Seal element of the university of freiburg in the shape of a flower

News

December 2024

November 2024

An old building, illuminated in orange color

27/11/2024

Orange the World Campaign: KG I Illuminated until 10 December 2024

University participates in global campaign to end violence against women and girls.

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26/11/2024

Research team develops novel biomimetic speaking valve technology

A research team from the University of Freiburg and the Medical Center- University of Freiburg has developed a novel biomimetic speaking valve technology that could significantly increase the safety of tracheostomised patients.

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Portrait of Professor Anna Köttgen and Professor Marco Prinz

27/11/2024

Collaborative research centres on kidney and brain prolonged

A total of around 17 million euros in funding for medical research in Freiburg. The two collaborative research centres have already been successfully funded.

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25/11/2024

The DFG Funding Atlas 2024 confirms the University of Freiburg’s consistently high performance

Researchers at the University of Freiburg have acquired a total of 287.8 million euros in DFG funding for 2020-2022. The University of Freiburg performs particularly strongly in the life sciences. With DFG funding of 122.3 million euros, the Medical Center – University of Freiburg ranks third in Germany.

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Figure 1 left: A water-filled bladder in its closed state (Utricularia vulgaris). When the plant is irritated, it produces a sudden vacuum by means of a rapid opening movement of 0.5 ms of its sensory hairs, in order to suck small creatures into its trap bladder. Right: biomimetic speaking valve with integrated pressure-release valve, modelled on the plant. A flexible membrane opens at critical pressure and simultaneously emits an acoustic warning signal through a pipe, alerting medical personnel.

20/11/2024

Research team develops novel biomimetic speaking valve technology

A research team from the University of Freiburg and the Medical Center- University of Freiburg has developed a novel biomimetic speaking valve technology that could significantly increase the safety of tracheostomised patients.

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Graphic "Highly Cited Researchers 2024"

19/11/2024

Seven Freiburg Scientists have been named Highly Cited Researchers 2024

Seven scientists at the University of Freiburg have been announced as Highly Cited Researchers 2024 in the ranking of the same name. They are among the authors who have been cited the most in their various research fields over the past decade.

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15/11/2024

Student Joseph Oertel wins Engagement Prize for his work with Sea Watch

Joseph Oertel is studying medicine at the University of Freiburg and volunteers with Sea Watch e.V. In 2025, the Studienstiftung des deutschen Volkes (German Academic Scholarship Foundation) honoured him with the Engagement Prize. In this interview, Oertel talks about his commitment to refugees, his tips for other students who want to get involved, and what gives him strength.

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14/11/2024

Fourteen thousand World War I poems digitised

The Centre for Popular Culture and Music (ZPKM) of the University of Freiburg is publishing historic sources from World War I

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A modern building with a reflective facade

13/11/2024

Holdings in the low-lying stacks of the University Library at the University of Freiburg have been partially affected by mould

The affected volumes are currently not available for loan. The mould infestation was discovered at a very early stage. Immediate measures for protection and cleaning are in progress. There is no health risk.

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Female and male students of different origins in front of the Kollegiengebäude I.

13/11/2024

ShanghaiRanking GRAS 2024: The University of Freiburg lands a spot amongst the Top 100 in four subjects

Extraordinary quality has been rewarded: With 28 out of 55 subjects evaluated, the University of Freiburg is well placed in the national and international ‘Global Ranking of Academic Subjects 2024 (GRAS)’ compiled by ShanghaiRanking Consultancy. Among more than 1,900 universities from 96 countries, the University landed in the top 100 worldwide in four subjects.

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Portrait of Uwe Wagschal

08/11/2024

Collapse of the traffic light coalition: “Dreams of quick new elections are illusory.”

In this interview, Freiburg political scientist Uwe Wagschal talks about the significance of the collapse of the ‘traffic light’ coalition, the planned new elections and how the political situation in Germany will change until then and beyond.

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Sunrise between KG I and KG IV of the University of Freiburg.

07/11/2024

Excellence Strategy: Cluster applications to be reviewed starting in November

A decisive phase is now beginning for the newly proposed Clusters of Excellence ConTrans and Future Forests, as well as for the two existing Clusters of Excellence CIBSS and livMatS: their full and follow-up proposals will be reviewed by international experts in Bonn in the coming weeks as part of the current round of the Excellence Strategy competition organised by the German federal and state governments.

