Campus-News

With ProMentes, the career-oriented mentoring program at the University of Bremen, alumni can support motivated students, graduates, and doctoral candidates on their path into professional practice beyond the university. As a mentor, you share your experience, provide guidance, open up new perspectives, and at the same time get to know a new generation of highly motivated young professionals.

Many former mentees report that ProMentes was a crucial step in their successful career entry. The program thrives especially on people who feel connected to the University of Bremen and are eager to give something back.

The application period for the 2026/2027 cycle ends on April 12, 2026.

Discover and understand the world: Science and research are really exciting, and children will be able to experience this first-hand at the Bremen Kids' University. In the lectures and workshops on offer, researchers from the University of Bremen explain in a vivid way what they find so exciting about their subject area.

As part of the GOLDENE PLIETSCH Projects 2026, ten projects from research, teaching, and campus operations were recognized on 28 January 2026 for making an important contribution to the University of Bremen’s sustainability, climate protection, and climate justice strategy.

The selected projects received a total of over €26,000 in funding, enabling them to implement their ideas. We thank all participating teams for their great commitment and warmly congratulate the ten award-winning projects.

The universities of Bremen and Oldenburg have submitted their joint University Excellence Consortium proposal entitled “Northwest Alliance: Connecting for Tomorrow” to the German Council of Science and Humanities as part of the federal and state governments' Excellence Strategy.
 

In the winter semester 2011/2012, Germany Scholarships (Deutschlandstipendien) were awarded at the University of Bremen for the first time. Over the past 15 years, around 1,800 students have been supported — thanks in no small part to the commitment of numerous sponsors. The Alumni Association has supported the program from the very beginning. Dedicated students are funded, often while facing special challenges. We take stock…

The University of Bremen is not only a place for study and research, but also a diverse institution offering apprenticeships. Each year, around 3,000 students begin their studies here, while about 30 apprentices start their vocational apprenticeship in various professional fields. In an interview, Thea Saul, an apprentice event manager, gave us insight into her first weeks at the University of Bremen. Read more

The topic of avian influenza is currently occupying science, agriculture, and the public. We therefore spoke with virologist Dr. Andreas Dotzauer from the University of Bremen about risks, protective measures, and current findings

In Germany, and in Bremen as well, many children and adults do not have access to basic corrective lenses. Vision impairments significantly reduce their quality of life. For this reason, the Green Office is collecting eyeglasses for those in need. The glasses collection table with a donation basket will be set up in the university cafeteria until the end of November. Glasses can also be dropped off at the Green Office at any time or sent by mail to Klagenfurter Straße 6, 28359 Bremen.

From August 15–21, 2026, up to 4,000 AI experts from global research and industry institutions convene in Bremen. The event starts with workshops and tutorials at the University of Bremen, followed by the main conference at the Bremen Exhibition Center. It offers insights into current research progress, opportunities for collaboration, as well as networking with industry leaders, startups, and research institutions.

A new multigenerational park has been inaugurated on the University of Bremen campus. The first elements, such as trampolines, fruit trees, and Benjes hedges, have already been put in place. The park invites visitors to relax, socialize, learn, and play in the open air.

Scientists from the marine and materials sciences impressed the German federal and state governments in the Excellence Strategy: Two Clusters of Excellence have been awarded to Bremen. This also qualifies the university to apply for the title of “University of Excellence.”

Since spring 2025, an orange bench with the inscription “No place for violence” can be found in the newly created multi-generational park at the University of Bremen.

To mark Biodiversity Day, up2date. accompanied Professor Marko Rohfs on a tour of the University of Bremen's boulevard, talking about the plants and animals currently in residence.

The University of Bremen performed particularly well in the latest ranking by the Center for Higher Education Development (CHE) in the area of support at the start of studies. It also scored well in acquiring third-party funding.

