First-Semester-Students' Welcome 2023
Information on the First-Senester-Students' Welcome 2023
As you embark on your studies at the University of Bonn, you will begin a new chapter in your life. The University is keen to mark the occasion by inviting all first-semester-students to the First-Semester-Students' Welcome event on October 4, 2023 at the University's main building. There will be plenty of information available and activities to join in with, allowing you to find out all you need to know about living and studying in Bonn. The event will finish with a party in the University Main Building, giving you an opportunity to make new friends.
Admission is free of charge. As of now, event registration is not required. Please bring your student ID or other proof of your status as a student of the University of Bonn.
Schedule for October 4, 2023:
- starting at 11:15 a.m.: Admission into the University's main buildung, access through the Ehrenhalle (address: Am Hof, 53113 Bonn)
- 12:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.: Official Welcome in the auditorium/Aula (including Live-broadcast for nearby lecture halls)
- 1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.: Info Fair in the Arkadenhof
- 3:00 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.: Afternoon program (e.g. Student councils' activities, guided tours, sports program)
- 6:00 p.m. - 11:00 p.m.: Party in the Aula and the Arkadenhof
Sign language interpretation and simultaneous translation of the welcome program in the auditorium will be made available.
Join in and get to know your University and meet your fellow students. We're looking forward to meeting you!
Live-Stream (English translation)
Welcome to the University of Bonn!
Dear First-Semester-Students,
It is my distinct pleasure as rector to welcome you to the University of Bonn — a University of Excellence with over 200 years of proud history. You are now one of roughly 40,000 students here at our university. Welcome!
You are beginning your studies at the University of Bonn in (at least) one of our seven faculties, each offering a broad palette of degree programs. Many of our departments have earned a stellar reputation in comparisons with both national and international competition. In part this reflects our Excellence Strategy, which has successfully secured six Clusters of Excellence for our institution, more than any other German university. This is just one of the reasons why the current edition of the renowned Shanghai Rankings scored us 76th on its list of roughly 1,000 universities around the world, placing us among the most prestigious institutions anywhere on the globe.
Yet it is not just the strength of our sciences that makes Bonn so special. This place, this haven for academia is extraordinary in its own right: Bonn is a city of great history and promising present and future…
For all its famous scientists and philosophers, Bonn is also known as the birthplace of one of the grandest musicians of all time: Ludwig van Beethoven. It was here in Bonn, at the heart of Europe, that Germany’s Basic Law was signed 71 years ago—even today the finest constitution ever produced on German soil. This is why we at the university see ourselves as bearing a special responsibility to foster the values of democracy, freedom and enlightenment and to actively promote the fundamental values of equal opportunity and diversity. Beyond this, Bonn has a very distinctively international orientation, serving as the German base for the United Nations, including the headquarters for the UN’s World Climate Secretary and many globally active organizations and companies. Let us now offer a special welcome to all of those students among you who come to us from all corners of the world! I'm confident that you will come not just to live here in Bonn on the Rhine, but to love it as well. At your feet lie a great variety of cultural and leisure opportunities, both within the university community and outside it!
Without question, you begin your studies with us at a remarkable moment. The global coronavirus pandemic forced us to shift the last few semesters almost completely into the digital realm. This summer semester the University of Bonn returned to in-person teaching. It seems crucial to us that first-semester-students in particular be afforded every opportunity to get to know your university, your instructors and your fellow students personally wherever possible. Because we know how important direct dialog is, especially when one is just beginning to study. With that said, we will also continue to use digital elements that have proven their value. All information about your studies can be found on the university website under “Studying.” That portal also contains a variety of other helpful information and counseling offerings from your faculties and departments.
And now it’s time to wish you all a fine and successful start to your academic pursuits at the University of Bonn. I very much look forward to getting to know you personally on October 4th at our First-Semester-Students' Welcome, or whenever the opportunity arises, and fervently hope that such chances can come sooner rather than later.
Professor Dr. Dr. h. c. Michael Hoch
University of Bonn Rector
Info-Tip:
The "Starting Your Studies"-Portal
The Central Student Advisory and Counseling Service's (ZSB) "Starting Your Studies"-portal provides all info you might need for a successful start to your studies. The ZSB is your first point of contact for all questions about studying.
Here you can get consultation, a checklist for starting your studies and the Study Compass!
