News 2020

Climate change is impacting not only the oceans, but also large inland lakes. As the world’s largest lake, the Caspian Sea is a perfect example of how a body of water can and will change. Authors of scientific article call for more attention to regions with falling water levels.

The Center for Computing Technologies (TZI) at the University of Bremen has been significantly contributing to the technological location Bremen since 1995. This year, the TZI is celebrating its 25th birthday. It is time to take a look into the past and the future of this strong research institute.

InnoWi GmbH - long-standing patent agency of Bremen State universities will assume the tasks of a state patent and trade mark center. It thus becomes an official cooperation partner of the German Patent and Trade Mark Office. InnoWi will be able to provide better support in the field of IP rights.

A trustworthy, intelligent voice assistant is to help production staff to provide answers to specialist questions – immediately, solidly, and reliably. An international team from science and industry is now researching this under Bremen’s direction and as part of an EU project.

The university is completely switching to online classes. Classes will only take place digitally until initially January 10, 2021. This new regulation also affects laboratory sessions and learning spaces on campus.

Success for the meerMINT STEM cluster in Bremen State. New recreational offers are being created for children and youths who are particularly interested in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (in short: STEM). The aim is to expediently strengthen their interests and talents.

Professor Veronika Eyring from the Faculty of Physics/Electrical Engineering has received the 2021 Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Prize from the German Research Foundation for outstanding work in the field of climate modelling. The most renowned German scientific prize is endowed with 2.5 million euros.

It is an award for an extraordinary woman: The master’s student Sanaz Sadat Afzali from the University of Bremen received this year’s DAAD Prize for outstanding achievements of international students studying at German universities. The prize is endowed with 1,000 euros.

In the current Nature Index ranking, the University of Bremen is among the top 5 German research institutes for earth and environmental sciences. The index from the scientific journal Nature is based on article publications in renowned journals.

At what depth beneath the seabed does it become so hot that microbial life is no longer possible? This question is the focus of a close scientific cooperative effort between the Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC) and MARUM at the at the University of Bremen.

Three projects from teacher education students will receive this year’s PORTAL Prize from the Center for Teacher Education and Education Research (ZfLB). The award honors particularly successful initiatives and projects under conditions that have radically changed due to the corona pandemic.

Good news from the German Research Foundation (DFG): They have approved the international training group at the Center for Industrial Mathematics (ZeTeM) at the University of Bremen for a further four years. The funding amount is around 4 million euros between April 2021 and September 2025.

Caregivers are exposed to extreme physical and mental strain. This leads to a decreased level of health and more absences due to illness. That is the result of this year’s Care Report, which the SOCIUM Research Center on Inequality and Social Policy put together.

Millions in funding for the University of Bremen. The University of Bremen is a part of two collaborative research centers (CRCs) funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG). They focus on topics surrounding marine sciences and physics.

Professor Bernd Scholz-Reiter, President of the University of Bremen, was re-elected Vice President of the German Rectors’ Conference (HRK). His focus continues to be on international affairs. He has been in office since December 2018.

Teaching is challenging in times of a pandemic. At the university, this is recognized by the Berninghausen Prize. Therefore, this year, there is not only the traditional student prize. Two teaching staff also receive an award in the category “excellent teaching under COVID-19 circumstances”.

Making artificial intelligence usable for small and medium-sized companies – that is the focus of the KI_Cafe research project. The Bremen Institute for Mechanical Engineering (bime) at the University of Bremen is introducing a teaching and learning system in two companies for this purpose.

A project from the University of Bremen received the “Norddeutscher Wissenschaftspreis” (North German Science Prize) for 2020. The prize was digitally awarded today (November 25, 2020) by the state science ministers from Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Lower Saxony, Bremen, Hamburg, and Schleswig Holstein.

The “International Universities Climate Alliance”(IUCA) has called on the G20 leaders to increase efforts to combat climate change. In the run-up to the G20 summit, members warn that failure to do so will have devastating effects on future generations.

How does the pandemic impact on the regional economy? This is the question addressed in the study “Structural Change through COVID-19: Implications for Innovation Policy in the Bremen State” published by the University of Bremen and the Hamburg Institute of International Economics (HWWI).

Another consequence of corona: Many companies need to increase the tempo of digitalization and this results in questions: What needs to actually be considered in terms of data protection and security? The Cybersecurity Navigator, which was developed by the University of Bremen, provides answers.

How do children develop a sense of rules and morals? This is one of the things that the Department of Developmental and Education Psychology at the University of Bremen is working on in a research network. All of the network’s scientific studies are bundled on the internet.