A new beginning with tradition – since the winter semester 2024/25, the University of Bremen has once again been offering the degree program in Sports Science for teaching. With this, the university reconnects with a past that was known for its good reputation and innovative ideas. The new start builds on these successes, but with a fresh perspective on societal challenges and new didactic concepts. We spoke with student Martyna Szarmach and the lead professor Dr. Ina Hunger...

In August 2025, the Faculty of Business Studies and Economics at the University of Bremen will once again host the popular PRAXIS Summer Camp. Over the course of three weeks, teams of students from fields such as Business Administration, Industrial Engineering, Business Psychology, Complex Decision-Making, Marketing, Computer Science, and Digital Media will work on a wide range of practical challenges provided by companies and institutions. Are you looking for a fresh perspective and creative solutions for your organization? Would you like to bring your real-world questions into the university and spark student interest in your work? You can still submit your project idea until May 16 and become part of this exciting collaboration.

Bremen’s Finance Senator Björn Fecker and State Councilor Martin Hagen visited the University of Bremen. They learned about strategic development planning and current issues, and visited laboratories and workshops to see the cutting-edge research performed there.

The Research Centre for Historical Music Education at the University of Bremen’s Institute of Musicology and Music Education has signed a cooperation agreement with the Sophie Drinker Institute (SDI). This formalizes the existing collaborative work in research, teaching, and academic qualification.

The University of Bremen has adopted its first sustainability strategy. It will guide the university’s efforts to be more sustainable and climate-friendly in all areas: in research, teaching and learning, knowledge transfer, campus operations, and university life.

Art and intoxication – do they go together? In Bremen, they do!
The 8th Kunstrausch at the Bremen Kunsthalle proves that young creativity meets culture. On January 24th, students from the University of Bremen organized a unique event in collaboration with the Kunsthalle, providing them with valuable hands-on experience in event and project management. Visitors were captivated by innovative concepts, live acts, and interactive activities – all with an admission fee of your choice.

For 20 years, children have had the opportunity to explore exciting fields of research with scientists on-site. From April 1 to April 10, 2025, engaging lectures and workshops will be offered for students in grades 3 to 6, covering diverse topics such as creative computing, galaxies, and languages at the North Pole.

The universities of Bremen and Oldenburg, as well as the heads of the science departments of the states of Bremen and Lower Saxony, signed a "Memorandum of Understanding" in January. The goal of the Northwest Alliance is to create a shared research and transfer space to make the high-level research concentrated in the northwest more visible – with significant impulses for the region.

The cafeteria serves between 1,000 and 5,500 meals per day and is, for many, the heart of campus life. But what’s at the core of this important place? A behind-the-scenes look reveals the complexity, challenges, and changes the cafeteria faces every day.

4,468 new students started at the University of Bremen in the 2024/25 winter semester. Although many German universities are experiencing a decline in the number of first-year students, the University of Bremen has seen an increase in the number of new students compared to the previous year

Around a month after 1,500 law students began their studies, the Forum at Domshof building was opened in the city center on November 14, 2024. It is home to the Faculty of Law and several institutes.

Almost 200 newspaper volumes from Bremen-Nord, including issues of the Vegesacker Wochenblatt from 1849 onwards and the Nordwestdeutsche Landeszeitung, have been added to the Bremen State and University Library's collection. 

In August, classes began for the new secondary school in Schwachhausen, located in close proximity to the University of Bremen. A fifth grade is starting for the first time after the summer break, participating in the exciting concept of the school. This proximity opens up opportunities for future collaborations between the university and the secondary school.

Over the past few months, a work group of the University of Bremen's administration and technology departments has been working on a Core Values Compass. Consisting of common values of the university's employees, it is intended to provide a basis for employees and managers in their dealings with one another. In September, employees had the opportunity to participate in the selection of values.

MARUM – Center for Marine Environmental Sciences at the University of Bremen has a new director. Prof. Kai-Uwe Hinrichs was elected for a term of six years and will take over from the current director, Prof. Michael Schulz, on October 1, 2024.

Mayor Andreas Bovenschulte visited the University of Bremen to learn about current developments in the Excellence Strategy funding competition organized by the German federal and state governments.

