The Research Profile of the University of Cologne

The University of Cologne is one of the largest and most research-intensive universities in Germany. Its broad range of subjects enables it to address important scientific and social issues through inter- and transdisciplinary co-operative research at a top international level. The close cooperation in the dynamic metropolitan region of the Rhineland with its research-strong partner universities in Bonn, Aachen and Düsseldorf and the numerous non-university research institutions is just as important as the large number of collaborations with international research institutions.

With five clusters of excellence, the University of Cologne is one of Germany's most successful universities in the Excellence Strategy of the Federal Government and the Länder. Clusters of excellence are interdisciplinary collaborative projects involving scientists who conduct joint research on particularly relevant topics. The Cologne clusters of excellence are embedded in the university's research structure of key profile areas (KPAs), which bundle topics of high scientific and social significance.