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Portraits of Dr. Elisabeth Piller and Prof. Dr. Jürgen Kleine-Vehn

05/11/2024

Researchers at the University of Freiburg receive ERC Synergy Grants

The European Research Council (ERC) is honouring two international and interdisciplinary teams, including researchers from Freiburg

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04/11/2024

Prof. Dr. Abhinav Valada Awarded at IROS Robotics Conference

Freiburg robotics researcher receives IROS Toshio Fukuda Young Professional Award

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October 2024

Students and doctoral candidates at the Eucor Fall School in Strasbourg

31/10/2024

Eucor Fall School on sustainable water use on the Rhine

From 7 October to 11 October 2024, students and doctoral candidates explored the sustainable water use in the Rhine region as part of the trinational Eucor Fall School. In a policy paper, they developed recommendations for cross-border policy in the Upper Rhine region.

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A small city in a hilly and rural landscape

31/10/2024

Research for more heat protection: Ihringen is a pilot municipality

The PROLOK project and the municipality of Ihringen are jointly exploring new ways of protecting small communities from heatwaves. PROLOK is a project of the Sustainability Innovation Campus, a joint initiative of the University of Freiburg and the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), funded by the Baden-Württemberg Ministry of Science, Research and Arts.

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Portrait of a woman

30/10/2024

Study on multilingualism and democracy

The Freiburg linguist Prof. Dr. Katharina Brizić is starting a case study on ‘Migration, Belonging, and Cohesion in Multilingual Berlin’. The focus is on children and youths. The study is part of a large-scale project funded by the EU.

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Sodium ion batteries are assembled in the laboratory

25/10/2024

New Research Project to Develop Environmentally Friendly Sodium-Ion Batteries

Sodium is inexpensive and easy to recycle, so the sodium-ion technology is regarded as holding great promise für energy storage. However, it is not yet ready for use on an industrial scale. The ENTISE project aims to change that. Two teams from the University of Freiburg’s Freiburg Materials Research Center (FMF) are collaborating on the project.

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24/10/2024

New formation of neurons from stem cell niche disrupted after stroke

Activation of microglial cells in the subventricular zone of rodents results in the reduced survival of newborn neurons after stroke than in a healthy brain.

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Participants in the sustainability lecture series discuss in a lecture hall.

22/10/2024

Interdisciplinary Lecture Series on Sustainability Begins on 30 October 2024

The interdisciplinary lecture series on sustainability, offered within the context of the optional Sustainability Certificate programme, will again be held in the 2024/25 winter semester. The lectures are geared towards the interested public and all matriculated students.

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17/10/2024

Studying Insects with Drones

A team at the University of Freiburg has built a drone capable of following and filming bees over a distance of more than 100 metres. The data is intended to provide information about the behaviour of insects in their national surroundings. The researchers developed a new tracking technology for this purpose.

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16/10/2024

The Academic Year has officially begun

‘Research without limits in Freiburg – international, interdisciplinary, innovative’ was the motto during the official opening ceremony for the 2024/2025 academic year at the University of Freiburg in Freiburg’s Paulussaal on 16 October 2024.

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Visitors to the University of Freiburg's Semester Welcome in the stands of the SC Freiburg stadium.

15/10/2024

2,800 visitors for First Semester Day

Around 2,800 participants were present at the First Semester Day of the University of Freiburg in SC Freiburg’s Europa-Park Stadium.

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A mortar bee carries a piece of polyethylene foam into her nest.

15/10/2024

Plastic pollution harms bees

A new review study in Nature Communications is the first to systematically show the harmful effects of nano- and microplastics on bees and other beneficial insects. Their function as pollinators is impaired by the plastic particles. This harbours risks for global food security.

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11/10/2024

University of Freiburg among Eight Best German Universities on Nature Index 2024 Neuroscience

The Nature Index 2024 Neuroscience supplement is out. It ranks the University of Freiburg as one of the leading 200 academic institutions. Freiburg comes in at 103rd place internationally and eighth in German comparison.

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Spiegelung des Kollegiengebäudes I in der Fassade der Universitätsbibliothek Freiburg.

