to the attention she gets as the youngest holder of an Abitur in Germany. She takes her photoshoot in her stride and has a good answer to every question. However, all the hype surrounding her is “not really that important” to her. Instead, she says, she likes learning—fast and in large amounts. “I need masses of input,” she reveals. This she gets, because a whole host of people at the University of Bonn are dedicated to supporting talented youngsters with inquisitive minds—Lina among them, whom they have been accompanying on her extraordinary journey for many years now.
Boosting Sustainability in the Lab
From superfreezers and exhaust air systems through to protective clothing, laboratories consume a lot of energy and generate considerable amounts of waste. Yet they are also key incubators of innovation and progress. The University of Bonn and University Hospital Bonn introduced the internationally recognized LEAF program last year in a bid to shrink the environmental footprint of its research laboratories in a systematic way. The labs picked to pilot the scheme have seen a fair few changes since then.
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.
Liquid Bliss: A carefree stroll through the University of Bonn’s cafés
Students grab a cup on their way to class, while members of staff do so between their meetings and teachers after their lectures: For many at the University of Bonn, hot, aromatic coffee is the epitome of liquid bliss, not to mention giving them the caffeine kick they need to get through the day.
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.
New Faculty of Arts mentoring scheme to provide a guiding hand: A Pointer for First-Generation Female Academics
The Faculty of Arts has recently launched ELVIRA, a grant program designed specifically for women who are the first in their household to go to university. Mentoring, workshops and dialogue formats help them to break down barriers, build a network and become more confident in their own abilities. We explain why this service for first-generation female academics is needed, how it is having an impact and what it means for the women taking part.
Oldest-Known Bishop’s Residence Complete with Pomp and Circumstance
This archaeological surprise lay only an inch or so beneath the topsoil. For centuries, plows had scraped to and fro above these early traces of Christianity, rolling many a stone aside—but without causing any major damage.
University of Bonn opens its own supermarket
The University of Bonn has opened its own supermarket, in which pineapples, canned tomatoes, and toast are neatly lined up on black shelves. The space measuring 55 square meters (approx. 600 square feet) has pretty much everything you’d need in everyday life. The ‘clientele’, however, is very special: they are subjects participating in scientific studies. Here, researchers from the fields of food and resource economics, psychology, economics, and behavioral science are investigating how health- and sustainability-oriented purchases can be encouraged, for example, through product placement and other incentives. Robots are also demonstrating their capabilities here.
Physician Gives University of Bonn Over 20,000 Sea Urchins
If you have ever met a sea urchin while paddling barefoot in the sea, you are unlikely to forget your encounter in a hurry. However, these ubiquitous creatures—known as echinoderms—also have their aesthetic sides, offering up a breathtakingly beautiful variety of sizes, shapes and colors. The donation will enable the University of Bonn to study and showcase these riches even more effectively in future. Dr. Hans-Volker Thiel, a retired orthopedic specialist who studied geology and paleontology in Bonn as an adult learner, has presented the over 20,000 sea urchins in his collection to the University of Bonn. Anyone interested in viewing these splendid spiny specimens from the comfort of their sofa can do so thanks to a photobook that has recently been published.
University of Bonn Honors Four Outstanding Individuals with Its University Medal
The University Medal is the highest honor that the University of Bonn can bestow on its members and its wider community, meaning that it is only ever awarded to people who have rendered truly special service to the University. The medal is presented by the Rectorate and the Senate, which counts representatives of all the University’s status groups among its members. This year, this unique accolade was conferred on to four exceptional individuals during the ceremonial opening of the academic year 2025/26.
University of Bonn Celebrates Three ERC Starting Grants
The University of Bonn has yet another good reason to celebrate as three of its researchers have been awarded an ERC Starting Grant worth €1.5 million each. This European Research Council (ERC) grant program is designed to support early-career researchers. The economist Assistant Professor Amelie Schiprowski, the computer scientist Professor Lucie Flek and the evolutionary biologist Dr. Moritz Lürig will use the funding to progress their own research projects over the next five years.
Kontakt
Tanja Kühn-Söndgen
Redakteurin
© Volker Lannert/Uni Bonn
Lesen Sie auch
Sommerfotos
Wir haben euch um eure schönsten Sommerfotos gebeten und das haben wir von euch erhalten!
Der Podcast zum Magazin
Wer lieber hört als liest kann sich hier forsch gelesen, den Vorlese-Podcast zur forsch anhören.
Mehr erfahren32
22