University of Cologne

The University of Cologne is one of the most successful universities in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia. Findings of the Excellence Contest have confirmed the leading position of the so-called ABC region (Aachen, Bonn and Cologne) as a location for first-rate research. But that is not the only outstanding feature of the cathedral city’s university.

International attractiveness

The internationally focused University of Cologne looks back on a long tradition; its attractiveness for students remains unbroken. The University is regularly set at the top of German applicants’ wish lists for a university place. About ten percent of its students come from abroad, positioning it in the peak bracket of all German universities. The steadily growing numbers of foreign visiting professors and scholars also testify to the University’s great appeal. This in turn is reflected in longstanding partnerships with numerous universities abroad, for instance Paris-Sorbonne University (France), Pennsylvania State University (USA), the University of California (USA), Keio University of Tokyo (Japan), Sofia University St. Kliment Ohridski (Bulgaria), Jagiellonen University Cracow (Poland), the Universidade Federal do Cear Fortaleza (Brazil), Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (Greece), and the University of Volgograd (CIS). In addition, Cologne’s researchers maintain a multitude of contacts to scientists and scholars in nearly all countries of the world.

Advantages as a research location

The success of an academic establishment is also influenced by surrounding institutions. Ideally, Cologne is home to three major research centres (Forschungszentrum Jülich, the German Aerospace Center in Porz, and the Society for Mathematics and Data Processing in St. Augustin) as well as three Max Planck Institutes (for Plant Breeding Research, for Neurological Research, and for the Study of Societies), all of which engage in close exchanges with the University’s researchers. Plans for a Cologne-based Max Planck Institute for Biology of Ageing have now been finalized. With its Excellence Cluster in Life Sciences and such renowned experts as Leibniz Prize winner Jens Claus Brüning, Cologne is well on the way to becoming THE European centre for gerontology.

Close links with the business community

Numerous third-party funded projects, ranging from the study of insurance to molecular basic research, give fresh impetus to the regional and supra-regional economy. The Management, Economics and Social Sciences Faculty is a member of the Community of European Management Schools (CEMS) and thus ranks among Europe’s most prominent economics faculties. In medical research, too, faculty and clinics are dedicated to the common approach of bringing basic research findings to bear on actual treatments via clinical studies. Notable proof of the superb quality of medical research for the benefit of patients is the funding received as a leading oncological centre from the German Cancer Aid society.

The University of Cologne is a city university in a twofold sense: it was founded by the townspeople, and as a campus university it lies in the hub of the urban area.

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• This provider offers the following scholarship(s)

  • Fellowships in topic: Aging-associated Diseases
  • The a.r.t.e.s. PhD scholarship: Communication Cultures: Medialities, Language and Discourse Systems
  • The a.r.t.e.s. PhD scholarship: Knowledge and Science in an Intercultural Context
  • The a.r.t.e.s. PhD scholarship: Life Studies: Human Nature and Culture