11/10/2024

CWTS Leiden Ranking 2024 Open Edition: The University of Freiburg lands in eighth place amongst the top 10% publications nationwide

The University of Freiburg is ranked fifth in the top 10% of publications in the research areas of ‘Biomedical and Health Sciences’ and sixth in ‘Life and Earth Sciences’.

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The tip of a plant root under the (fluorescence) microscope.

11/10/2024

Plant stem cells: Better understanding the biological mechanism of growth control

Researchers from the University of Freiburg have identified the HAN molecule as an important regulator that controls plant growth in conjunction with WOX5. Understanding this mechanism is relevant for breeding more resilient or higher-yielding crops.

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Visitors to the University of Freiburg's Semester Welcome in the stands of the SC Freiburg stadium.

10/10/2025

Semester Welcome 2024

The Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg will once again be welcoming first-semester students to the Europa-Park stadium of SC Freiburg this year. The Welcome Day will take place on Friday, October 11. In addition to the new students, families and friends as well as students from higher semesters are cordially invited.

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09/10/2024

THE World University Rankings 2025: the University of Freiburg ranks 11th nationwide

The THE (Times Higher Education) World University Rankings 2025 have just been released. The University of Freiburg is ranked 11th out of a total of 50 German institutions. Internationally, it is ranked 128th out of over 2,000 ranked institutions.

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President Frank-Walter Steinmeier awards the Order of Merit to Johann Georg Goldammer.

04/10/2025

Order of Merit for Freiburg Forest Scientist Johann Georg Goldammer

On 1 October, the Freiburg forest scientist and fire ecologist Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. mult. Johann Georg Goldammer was awarded the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany by President of Germany Frank-Walter Steinmeier in Berlin. The president recognized Goldammer as ‘one of the most experienced experts on forest fires worldwide’ and emphasized: ‘It was he who introduced the issue of preventing and fighting forest fires to the United Nations.’

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A portrait of Andreas Barner.

04/10/2024

University of Freiburg Marks Retirement of Andreas Barner as Chair of University Council

Andreas Barner, the longest-ever serving University Council chair, is retiring from his post after nine successful years. Rector Kerstin Krieglstein acknowledges him as an outstanding individual who played a decisive role in shaping and guiding the University’s further development.

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A graphic Representation of satellite data over time.

02/10/2024

Movements of Plant Leaves Distort Satellite-Based Vegetation Monitoring

Satellites have been used since the 1970s to observe the condition of vegetation on Earth. However, the movement of plant leaves can systematically influence this satellite data and lead to misinterpretations of vegetation conditions. This has been demonstrated for the first time in a study led by the Freiburg geoinformatics expert Prof. Dr. Teja Kattenborn in the Nature journal Communications Earth & Environment.

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Hands hold a bio-inspired microfiber filter.

02/10/2024

Inspired By Nature: Filtering Textile Microfibres in Waste Water

Prof. Thomas Speck and Dr. Tom Masselter from the Cluster of Excellence livMatS Are Developing a Novel Filtering System for Washing Machines

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A hand holds a smartphone in front of a green background. The smartphone shows the editorial of the ‘Rundblick’ newsletter.

01/10/2024

New Newsletter for all University Members

All for one: The new University-wide newsletter “Rundblick” will be launched on October 2, 2024. Every two weeks, it will inform all members of the University of Freiburg about central topics from the Rectorate, from research, studies, teaching, as well as about services and events.

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September 2024

Illustrations of organs floating in front of a doctor.

30/09/2024

Joint Initiative on Fighting Cardiovascular and Kidney Diseases

A joint meeting of collaborative research centres and graduate schools funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG) devoted to highlighting the key significance of cardiovascular and kidney research in Germany will be held at the Kap Europa Congress Centre in Frankfurt am Main on 9 and 10 October 2024.

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The painting of Pieter Bruegel the Elder: The Harvesters (1565), Metropolitan Museum of Art

27/09/2024

Jet Stream’s Centuries-Long Impact on European Societies Revealed

A new study published in “Nature” has examined how historical extreme weather events contributed to harvest failures, wildfires, and epidemics in Europe. Dr. Andrea Seim, a forest scientist from Freiburg, participated in this research.