With the start of the winter semester 2024/25, the department of law, including their library and cafeteria, as well as a few other institutes and service points is moving from the previously known location GW1 to the Domshof in Bremen's city centre. To be more precise, they are moving into the former building of the NordLB (Northern German State Bank, formerly Bremen State Bank), which is directly beside the town hall. In preparation, the building is currently being renovated. The opening ceremony is set to take place on 14. November.

The "CAMPUS PRIZE: Research for a Sustainable Future", which is also sponsored by the Alumni Association, suits the focus of the University of Bremen ver well in terms of content. This year again, final theses on questions of sustainable use of resources, protection of the environment, climate, oceans or other topics in the context of sustainability can be proposed for this prize until November 22. One doctoral thesis and one master's thesis will be selected from the nominations by the jury and awarded a total of 3,000 euros.

The Centre for Media, Communication and Information Research (ZeMKI), together with the Hamburg Leibniz Institute for Media Research and other institutes, has successfully applied to the German Research Foundation for a research unit. The topic: "Communicative Artificial Intelligence."

Improving care through the use of digital solutions while reducing the burden on care staff is the goal of the "Future of Care" research cluster funded by the federal government. In the second funding phase, the focus is on transferring new technologies into practice.

The President of the University of Bremen, Professor Jutta Günther, has been appointed to the Board of Trustees of the Academy of Sciences and Humanities in Hamburg. The academy in Hamburg brings together top researchers from all areas of academia in northern Germany.

Scientists at the University of Bremen have successfully isolated a nitrene for the first time, which was previously considered impossible to isolate. The discovery was published in the renowned "Science" journal.

Over the past three months, significant changes have been made at the State and University Library Bremen (SuUB). The entrance area on Level 1 has been renovated and now features a new counter and cozy seating areas. Future plans aim to further enhance the library to provide users with a comfortable and inviting learning environment.

What an enthralling overture! After just a few beats, the violin solo rises on soft, clear strokes above the airy soundscape of the strings, winds its way ever more vigorously and dancelike to the highest heights, then, at the very end, alights, evanesces. Soundless. The Lark Ascending, a romance by the English composer Ralph Vaughan Williams, performed by 16-year-old Pilar Policano. A bravura piece. And the prelude to a captivating end-of-semester concert by the University of Bremen's orchestra and choir in the packed Glocke, conducted by Mariano Chiacchiarini, the university’s Director of Music since September 2022.

The University of Bremen submitted three draft proposals for the establishment of new Excellence Clusters as part of the federal and state governments' Excellence Strategy. One research team has now been invited by the German Research Foundation (DFG) to submit a full proposal by the end of August 2024. The final decision on the approval of the clusters will be made in May 2025. A total of 143 outlines were submitted nationwide.

“So much change was rare in Bremen,” writes Bremen historian Cornelius Torp at the beginning of his recently published monograph Aufbruchstimmung: Die Universität Bremen und das Projekt Hochschulreform. The collection of essays sheds light on the state of tension in which Uni Bremen, likely the most-profiled German reform university of the 1970s, found itself: between a downright boisterous, adventuresome and often bright pioneering spirit at one pole and the “sinister image of a left-wing cadre training ground” at the other. The book, which is well worth reading, was launched at a well-attended panel discussion event. And with that, proof that at least one characteristic has remained constant since the university’s founding years: critical reflection paired with rollicking good fun.

On 7 December, the German government hosted a sustainability conference at Uni Bremen, one of several regional dialogue events in advance of the planned 2024 revision of the German Sustainability Strategy (DNS). Good timing and a good choice of location, too, as just two days earlier the University of Bremen had been recognised as the top “Most Sustainable University” in Germany and tenth in the world (out of well over 1,000 universities) in the UI GreenMetric World University Ranking. "We give equal weight to social and ecological considerations in our new university mission statement," said Rector Jutta Günther at the conference opening in the “biscuit tin" auditorium building. "However, we must all become more courageous in implementing the UN Sustainable Development Goals and learn to share." And with that, the theme of the conference was made plain.

