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Harvesting the Sun Twice: How Researchers in Freiburg Are Advancing Agrivoltaics
With agrivoltaics, farmland is used twice: for farming and for energy production. In the following interview, two Freiburg researchers talk about the great versatility of the technology and the subfield of agrivoltaics research in which Freiburg is seen as a global leader.
Margarete von Wrangell Funding for the Modeling of Forests as Social-Ecological Systems
Junior Professor Dr. Ana Stritih has been awarded the Margarete von Wrangell Funding by the State of Baden-Württemberg. Together with postdoctoral researcher Dr. Christina Dollinger, she will investigate the resilience of forests.
Key Protein SYFO2 Enables ‘Self-Fertilization’ of Leguminous Plants
An international research team led by Prof. Dr. Thomas Ott, professor at the University of Freiburg and member of the Cluster of Excellence CIBSS – Centre for Integrative Biological Signalling Studies, has demonstrated for the first time that the protein SYFO2, found in the roots of leguminous plants, makes it possible for the plants to ‘fertilize themselves’.
THE World University Rankings: University of Freiburg among top women-led universities
For International Women’s Day on 8 March, Times Higher Education (THE) has published an analysis of the best universities headed by women. The University of Freiburg with Rector Prof. Dr. Kerstin Krieglstein holds 39th place worldwide and fourth place nationally.
Researchers at the University of Freiburg advise federal authorities on safer sports flooring design
How can sports flooring be designed to reduce risk of injuries? Researchers at the Department of Sport and Sport Science at the University of Freiburg investigated this and other questions on behalf of the German Federal Institute of Sport Science (BISp).
Scholar of Islamic Studies Tim Epkenhans on the Iran war: “The responses of the Iranian people are shaped by existential angst and a deep loss of control”
In an interview, Freiburg scholar of Islamic studies Prof. Dr. Tim Epkenhans speaks about potential scenarios for the future of Iran, the Iranian war strategy, and the mood of the Iranian people.
Emmy Noether and Heisenberg Programme: Six top researchers choose Freiburg
Six of the 32 scientists accepted into two German Research Foundation funding programs in the last quarter of 2025 have chosen Freiburg as the location for implementing their funded projects.
2026 state election: Every vote counts in order to strengthen democracy and academic freedom
On the occasion of the state elections in Baden-Württemberg on 8 March 2026, Rector Prof. Dr Kerstin Krieglstein is calling on everyone to vote.
Boosting bees and other pollinators in Europe: New recommendations for EU nature restoration plans
A new Policy Brief from the EU project RestPoll headed by Prof. Dr. Alexandra-Maria Klein of the University of Freiburg gives recommendations to EU member states on the most effective nature restoration measures to promote pollinators such as wild bees.
Mitochondria influence lipid storage in cells
Mitochondria can influence the number of lipid droplets in cells. This previously unknown mechanism has been researched in baker's yeast. This is shown by a recent study conducted by the University of Freiburg in collaboration with the University of Bonn and the University Medical Center Bonn.
Alternative to precious metals: cationic digallene breaks strong bonds
A team from the University of Freiburg led by Prof. Dr Ingo Krossing and Dr Antoine Barthélemy is researching chemical processes that could form the basis for new, more sustainable catalyst systems. In a recent study, they demonstrated that a doubly positively charged digallene can activate very strong covalent bonds.
Overview study decodes the fungal network of the spruce bark beetle
Researchers from the University of Freiburg and the Black Forest National Park have investigated the fungal community that has developed around the spruce bark beetle. The results expand our understanding of the interaction between species and the dynamics in the forest and provide important impetus for forest protection.
Whether 17 or 65: Studying at the University of Freiburg knows no age limit
Whether straight after high school or after a long career, people at all stages of life study at the University of Freiburg. Two first-year students starting in the 2025/2026 winter semester – aged 17 and 65 – talk about their path to university.
Political Panel survey about conscription, the Bundeswehr (Armed Forces) and Social Media
A Political Panel survey conducted by the University of Freiburg provides insights into attitudes towards foreign and security policy, as well as the use of media for obtaining political information.
EPICUR Seed Funding 2026: Five Research Projects Selected
Once again, the European University Alliance EPICUR is funding interdisciplinary research projects this year under the ´EPICUR Seed Funding Scheme'. For 2026, five innovative projects involving researchers from the University of Freiburg have been approved.
Honey bees navigate more precisely than previously thought
A research team at the University of Freiburg has, for the first time, captured high-resolution 3D flight paths of honeybees in natural landscapes using a drone-based tracking system. The data show that each bee repeatedly and precisely returns to the same destination, navigating individually by relying on prominent landscape features.
Welcome Prof. Dr Aljaz Godec, Professor of Theoretical Physics
Since January 2026, Dr. Aljaz Godec has been Professor of Theoretical Physics with a focus on statistical and mathematical physics. In this interview, Godec explains, among other things, how his work can contribute to a better understanding of biological signaling pathways.
The scent of a loved one makes the heart beat faster
A study by researchers at the University of Freiburg investigates how the scent of one's partner influences stress reactions.
