Our Vision
Through its high-level research, the University of Bonn will act as an agent of change, helping to lay the foundations for transformation processes affecting the whole of society. Many of our researchers are studying sustainable development issues, thus establishing a valuable knowledge base for debates, political and personal decision-making, and answering pressing social questions. In particular, we are supporting inter- and transdisciplinary research and promoting the transfer of research findings into day-to-day work and society.
We are formulating our sustainability strategy in a continuous participatory process as part of the University’s own sustainability platform, known as BOOST (Bonn Program for Sustainable Transformation). Strategic objectives and measures for research are being developed in a dedicated working group.
Listen in now: our Cluster of Excellence PhenoRob in the Podcast "Excellent Explained"
Leaving some weeds between crops can help to combat pests on agricultural land, according to a new study carried out by the University of Bonn. This step has particularly positive effects in combination with other measures: the cultivation of different types of crops and planting strips of wildflowers. The results have now been published in the Journal of Pest Science.
Researchers at the University of Bonn have developed software that can simulate the growth of field crops. To do this, they fed thousands of photos from field experiments into a learning algorithm. This enabled the algorithm to learn how to visualize the future development of cultivated plants based on a single initial image. Using the images created during this process, parameters such as leaf area or yield can be estimated accurately. The results have been published in the journal Plant Methods.
Maize can grow successfully in very different local conditions. An international study headed by the University of Bonn has now demonstrated the important role of the plant root system. The researchers analyzed more than 9,000 varieties in the study and were able to show that their roots varied considerably – depending on how dry the location is where each variety was cultivated. They were also able to identify an important gene that plays a role in the plant’s ability to adapt. This gene could be the key to developing varieties of maize that cope better with climate change. The results were recently published in the prestigious journal Nature Genetics.
Plants adapt genetically over time to the special conditions of organic farming. This has been demonstrated in a long-term study conducted at the University of Bonn. The researchers planted barley plants on two neighboring fields and used conventional farming methods on one and organic methods on the other. Over the course of more than 20 years, the organic barley was enriched with specific genetic material that differed from the comparative culture. Among other things, the results demonstrate how important it is to cultivate varieties especially for organic farming. The results have now been published in the journal “Agronomy for Sustainable Development.”
High-Level Inter- and Transdisciplinary Research
6 Clusters of Excellence
How can technologies unlock sustainable crop production? How do policy instruments impact social and economic inequality? These and other questions are being addressed by researchers from various disciplines in the University of Bonn’s six Clusters of Excellence.
The Robotics and Phenotyping for Sustainable Crop Production cluster, or PhenoRob for short, is Germany’s only Cluster of Excellence in the agricultural sciences.
6 Transdisciplinary Research Areas (TRAs)
The University maintains six Transdisciplinary Research Areas in which researchers from all its faculties are studying cross-cutting issues together. This transdisciplinary approach is producing innovative research that reflects a variety of perspectives.
Sustainability issues also play a major role in terms of content here, such as in the Innovation and Technology for Sustainable Futures TRA.
Research in collaborative projects
As a University of Excellence, the University of Bonn is among the universities with the strongest track records for research in Europe. It is known for its high-level research, which is underpinned by an international network and an innovative and cosmopolitan research culture.
The University conducts research into sustainability issues as part of numerous collaborative projects funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG), the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), the European Union (EU) and other third parties.
Selected Institutions
Center for Development Research (ZEF)
The Center for Development Research is an institute at the University of Bonn that conducts trans- and interdisciplinary research. The researchers at the ZEF devise scientifically sound answers to questions of development policy. Doctoral students, researchers and partner institutions from all over the world come together at the ZEF to work toward solving global challenges.
Klein-Altendorf Sustainability Campus
The Klein-Altendorf Campus (CKA) is one of the Faculty of Agriculture’s three off-site laboratories. It hosts numerous tests and experiments by the University’s institutes and partner research institutions.
Issues connected with crop production are its main focus.
Sustainable AI Lab
Outstanding researchers from various disciplines are working together in the Sustainable AI Lab to study the environmental, social and economic consequences of designing, developing and using artificial intelligence (AI).
The laboratory is the brainchild of AI ethicist Prof. Dr. Aimee van Wynsberghe, Director of the Institute of Science and Ethics at the University of Bonn.
Networking and Transfer
Partnerships for meeting sustainability targets
The University of Bonn collaborates with a wide range of partners in order to advance sustainability research at a local, national and global level and transfer research findings to the economy and society. We make the most of the unique advantage that Bonn offers us as a UN city.
enaCom Transfer Center
The enaCom Transfer Center sees itself as an intermediary, translator and catalyst between science and other stakeholders whose purpose is to make research findings available for the benefit of society.
Part of Research and Innovation Services, the enaCom Transfer Center is the first port of call for any questions about knowledge and technology transfer.
Bonn Alliance for Sustainability Research
With its six partner institutions, the Bonn Alliance combines basic and applied research conducted by both universities and non-university institutions. It takes account of the complexity of the problems and issues presented by the sustainability landscape by adopting an interconnected approach to science and research. Its common aim is to provide scientific support to the implementation of the UN’s Agenda 2030 on every level from the local to the global. The Bonn Alliance for Sustainability Research was set up at COP23 in November 2017 under the overall leadership of the University of Bonn.
Research networks
The universities of North Rhine-Westphalia have joined forces in the Humboldtn network in order to share responsibility for sustainability issues of relevance to the future.
The University of Bonn is also an active member of other German and international sustainability networks, including the German Association for Sustainability at Universities (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Nachhaltigkeit an Hochschulen, or DG HochN) and the International Sustainable Campus Network (ISCN).
since 1819
Sustainability research at the University of Bonn
1934
Foundation of the Faculty of Agriculture
2017
Founding of Bonn Alliance for the Sustainability Research in context of COP23
Work in progress
This web page will be added to gradually.