There is still time to register for one of the approximately 500 sports and exercise courses at Uni Bremen. The winter semester’s attractive offerings kick off on 16 October. The programme includes various swimming courses and aquacycling, dance classes, and a wide range of fitness courses as well as improvisational theatre and meditation. Most of the courses are beginner-oriented or offer the opportunity to sample something new or unfamiliar. The special thing about Bremen’s Hochschulsport: all courses are also open to external participants, because sports here are meant to be a bridge between the university and the general public. The full programme listing with dates and prices is available on the Hochschulsport website where courses be booked directly.

Much about artificial intelligence (AI) reminds us of the time when computers first came onto the market: There was a lot of scepticism, there was a lot of amazement and very few people anticipated how much the technology would change their everyday lives. That this will also be the case with AI was vividly demonstrated to around 150 participants at a conference in Schuppen 2 in Bremen's Überseestadt at the end of September, in an area that concerns everyone: health. The annual AI in Health conference is primarily organised by the U Bremen Research Alliance, a cooperation between the University of Bremen and German non-university research institutes. For good reason: Bremen is at the forefront of research and development in this field, and not just in northern Germany.

The best feedback came from the kids. No sooner had the summer project at meerMINT ended than the eager question arose: can we do it again during the autumn break? meerMINT wants to inspire children and teenagers to experiment and tinker in subjects that don't necessarily have a reputation among kids for being particularly exciting: mathematics, informatics, natural sciences and technology – MINT for short. Organised by the University of Bremen, meerMINT has been running since 2021. So that the project can continue to be successful, the organisers are looking for volunteers who want to pass on their experience to kids. Fun and praise guaranteed, see above. 

Research data – that sounds like dry subject matter, at best a playground for science nerds. But that couldn’t be further from the truth. Need an example? At the beginning of the pandemic in spring 2020, there was no research data on the effect of wearing masks. The result: politicians and health institutions meandered through the first months of the pandemic with contradictory opinions on wearing masks. For a broader public to better understand the importance of research data and how it’s handled, the U Bremen Research Alliance organised its first Research Data Day at the beginning of June – an excellent premiere.

After extensive discussions, the Academic Senate of the University of Bremen has adopted a new mission statement. The focus is on sustainability, climate justice and climate neutrality. In an interview with with the online magazine "up2date", President Jutta Günther explains how the University of Bremen has set out on the path to becoming a climate-friendly university and what expectations she has.

For students at the University of Bremen, climate protection has long been a major concern. Students are involved in environmental policy groups such as Students for Future and the AStA (student representation) also has its own department for sustainability.  There, we asked what students think about the university's new mission statement. 

When the summer semester begins in April, students from Faculty 7 – Economics can also get credit points for lectures and seminars if they take part in events organised by the alumni association. From now on, these points will be collected in a module called Career Development and Employability (CDE for short) offered by Maren Hartstock, research assistant and head of the Office for Practice and Transfer at Faculty 7. As an alumna herself, she knows what a difference it makes for students if they can establish professional contacts early on. This new cooperation between the alumni association and the faculty could develop into a classic win-win situation for everyone involved.

What are the career paths in the media industry? What problems and hurdles do you have to overcome in your professional life? How important are internships for starting a career? These and many other questions were answered by our alumni Christoph Sodemann, a journalist and PR expert for many years, and Benedikt Westphal, a junior account manager at a Bremen PR agency, at a talk with around 25 media studies students on 7 March. A very lively round, ably moderated by Fabio Schmidt, a media student who works part-time at Radio Bremen 4. Media Practice Week is organised by students at Faculty 9 - Cultural Studies as part of a practical seminar.

On 23-24 June 2023, the popular Open Campus event at the University of Bremen will be back again after the corona break. As always, the motto of the day is “Open Worlds – Share Knowledge!”. The alumni association will be there on Saturday, 24 June with its own pagoda – a good opportunity to talk to board members and office employees. And if you like, you can also make an original photo souvenir in our photo box, yours to keep. We are looking forward to seeing you!