The Department of Communications Engineering of the University of Bremen is an important partner in the Mobile Medical Technology for Integrated Emergency Care and Accident Medicine (MOMENTUM) research project. The goal is a better exchange of data between rescue services and emergency center – 5G i

The Wolfgang Ritter Prize for Outstanding Economic Works has been awarded for the 35th time. Three dissertations were honored – one prize was awarded to the University of Bremen graduate Thomas Scholdra.

In the future, wind turbines will be able to be operated in a more environmentally friendly and economical way – thanks to a digital twin. To this end, scientists at the University of Bremen are now conducting research together in the new WindIO project.

Climate protection, change, and crisis: Humans affect the climate, and as a result the environment - even the immediate one - is changing. The “Klima – Ich wandle mich!” project initiated by MARUM aims to give pupils concrete information about the options for action that they have.

Interested University members and the general public have the opportunity to take part in the first YUFE Academy in November and December 2020. The ten partner universities are offering online lectures on Europe-related topics. Registration is open now.

In the frame of the key discipline of data science, one can gain important insights from complex data sets. With the Data Science Center (DSC), the University of Bremen is creating optimum conditions for forward-thinking, data-led, and cooperative science.

Hungary, Brazil, Turkey, and the USA: The principle of liberal democracy is being questioned in many different places. The U Bremen Excellence Chair guest professor Shalini Randeria is investigating this topic together with some of the most important intellectual voices of our time in a new podcast.

In 2015/2016, high ocean temperatures led to global coral bleaching. A study under the leadership of the department of Marine Ecology at the University of Bremen now shows that coral reefs have the ability to recover from such disasters faster than anticipated – if humans leave them in peace.

Children with a developmental language disorder often have trouble understanding language. This often results in them finding general learning difficult. Around seven percent of all children are affected. The International Developmental Language Disorder Awareness Day on October 16 aims to draw atte

Based on population, Bremen is one of the most active German states according to the current Startup Monitor 2020. In the top ten of the German startup universities, the University of Bremen shares rank four with the Technical University of Munich (LMU) and the University of Mannheim.

The Academic Senate Research Committee has recognized the Dual PhD program offered by the Center for Teacher Education and Education Research (ZfLB) as the first structured PhD program at the University of Bremen.

Small and medium-sized enterprises of the logistics industry face massive challenges in the technological transformation. But they will not be left on their own: Early-career researchers, who will soon be able to help companies, are being trained In the BreLogIK further training program.

The Center for Computing Technologies (TZI) at the University of Bremen is contributing to a research project that is counting on artificial intelligence to ensure the protection of complex communication networks.

The mobile networks of the future are vital for German industry. Researching and testing the application of such networks together with industry is the aim of the Industrial Radio Lab Germany project. The field of communication engineering at the University of Bremen is playing a decisive role.

Those who still wish to apply to the University of Bremen can find attractive degree opportunities: You can still enroll in non-restricted bachelor’s degree programs from October 1-15. More information will be available at the “Abi Zukunft” online fair.

Scientists at the University of Bremen are contributing to the North German innovation network KI-Space with two sub-projects. The aim is to increase the use of methods of artificial intelligence (AI) in the field of medical technology.

An international team of researchers has analyzed data from deep-sea sediments in order to reconstruct Earth’s climate. The team was led by MARUM – Center for Marine Environmental Sciences at the University of Bremen – and Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK).

In a joint study, researchers from Jacobs University Bremen, the University of Bremen, and the Leibniz Centre for Tropical Marine Research (ZMT) have for the first time predicted the vulnerability of tropical coral reef habitats based on measurable environmental factors.

From Monday, September 14, 2020, there will be 250 places available for students and staff between the hours of 11:30 a.m. and 2:15 p.m. Payment is only possible with a Mensa card.

Playing games in order to be able to operate better later? Students at the University of Bremen together with researchers from varying disciplines have developed a game that trains a type of “Guide using tone”. This could help in the field of medicine one day.

Tuna: Popular and tasty, but sensitive. Processing is complex – especially thawing. The Institute for Microsensors, -actuators and -systems (IMSAS) at the university is now developing a sensor that aims to reliably recognize when the goods have been thawed to their core.

Does the archiving and provision of data lead to cooperative science and a growth in knowledge? Experts will discuss this topic during an online debate at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, September 9, 2020. The event host is the U Bremen Research Alliance.

Research for the newest mobile network generation: The Department of Communications Engineering within the Faculty of Physics/Electrical Engineering is coordinating the BMBF collaborative project FunKI. The project focusses on the application of artificial intelligence in future 5G and 6G networks.