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An ai generated image.

27/09/2024

AI Research: University of Freiburg Making Important Contribution

The Nature Index 2024 Artificial Intelligence supplement is out. It ranks the University of Freiburg as one of the leading 200 institutions in the field of artificial intelligence (AI). Freiburg comes in at 143th place internationally and is the eighth best university in German comparison.

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Portrait of Can Dincer.

26/09/2024

Modelled from nature – Light-controlled bio-based OptoAssays can diagnose diseases more easily and affordably

A research team from the University of Freiburg and the INM – Leibniz Institute for New Materials in Saarbrücken has, for the first time, developed light-controlled tests to detect pathogens and other biomarkers. These OptoAssays not only mimic the behaviour of biological cells but also use their genetic programming.

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Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Driever

25/09/2024

Embryonic development: Discovery in Freiburg 100 years ago shapes research today

In 1924, Hans Spemann and Hilde Mangold in Freiburg made observations that contributed decisively to our current understanding of embryonic development and which were recognised with a Nobel Prize. 100 years later, an international symposium and a temporary exhibition at the Uniseum put the scientists’ work in the context of current research.

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23/09/2024

Carl Zeiss Foundation supports early career research group for biohybrid neuroimplants

Dr Simon Binder has been awarded a five-year, 1.5 million euro grant from the Carl Zeiss Foundation for his research into novel neuroimplants. 

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06/09/2024

„Marie Skłodowska-Curie Doctoral Network“-funding for Giuseppe Sansone

The QU-ATTO doctoral network ley by Prof Dr Giuseppe Sansone is investigating quantum information science processes such as entanglement and coherence with the temporal resolution offered by attosecond technology.

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Vaccination syringes lie in a bowl

05/09/2024

Vaccination skepticism and esoteric attitudes are linked

Freiburg political scientists prove that positive attitudes towards esotericism and alternative medicine influence Covid-19 vaccination rates and the reasons for vaccination

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August 2024

July 2024

Jana Strahler, Julian Lörch and Johanna Mertesdorf look into the camera. The equipment of a fitness studio can be seen in the background.

24/07/2024

Gender Differences in Sport – Sport gÄndern

At the Department of Sport and Sport Science students are investigating the role played by gender in various areas of sport

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On the left the portrait of Axel Bohmann, on the right the portrait of Edoardo Milana.

25/07/2024

Volkswagen Foundation Supporting Two University of Freiburg Research Projects

Dr. Axel Bohmann is examining linguistic variation at the level of the individual. Prof. Dr. Edoardo Milana is investigating how “neurofluidic” systems can be integrated into soft robots.

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An abstract, colourful graphic with a head in the centre of a globe.

18/07/2024

Analysing internal world models of humans, animals and AI

Freiburg researchers develop new formal description of internal world models, thereby enabling interdisciplinary research

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A graphic showing three planets: Venus on the left, Earth on the right and a hypothetical mixture of the two in the centre.

16/07/2024

Learning from Venus: Combining Earth System Sciences with Planetary Sciences

The Volkswagen Foundation is funding a new tenure track professorship in Earth and Planetary Geodynamics at the University of Freiburg

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Section of a film of living cells in the early stages of mitosis, actin is coloured green, microtubules are coloured purple.

09/07/2024

Unique characteristics of previously unexplored protein discovered

Freiburg-Prague research collaboration achieves scientific breakthrough in understanding cell division

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Map of the Freiburg city area, on which the expected temperatures of the streets are marked with a colour code.

05/07/2024

How Cities Can Adapt to Climate Change with Artificial Intelligence

The Freiburg project ‘I4C – Intelligence for Cities’ has developed locally precise climate models and foundations for planning tools

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Researcher looks into a microscope at the IMTEK at the University of Freiburg.

04/07/2024

CWTS Leiden Rankings: University of Freiburg ranks 11th nationwide in number of publications

In the research field “Biomedical and Health Sciences,” the University of Freiburg ranks 6th in the total number of publications.

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Portrait of Julia Gurol-Haller

03/07/2024

Julia Gurol-Haller is the new speaker of the Junge Akademie

The University of Freiburg Political Scientist sees the societal role of research as a key issue of her term in office

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