With the support of the Alumni Association, the University of Bremen has now awarded the prize for outstanding doctoral supervision for the third time. Former doctoral students may nominate their supervisors for the award. The prize is also intended to make good supervision standards more visible and to promote a university-wide debate on what excellent doctoral supervision should look like. It is endowed with a total of 4000 euros and is provided exclusively for projects to support doctoral researchers. The 2023 announcement is open from 23.02.23 and can be found with all details here:

The polar ice is melting. Where glaciers on the Nordic archipelago of Spitsbergen ended in the sea ten years ago, bare rocks are now visible for kilometres. There could hardly be more striking images of global warming. Images that shock. Can the Arctic still be saved? For more than two years, the EU research project FACE-IT, led by marine biologists from the University of Bremen, has been exploring this question. What exactly are the researchers investigating? And what solutions are they arriving at? In the winter semester, around 20 media students from Bremen were able to find out directly from the source and develop a comprehensive FACE-IT media package from interviews, photos and research videos.

A good nine months after the start of Putin's war against Ukraine, we spoke again with historian Professor Wolfgang Eichwede about the course of the war, domestic tensions in Russia and prospects for peace. "The changing of borders by force by a major European power is an absolute catastrophe," says the founder of the Research Centre for East European Studies at the University of Bremen in a 30-minute conversation with Christoph Sodemann. Putin's authoritarian system is more brutal and impenetrable than the power apparatus of Soviet times. As a result, there is little reliable information about potential dissent within the current Russian regime. Eichwede's conclusion: "At the moment, I don't see any immediate chance for peace."

You can watch the full interview (in German) on our YouTube channel.

It’s decided: the University of Bremen is to come into the city centre with a second campus. In its session on 22 November 2022, the Bremen Senate gave its official approval. The plan, as developed by the Senate Chancellery with the City Centre Project Office, envisages at least one faculty moving into the former premises of the Bremer Landesbank, now NordLB, at Domshof. Newly built in 2016, the building is structurally and technologically up to date and complies with the latest energy standards, according to the Senate press release. For its part, the university has welcomed the possibilities of a partial move. Under initial consideration is the law faculty with its 1,300 students. The building at Domshof offers a standard that the university has not enjoyed before, said Chancellor Frauke Meyer. Nevertheless, the university wants to make sure that the planned move will not negatively impact the science budget or take money away from the construction projects on the main campus.

"It's crazy," says Julia Holz. "Before we shake hands with our international guests for the first time, we know so much about them because we’ve already been engaged with them for months." Ms Holz works as a coordinator at the U Bremen Research Alliance Welcome Center at the University of Bremen, which has just celebrated its tenth anniversary. She has been there almost from the beginning, together with Janna Wilbers, who is currently on parental leave. Thousands of international researchers also had reason to celebrate and congratulate – every year, the Welcome Team looks after up to 500 new arrivals in Bremen and Bremerhaven.

It’s a sweeping change. The University of Bremen is changing its mission statement, which is now more than 20 years old: the topics of climate and sustainability are to be given particular significance. This was decided by the Academic Senate in April 2022. Previously, a strong signal was sent with the establishment of a commission for sustainability, climate justice, and climate neutrality. These topics are to play a major role in all areas in the future. And a new English-language Bachelor's degree course is even to be established that is not subject-oriented but topic-oriented: "Natural Science for Sustainable Future".

The "CAMPUS PRIZE: Research for a Sustainable Future", which is also sponsored by the Alumni Association, fits very well with the focus of the University of Bremen in terms of content. This year again, final theses on questions of sustainable use of resources, protection of the environment, climate, oceans or other topics in the context of sustainability can be proposed for this prize until November 25. One doctoral thesis and one master's thesis will be selected from the nominations by the jury and awarded a total of 3,000 euros.