46 students from the University of Bremen and the Jacobs University are working for 12 regional companies as part of the PRAXIS Summer Camp held by the Faculty of Business Studies & Economics. The participants will present their results via Zoom on Friday, August 28, 2020.

Students from the University of Bremen have developed digital learning materials for 5th and 6th grade school pupils in Bremen as part of an online seminar. The basics of mathematics and writing have been realized in the form of interactive exercises on the itslearning platform.

The State and University Library Bremen has come first place in the Best-Practice Competition of the German Library Association and Association of German Librarians. The motto was The Self-Explanatory Library – Becoming Information-Competent in Passing by Using Services.

The Institute of Public Health and Nursing Research is looking for participants for the short study Corona Data Donation App from the Robert Koch Institute. With the survey, scientists wish to find our which feelings people connect to the donation of data.

In January 2021, the advanced master’s degree program Work-Consultation-Organization. Forming Participative Processes (Arbeit-Beratung-Organisation. Prozesse partizipativ gestalten) will start at the University of Bremen. This part-time offer is unique in Germany and aimed at work representatives.

The psychology professor Markus Janczyk has received this year’s science prize for early career researchers from the Wilhelm Wundt Society. The prize is awarded for outstanding achievements in foundation research within the field of psychology.

Studying abroad despite current travel restrictions? This is possible with the virtual courses of the YUFE Introduction Offer. Students can register for online seminars at one of the ten participating European universities.

The extent of Arctic sea ice in July is the lowest ever recorded. This was discovered by researchers of the MOSAIC expedition of the Alfred Wegener Institute (AWI). The University of Bremen is also involved in the research project.

Students in need of a place to revise, can do so at the University of Bremen from Monday, July 20, 2020, onwards. They have the chance to book a working space for themselves or their revision group at varying locations on campus. Hygiene regulations must be adhered to.

For the first time, a woman is to become Director of Finance and Administration at the University of Bremen. In a meeting on July 15, 2020, the Academic Senate (AS) made the decision. The AS agrees with the President’s nomination for Frauke Meyer to succeed Dr. Martin Mehrtens.

A team led by the University of Bremen is developing new solutions to close the safety loopholes in smart home systems. The project is to create new ways for the usage of digital technologies to harmonize with the demand for data protection and privacy.

The world’s glaciers are melting, and the temperatures are rising more quickly in the Arctic and the globe’s high mountain regions where they are located. In order to predict the further melting of the glaciers, an international study led by the University of Bremen has compared various models.

Students with a teaching orientation and PhD students can be nominated for the PORTAL Prize until October 15, 2020: The Center for Teacher Education and Education Research wants to honor exemplary dedication during the corona pandemic with the distinction. The prize money amounts to 6,000 euros.

The new Copernicus CO2 monitoring satellites (CO2M) are based on the CarbonSat Concept from the Institute of Environmental Physics (IUP), University of Bremen. The European Space Agency (ESA) has chosen the Bremen space travel company OHB for the construction of new CO2M-greenhouse gas satellites.

Planned maintenance avoids interruptions, yet there are more resource-saving, efficient solutions according to scientists at the Institute for Integrated Product Development (BIK), University of Bremen. For example, the “machine ECG”. That is the working title of the system they are currently creati

The German government is promoting the development of high-tech, key technologies so that more electronic components can be produced in Germany. The Computer Architecture working group is part of one of the first funding projects and is taking on the function of the TÜV, so to speak.

Together with two other universities and the technology company Continental, the University of Bremen is carrying out research on automated vehicles. The PRORETA project deals with the recognition of complex traffic situations in city centers.

Bremen will play a decisive role in the new National Research Data Infrastructure. Based on the recommendation of the DFG, the Joint Science Conference has decided to fund four consortiums with Bremen participation. Coordination of the NFDI4BioDiversity consortium is managed by MARUM.

This year, perspektive promotion is celebrating its 10th birthday. With the program, the Unit for Equal Opportunities successfully offers workshops and individual consultation for female PhD students in the humanities and social sciences. The offer is now being extended to the STEM subjects.

The university wishes to offer as many face-to-face lessons as possible in the winter semester. After comprehensive discussions, the Academic Senate members decided the following on June 17: Face-to-face lessons should have priority over digital teaching, as far as is possible regarding the pandemic

The university library is offering individual working spaces in its headquarters and at the Juridicum with immediate effect. Visiting to find literature, borrow media, and make copies has been possible since the beginning of May. Learning spaces at the university are also to be made available soon.

A team of researchers led by the University of Bremen and the National Autonomous University of Mexico has determined the ecological changes in the Mexican Caribbean coral reefs over the past 40 years. The results: Only few reefs are still dominated by coral.