Nanopore technology for tomorrow’s molecular diagnostics
Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR) approves second funding phase for Freiburg innovation network nanodiag BW.
Sustainability in lieu of a throwaway society: A research project seeks ways toward a circular economy
The new CircEL project is researching ways to achieve a truly circular economy. Engineers and lawyers at the University of Freiburg will work together to investigate the conditions necessary for using materials, components and products for longer and in a more sustainable manner.
How AI, smartphones and satellites together help us better understand global ecosystems
An international research team headed by the University of Freiburg shows the potential offered by combining citizen science, AI and satellite data. The researchers used millions of plant observations by people worldwide and combined them with satellite, climate and soil data.
University Teaching Award and Special Prize for Outstanding Student Involvement 2026
Submit your nominations now.
Open letter: Endangered species should not be included in hunting legislation
Initiative by researchers from the Universities of Freiburg and Hohenheim: In an open letter, 20 experts from nine research institutions recommend targeted management instead of blanket approach to hunting of endangered species.
“Seed Money”: Three Eucor cross-border projects from Freiburg
The tri-national university network Eucor – The European Campus is once again supporting cross-border projects with start-up funding ‘Seed Money’. A total of eight projects were approved, three of which will be led by Freiburg.
“The old cemetery in Freiburg is a site of university history too”
Valerie Möhle works at the Uniseum, the museum of the University. And she also volunteers to help out at the Alter Friedhof, Freiburg’s old cemetery which has been turned into a public park.
QS World University Rankings: Europe 2026: The University of Freiburg is among the top ten universities in Germany
The University of Freiburg is among the top 10 universities in Germany and among the top 100 in Europe in the QS World University Rankings: Europe 2026.
Innovative digital teaching: Live podcasts strengthen clinical thinking
Podcasts have long been part of everyday life for many people – on the way to work, while exercising, or before going to sleep. At the University of Freiburg, they are also used for something completely different: as an interactive teaching format in medical education.
Artificial Intelligence can generate a feeling of intimacy
A new study by researchers at the Universities of Freiburg and Heidelberg reveals surprising effects of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in emotional conversations. Under certain conditions, participants even experienced more emotional closeness to AI than to humans
Defying injustice – from the life of a first-generation doctoral student
Today, Lia Alessandro is a doctoral candidate and research assistant at the Faculty of Theology at the University of Freiburg, but it has been a challenging journey for this first-generation academic. Hers is a story about a career marked by injustice.
Laser controls molecular rotation in superfluid helium
Together with colleagues from the University of British Columbia, Frank Stienkemeier has shown that molecules can be rotated precisely in superfluidhelium. The method delivers new findings on the properties of superfluid.
Welcome Dr Fiona Kearns, Junior Professor for Theoretical Chemistry and Chemical Data Science
Dr Fiona Kearns has been a Junior Professor of Theoretical Chemistry and Chemical Data Science since October 2025. In this interview, the American explains how her research contributes to a better understanding of diseases and why the stereotype of Germans being cold-hearted is not true.
Why is China experiencing a boom in fantasy and science fiction literature?
Junior Professor Dr. Jessica Imbach is dedicating her research on Chinese fantasy to explore the answer to this question. In this interview, she explains how the two genres open up new spaces for thought and imagination in authoritarian China and what role digital platforms and fan communities play.
‘AI*Teaching 2026’ Ideas Competition Enables Funding for 15 Projects
Artificial intelligence (AI) is revolutionizing higher education teaching. The University of Freiburg is therefore providing nearly 600,000 euros from its transformation budget to fund 15 projects offering teaching with and about AI in a wide variety of subject areas.
The 2030 Female Professors Programme: The University of Freiburg has received funding for equity projects
Through the 2030 Female Professors Programme, the University of Freiburg can allocate around €2.1 million to measures promoting gender equality, such as transitional funding for female researchers in the postdoctoral phase and the expansion of coaching, family services and gender equality monitoring.
Strengthening Good Leadership and Cooperation
In the 2026 ‘Year of Leadership’, the University of Freiburg aims to integrate its leadership guidelines into the daily work of all employees with impulses, learning formats, and opportunities for exchange.
Better off in the no-phone-zone more often than not?
Smartphones are our constant companions. Many doctors and psychologists warn of the health consequences of excessive use. Dr Hannah Kanz from the Institute for Empirical Cultural Studies at the University of Freiburg finds this approach too one-dimensional.
Sustainable fertiliser made out of sewage sludge ash
An interdisciplinary research team led by the University of Freiburg is investigating the effectiveness and acceptance of phosphorus recycling fertilisers. The aim is to strengthen organic farming.
The rector welcomes newly appointed professors
In 2025, 30 new professors were appointed at the University of Freiburg. Rector Prof. Dr. Kerstin Krieglstein invited them to a formal reception at the Haus zur Lieben Hand.
New Eva Mayr-Stihl Foundation Funding Initiative Boosts Research at University of Freiburg on Adaptation of Forests to Global Change
Starting in 2026, the Eva Mayr-Stihl Foundation intends to provide a total of 10.4 million euros in funding to the Cluster of Excellence Future Forests, which investigates the adaptation of forests to global change.
Closing Times Over Christmas and New Year’s