A long drawn out, “Well…” and then, "That was good. It's always nice when you win." So dry, so North German and so likeably modest is Dr Tim Laue's answer to the question of how it feels to be the new world champion in robot football. This is the ninth time that the University of Bremen’s Team B-Human, which is also supported by the alumni association, has been world champion. And this time they won all their games, 48 to 0! Here is artificial intelligence made in Bremen, robot football from another planet. After their magnificent success at RoboCup 2022 in Bangkok, Thailand, the programmers from Bremen made a remarkable promise.

With an inauguration ceremony including Bremen's mayor, Bremen’s science senator, the university chancellor and many guests on 6 September in the Mensa, the university’s new rector, Professor Jutta Günther, kicked embarked on her term of office with her new team of vice rectors. She was appointed Professor of Economics at the University of Bremen in 2014. The board of the alumni association congratulates the new rectorate and looks forward to a good working relationship.

Professor Gerd Glaeske has passed away. The health researcher died at the age of 77 on May 27, 2022, after a long period of illness. Glaeske was a pharmacist and worked for many decades in drug utilization research.

On 1st September 2022, the current president of the University of Bremen, Professor Bernd Scholz-Reiter, is taking his well-deserved retirement. His ten years in office were commemorated on 23rd June at a celebration in Campus Park with many guests of honor. The Academic Senate had on 15th June already confirmed the new vice-presidents, who will in future guide the fortunes of the University of Bremen together with the new president Professor Jutta Günther and Chancellor Frauke Meyer, who was elected in March. As of 1st September 2022, Professor Michal Kucera will be Vice-President for Research and Transfer, Professor Maren Petersen will be Vice-President for Teaching and Studies starting 1st October 2022, and Mandy Boehnke will be Vice-President for Internationalization, Academic Qualification and Diversity as of 1st September 2022. This will be the first time that the central academic structure will be represented in the rectorate.

Only a few days after the 80th birthday of Bremen historian Wolfgang Eichwede, the Bremen Senate honored him with the Senate Medal for Arts and Sciences on 15 June. At the ceremony in the Upper Town Hall, Mayor Andreas Bovenschulte paid tribute to the former University of Bremen professor for his work, which made an outstanding contribution to the advancement of German relations with Eastern Europe and to Bremen as a center of science. In a round of talks with four people who have accompanied Prof Eichwede on various stages of his life journey, the conversation shined a light on episodes and stops along the way.

Friendly, bright, functional. That is the impression given off by the newly built Horner Bad, which has enriched Bremen's swimming pool landscape since the beginning of June. Since the Unibad was closed to the public due to its condition and the pandemic, there is now once again an indoor pool in Bremen near the university – with 50-metre lanes. This marks the end of a long period of forced abstinence for those ambitious swimmers who do not practice their sport in a club. We tested the pool, which is already being hailed by the press as a "new flagship with supraregional appeal”.

"Architecturally, the University of Bremen and its campus are..." The university’s many students and employees over the past 51 years would certainly end this sentence in quite different ways. One with his own entirely individual answer is Hans-Joachim Orlok. For more than 25 years, he has been the head of building management at the university, putting heart and soul into the job. He is responsible for everything that has been built and is being built, both above and below ground. And he renovates, on a tight budget and with great creativity. Now he is retiring. The university magazine “up2date" recently did a profile on him.

Winning the title without conceding a single goal: B-Human – the robot soccer team from the University of Bremen and the German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence (DFKI) – has once again won the RoboCup German Open. In Hamburg, the Bremen team, which has also been supported by the Alumni Association for years, won all eight matches.

On 2 March, the Academic Senate elected Professor Jutta Günther as the new Rector, who will take office on 1 September 2022. The Bremen professor of economics will replace Professor Bernd Scholz-Reiter, who is retiring after ten years in office. The 22 members of the Academic Senate (AS) elected Professor Günther with 14 votes. Also standing for election was Professor Verena Blechinger-Talcott from the Free University (FU) Berlin, who received 8 votes.