The Student Registry's Service-Hotline
Do you have questions about current application, enrollment and/or admission procedures for your studies and would like to clarify them quickly by phone? The Student Registry's Service Hotline is there for you!
The service hotline is available Monday through Friday, from 9 am to 12.30 pm and from 1 pm to 5 pm, at +49-(0)228/73-4464 and -4491.
The University Bonn Information Center
You have questions about the university in general? You are looking for a contact point for a specific problem? You would like to buy university apparel or accessories? Just contact our Information Center in the main building! There you will also find the university store. University apparel and accessories are also available at our online store.
Welcome Days for international students
With the Welcome Days we would like to welcome all new students and doctoral students from abroad to Bonn and facilitate a successful start of their studies. You will find all important information on the International Office's Welcome Days-page.
Student Representative Bodies participating in the First-Semester-Students' Welcome
Meet the General Students’ Committee AStA
Get to know the Student Councils
Find out more about Campusradio bonn.fm
Information Fair for First-Semester-Students
As a part of the First-Semester-Students' Welcome Event, the University of Bonn offers an information fair. There you can meet representives of central university institutions and members of student organizations.
A list of the participating institutions of the 2023's Information Fair for First-Semester-Students can be found below.
Additionally, all information about various counseling and service offers provided by central university institutions can be found on the Central Study Advisory and Counseling Service's webpage.
- Alumni Network
- Amnesty International Students Group Bonn
- Bonn University and State Library
- bonnFM
- Career Service
- Central Study Advisory and Counseling Service (ZSB)
- City of Bonn
- Connexxion, christian university student group
- General Student’s Comittee AStA
- Healthy Campus Bonn
- IAESTE International Association for the Exchange of Students for Technical Experience
- Infopoint
- International Office
- Kulturticket
- Language Learning Center – SLZ (Department IX, IKM)
- litterarium & atelier
- Music forum of the University of Bonn
- NatFak-Festival e.V.
- Protestant congregation for students
- Queer Department of the General Students‘ Committee AStA
- Roman Catholic University Congregation
- Student Service Organisation Bonn
- Sustainability at the University of Bonn
- Transfer Center enaCom
- Universitätsgesellschaft Bonn – Alumni, Friends and Supporters e.V.
- University of Bonn Foundation
- University IT and Data Center (HRZ)
- University Sports
- Vice Rectorate for Equal Opportunity and Diversity
- Vice Rectorate for International Affairs
- various student councils and representatives of the faculties
Review in pictures: First-Semester-Students' Welcome 2022
Picture gallery 2022
Pictures of this year's First-Semester-Students' Welcome, from October 4th, have been added to the photo gallery.
Video-Podcast 2022
A video summary of the 2022's First-Semester-Students' Welcome.
Follow the University of Bonn on Social Media:
Contact person for the First-Semester-Students' Welcome
Lena Hufschmidt
Dechenstraße 3-11
53115 Bonn
Antje Schaffrath
Dechenstraße 3-11
53115 Bonn
When two, three or four apples are placed in front of us, we are able to recognize the number of apples very quickly. However, we need significantly more time if there are five or more apples and we often also guess the wrong number. In fact, the brain does actually register smaller numbers of things differently than larger ones. This has been demonstrated in a recent study by the University of Tübingen, University of Bonn and the University Hospital Bonn. The results were published in the magazine “Nature Human Behaviour.”
The UK-based magazine “Times Higher Education” (THE) has compiled its internationally renowned THE World University Ranking, which compares some 1,900 universities, for the past 20 years now. The University of Bonn came in 91st globally and 6th in Germany, putting it in the world’s top 100 universities. One noticeable aspect was that, compared to other institutions, a change to the methodology used in the rankings had virtually no impact on the University’s excellent results.
89th position in the THE ranking worldwide. 76th in the Shanghai ranking, fourth place in Germany. All in all, the University of Bonn achieved the best ranking results in its history in 2022. These outstanding achievements and numerous other awards, accolades and academic successes bestowed on Bonn researchers and teachers, are presented in the Annual Report of the Rectorate for the year 2022, which has now been published.
A comparison of apartment price trends by year of construction in Germany's largest cities reveals a notable pattern: While prices for new buildings have experienced a relatively modest decline from their peak, the value of existing properties has fallen by more than twice as much. This finding comes from a comprehensive data analysis conducted by the German Real Estate Index (Greix), a project of ECONtribute and the Kiel Institute.