Prof. Dr.-Ing. Klaus Borchard receives the university medal, which 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.

The goals behind the project funding program “vielfältig.nachhaltig.digital” (“diverse.sustainable.digital”) are to cultivate the potential of individual students, raise awareness on sustainable development and anchor the acquisition of digital skills within teaching. Year after year, the University of Bonn provides funding for highly innovative individual and group projects within this program framework. Six projects emerged as this year’s competitive winners, on topics ranging from AI-assisted learning, which is being developed in the Faculty's Department of Nutrition and Food Sciences, to a University-wide roleplay simulation.

The University of Bonn is at the forefront of artificial intelligence research. As a co-founder of the Lamarr Institute, its scientists work closely with colleagues from the Technical University of Dortmund and the Fraunhofer Institutes for Intelligent Analysis and Information Systems IAIS in Sankt Augustin and for Material Flow and Logistics IML in Dortmund. Together, they are developing technologies that will transform many aspects of our lives. The institute’s mission is to create AI that is not only powerful but also trustworthy, sustainable, and socially relevant. In doing so, the University of Excellence Bonn is sending out a clear message: progress requires responsibility.

The University of Bonn is continuously expanding its research infrastructure – thereby creating the foundation for the success of its researchers. Under the umbrella of the Bonn Technology Campus (BTC), 14 core facilities are now available for university-wide use, combining cutting-edge technologies, specialized expertise, and comprehensive services. They provide all researchers at the university with access to instruments and methods that would often be inaccessible or difficult to obtain for individual research groups. In doing so, the University of Excellence creates the conditions necessary to put research ideas into practice at the highest level.

Despite only being in its infancy, the Institute for Entrepreneurship has already made a name for itself as a driver of entrepreneurial spirit at the University of Bonn. Based at the Faculty of Agricultural, Nutritional, and Engineering Sciences, it combines interdisciplinary research, teaching and practice in three main areas: start-ups, innovation and transfer. The institute is headed by Professor Denise Fischer-Kreer and Professor David Antons, who are injecting fresh momentum into Bonn’s university landscape together with their team.

Can small changes in the design of food delivery apps encourage people to choose more climate-friendly meals? Researchers at the Institute for Food and Resource Economics (ILR) at the University of Bonn investigated this question. Their findings have now been published in the journal “Appetite.”

To positively influence purchase decisions, sustainability labels must convey a clear signal rather than remain abstract. Using the EU’s “Green Leaf” organic logo as an example, researchers from the universities of Bonn, Newcastle (UK) and Corvinus (Hungary) demonstrate that simple design tweaks reduce consumers’ uncertainty, bolster their trust in the products, and thus increase their willingness to buy. The two‑study-paper appears in the journal "Agribusiness" and is already available online.

The University of Bonn is continuing to invest in sustainable infrastructure and is currently constructing a new Sample and Vegetation Center for the Faculty of Agricultural, Nutritional, and Engineering Sciences. The newbuild will meet the most stringent environmental standards and thus serve as a role model for construction that is focused on the future.