"A baked fish, a pickled herring and a crab roll are sitting in the sauna…” What sounds like a joke is actually the invitation to an event on a topic that doesn’t readily invite jokes: The consequences of climate change for North Sea fisheries. "SCIENCE GOES PUBLIC!" is a format for reaching wider audiences that presents “dry” science topics in pubs in varied and humorous ways. The tenth instalment of this popular series runs from 10 March to 14 April 2022.

In September 2022, the University of Bremen's career-oriented mentoring programme ProMentes will enter its twelfth round. For a period of ten months, committed executives from business, culture and public administration act as mentors to advise and support students and graduates who are about to enter professional life. Alumni are cordially invited to participate as mentors or mentees.

One anniversary after another: No sooner has the University of Bremen wrapped up its 50th anniversary celebrations than Studierendenwerk Bremen, founded in 1972, begins its look back on a 50-year success story. Everyone at the university knows of Studierendenwerk, but most would be hard pressed to say where it is actually located. Some 300 employees make sure that everything runs smoothly for the 30,000 students at the four universities in the state of Bremen.

Last year, the University of Bremen adopted the SKILL programme, which is intended to advance digitalisation of teaching and studying. Will green boards and white chalk soon be a thing of the past? What kind of acceptance is this programme finding at the university? Where does the university stand in its own digitalisation efforts – and in comparison to other universities nationwide? In a video interview (in German), Christoph Sodemann spoke with the vice-rector responsible for the programme, Professor Thomas Hoffmeister, about these and other questions.

“future concepts bremen” are digital innovation projects at the University of Bremen that implement the basic principles of research-based learning and are intended to promote the transfer of knowledge and technology to business and society. future concepts offers students the opportunity to study in a practice-oriented way, to develop their professional and personal skills, and to collect career-building contacts with future employers.

After three semesters of online courses, the Uni Bremen campus is, since this past October, filled with life again. Under strict conditions, lectures and seminars are once again being held in person and many students are also returning to the dining hall (“Mensa”) and the university library. We asked around on campus to find out how students are getting on.

You’ve got your university acceptance, found a place to live, said goodbye to your home town, and now you’re waiting, full of anticipation, for your studies to begin. All the hurdles are behind you, and nothing stands in the way of a brilliant new phase of life. Finally seeing the university with your own eyes, meeting new people, and getting settled into academic life. Orientation Week is meant to ease you into your studies, bring you in contact with other students, and ensure that you know what to expect. But this winter, what has been standard practice for decades will take on the aura of something extra special.

When it comes to donors and foundations, most people think of the big ones: Bill & Melinda Gates, the Körber Foundation or German political party foundations. But there are other ways to make a difference. On the occasion of the university's 50th anniversary, the University of Bremen Foundation has launched an initiative that invites you to participate in numerous ways – and also to donate. The motto: Make sense.

The German Institute for Interdisciplinary Social Policy Research (DIFIS) of the Universities of Bremen and Duisburg-Essen was inaugurated by Federal Minister Hubertus Heil on 8 June. The ministry is funding the institute’s establishment and research with about eight million euros over five years. The institute is to conduct research on future social policy issues and promote the transfer between science and practice.

A group of children waits in front of the university library, neatly lined up in rows of two. Only a few students stroll along the boulevard. Nevertheless, university life seems to be gradually returning here. On the hottest day of the year thus far, we were on campus to take a closer look...

The Physics and Electrical Engineering Faculty pulled out all the stops to stage a high-tech online graduation. 230 participants switched on the ceremony and were treated to a multi-device experience: two parallel Zoom sessions working in concert with seven computers, two microphones, two projectors and two video cameras. The soundtrack: music from Star Wars and Schubert piano melodies live from Dr Christian Melsheimer's own music room. 76 of the 150 graduates present were honoured with live or pre-recorded contributions. The closing speech was given by our board member Dr Reinhard Ahlers, and after an hour’s delay the champagne corks were popped. Wow! Imitation recommended. 