How do children and youths learn to deal with digital media? And how can the practical work of people at non-school locations such as FabLabs be integrated into schools? That is what the FabuLoUS project is investigating. The project is being coordinated by the University of Bremen.

People in need of care are among the most affected during the corona crisis. Sixty percent of all deceased were people cared for in nursing homes or by outpatient care services. An online survey shows, people in need of care make up only 8.5 percent of the total number of infected persons.

A science and medical technology consortium is developing a technical system that automatically ensures optimum lighting in operating theaters. It compensates shadows that develop due to the surgery team moving around and can be expediently controlled using gestures and voice.

Prospective students can learn more about the courses offered by the University of Bremen through numerous online events. Starting on June 15 and ending on July 3, 2020, most events will take place from June 22 and 26, 2020 during the Virtual Information Week for Prospective Students (VISi).

The University of Bremen has been successful twice in the German research Foundation’s (DFG) choice of new Priority Programs. The Faculty of Geosciences and Faculty of Production Engineering belong to the 14 new programs that have been chosen from 49 submitted initiatives.

After a one-and-a-half-year preparation phase, the Research Institute for Social Cohesion began its work on June 1, 2020. The institute is receiving 40 million euros in funding from the Federal Ministry of Education and Research. The University of Bremen is a member.

The Institute of Public Health and Nursing Research (IPP) at the University of Bremen is looking for participants for the new “Stress and Resources in Times of the Corona Pandemic” study. Everyone who is over 18 and owns a smartphone can take part.

Two sociologists from the university are involved in the Equal Care Day initiative, which addresses national politics with a manifesto. It calls for a long-term strategy for the fair distribution of private and professional care work, and can be signed online.

Completing a PhD and practical teacher training phase at a school at the same time. That is what future teachers can do within the university’s unique Dual PhD program. Applications can be submitted from now until July 15, 2020. There are a total of eight scholarships available.

In the fight against the spread of the corona pandemic, tracking contact with apps could be an important component for reducing the rate of transmission. It could support the work of health authorities. This is what experts from the Public Health on COVID-19 network have found out.

The 2020 HUCKEPACK Storybook Prize goes to Adrian Does NOT Have A Horse by Marcy Campbell and Corinna Luyken. This is the fifth time that the Institute of Storybook Research at the University of Bremen has awarded the prize together with the Phantastische Bibliothek library in Wetzlar.

The insertion of hip implants places high demands on surgeons. To help young doctors practice this operation under realistic conditions, scientists from the University of Bremen and Chemnitz University of Technology are developing a dynamic hip implant simulator.

Completing a PhD and practical teacher training phase at a school at the same time. That is what future teachers can do within the university’s unique Dual PhD program. Applications can be submitted from now until June 1, 2020. There are a total of eight scholarships available.

This funding enables an immense amount of freedom so that innovative, scientific work can be carried out: The German Research Foundation (DFG) has granted Professor Rolf Drechsler a Reinhart Koselleck Project once more. The funding amount, which is spread over five years, exceeds 1.5 million euros.

Students can borrow literature for the digital summer semester from the SuUB headquarters again. There and at the Juridicum library, essays can be copied and scanned. The Bremen and Bremerhaven University of Applied Sciences and the University of the Arts Bremen offer a collection service.

In the current university ranking by the Centre for Higher Education development (CHE), the majority of the assessed university subjects take top spots in terms of the evaluation of support for degree starts. Furthermore, individual areas also landed on the top spots in other categories.

It is often more turbulent in the human bloodstream than is actually good for the human body. That is what an international research team led by Dr. Duo Xu from the Center of Applied Space Technology and Microgravity (ZARM) at the University of Bremen has found out.

The 2020 “CAMPUS AWARD: Research for a Sustainable Future” was awarded to two University of Bremen graduates – engineer Dr. Georg Pesch and the marine biologist Julian Engel, who wrote his master’s thesis at the Leibniz Centre for Marine Tropical Research (ZMT).

In order to promote digitalization of teaching, research, and administration, the University Executive Board has named Andreas Breiter as the University of Bremen’s first Chief Digital Officer – in short: CDO.

The government is funding the “All is data” project with 1.1 million euros. The Institute for Information Management Bremen GmbH at the University of Bremen is carrying out the research together with the University of Cologne and the TU Kaiserslautern.

Everything is online thanks to corona: The Faculty of Mathematics/Computer Science and Faculty of Production Engineering at the university and also the Fraunhofer IFAM have, for the first time, designed the interdisciplinary “Sensory Materials” lecture series online and opened it to the public.