Empty stadiums, strict hygiene rules — no problem for footballing robots. Yet for more than a year, the pandemic has brought play to a standstill for the high-tech kickers. That’s because their human masterminds have not been allowed to accompany them to tournaments, a hard blow for Team B-Human from the University of Bremen and the German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence (DKFI). But now humans and robots have done an end run around the virus and successfully competed in their first virtual tournament in Germany — a completely new challenge for the winning Bremen team.

The construction boom at the University of Bremen continues and perhaps the most exciting project is currently coming up behind NW1. In March 2022, the new NEOS complex will be inaugurated, housing the DIGITAL HUB Industry and the new headquarters of the IT service provider encoway. NEOS is also the future location of several university institutes, start-ups and an Open Innovation Lab, where SMEs and established industrial companies can experiment. This will be a "high-tech playground" according to our alumnus Christoph Ranze, who is the managing director of encoway. NEOS embodies a breathtaking success story that started a hundred metres away with three small offices.

It was uneventful and yet surely record-breaking: In early November, about 600 employees of our corporate member Sparkasse Bremen moved into the new headquarters on campus. After a construction period of only two years, the new building on the Universitätsallee was ready to move in. That is fast! Yet, the scheduled opening ceremony had to be canceled due to Covid-19. Since mid-December, employees work mostly from home. “Still, the new headquarters makes us excited for working from the office again,” says Sparkasse spokesperson Nicola Oppermann.

Against the backdrop of the Corona pandemic and the resulting drop in revenues, the current budget negotiations undoubtedly pose great challenges for all actors in politics and administration. At the same time, we, the alumni, are alarmed by the current discussions about the funding of the Science Plan 2025. Our board has addressed politics and the media with a statement. (German only)

The award for outstanding doctoral supervision is given to university professors and other eligible academics for their professional and encouraging support of doctoral candidates. The award honors both the demanding task of doctoral supervision and exemplary empowerment of early-career scholars. The Alumni of the University of Bremen e.V. supports this award by providing the prize money. Our board member Reinhard Ahlers is part of the jury. It is awarded for the specific purpose of facilitating the success of doctoral candidates. If your doctorate was awarded no more than six years ago and you were well supervised, you can nominate here until 30 April 2021.

Just in time for its anniversary, the University of Bremen has a new look – with vibrant colors that combine red and blue. The new variety of colors is supposed to give the university’s users more options for individual designs and, at the same time, strengthen the university’s visual identity and recognition value. 

Finally, another eye-catcher: The new building on campus for the Fraunhofer Institute for Digital Medicine MEVIS is about to be completed. The brilliant white building amazes with its arched lines, organic curves, and an asymmetric layout.

How can I start my career? What soft skills are necessary in order to be successful on the job market in my professional field? How do I best apply, or are there other ways of finding the perfect job for me? The Career Camp 2021 is supposed to answer these questions. It will be a mega event hosted by three departments – interdisciplinary, internationally, and unprecedented at the university. And right on time for the 50^th anniversary. The organizers think it important to integrate as many alumni and their knowhow as possible into the format. How? Find out here.

Since the beginning of the year, the pandemic has a firm grasp on all parts of life. The University of Bremen, too, was forced to stop its regular teaching and research activities. At the same time, scientists from many different fields have addressed Covid-19 and its implications over the past several months. The university magazine up2date.online has pooled these research activities – with an impressive result.

For Farhana and Fahmida it is all about instincts and love, about very elementary feelings when they talk about food. It is a way of life. Food culture in Germany? The two master students from Bangladesh and Pakistan prefer to talk about literature, environmental protection, and other reasons why they came to Germany. In Bremen they represent the students from their two home countries, about one hundred from Pakistan and more than 150 from Bangladesh. Quite a few. And that is not the only thing that takes us by surprise when we meet.

After 15 months of building, the BIOM had its roofing ceremony at the end of August. Its name is a reference to an actual biome. It will be an attractive clinker construction, in which approximately 1,000 students and more than 100 staff members of the Biology Department in the future will conduct research, teach, and learn.