The biologist Professor Rita Groß-Hardt will receive the ERC Proof of Concept Grant from the European Research Council. Within the TriVolve project, the scientist and her team want to investigate whether plant breeds produced by so-called three-parent-hybridization can be implemented in agriculture.

Thanks to an exemplary concept for further training that combines digitalization, internationalization, and lifelong learning as three important elements, the University of Bremen is receiving funding of 10,000 euros from the Stifterverband and Daimler Foundation.

Creating socially innovative ideas and projects from the living room: This is what high school students, university students, apprentices, and young professionals aged between 18 and 35 can do on May 8 and 9 at the digital “Festival of Action”. Participation is free of charge.

In a podcast interview, Klaus Schlichte from the Collaborative Research Centre 1342 “Global Dynamics of Social Policy” at the University of Bremen looks at the Covid-19 pandemic in African countries and the measures taken by governments there.

Two free apps from the University of Bremen are to simplify media research despite social distancing. They were developed by ZeMKI. The Hamburg Leibniz Institute for Media Research | Hans Bredow Institute (HBI) and the Institute for Information Management Bremen GmbH (ifib) were also involved.

The coronavirus is keeping Germany and the whole world on its toes and politicians must make quick decisions that affect many people. A network of around 20 specialist associations, including the University of Bremen, is aiming to help improve the basis for such decisions.

The summer semester 2020 will begin with lectures on April 20. The classes offered will mainly take place digitally. The students can find out more about the digital formats available from April 14 onwards.

Researchers of the Deutsches Jugendinstitut (DJI – German Youth Institute) and the University of Bremen recommend a general entitlement to a nine-year career break in order to care for children, the elderly, or to pursue further education and self-care.

The University of Bremen is one of the founding members of the International Universities Climate Alliance. The network was established by 35 worldwide leading universities in the field of climate research. The University of Bremen is the only German member.

The loan fund of the Bremen Student Services Organization will be increased so that students in need of help can be financially supported. This was decided by the Bremen Senate on Tuesday.

The University of Bremen has a new vice president research. Jutta Günther will enter into office on April 1, 2020. The professor of economics is the successor of the computer science professor Andreas Breiter.

It was with great sorrow that the University of Bremen came to know of the death of its staff member Dr. Andreas Hilboll. The postdoctoral researcher from the Faculty of Physics/Electrical Engineering passed away in a hospital in Crete due to COVID-19.

University of Bremen, Bremen and Bremerhaven Universities of Applied Sciences, and University of the Arts Bremen are entering into emergency operation mode. Only the most necessary areas will be maintained on site. That is what the management teams and the senator for science and ports agreed on.

Due to the threat posed by coronavirus, all locations of the Bremen State and University Library (SuUB) will remain closed until and on April 18, 2020. Digital services remain available. No fees will be charged for the overrunning of lending periods of borrowed books.

Teaching at the University of Bremen is to be digitalized as far as is possible for the coming summer semester. That is what the crisis committee at the University of Bremen decided during their meeting today. This is being done to curb the danger of coronavirus spreading on campus.

Please note: The Bremen Study Prize ceremony in the city hall, which was planned for today (March 10), has been cancelled. This is a precautionary measure due to coronavirus.

The University of Bremen is coordinating an EU project on international research into the Arctic. The European Commission is fostering international research in the Arctic with the FACE-IT project. The university is receiving 1.16 million euros for this purpose.

Using built-in sensors to automatically characterize damage using ultrasonic waves and artificial intelligence - that is the goal of the new DFG research group FOR3022 with the participation of the Leibniz Institute for Materials Oriented Technologies - IWT and the University of Bremen.

In a new molecular genetics study, Professor Rita Groß-Hardt and her team have shown that it is possible to ‘smuggle’ genetic information past ‘quality checkpoints’ within the reproduction process of plants. The discovery is of particular interest for agriculture of the future.

In February and March 2020, the Foreign Languages Centre for the Universities in the Land of Bremen (FZHB) is offering various courses where you can refresh your language skills or even learn a new language. All interested citizens of Bremen can participate.

Scientists at the University of Bremen and ISD Hamburg have analyzed 63 studies on online gambling – most of them warn of the dangers. As a result, the Bremen gambling researcher Dr. Tobias Hayer is demanding strict regulations.

In the frame of the International Holocaust Remembrance Day, the University of Bremen is inviting everyone to a talk by Professor Christoph U. Schminck-Gustavus. On January 27, 2020, the law scholar will be speaking about Walerian Wróbel who was killed at the age of 17 by the Nazis.

The University of Bremen has developed a new transfer strategy. The aim is to organize communication, dialog, and cooperation with politics, economy, and society in a closer and more efficient manner. The university will take target-oriented action in six specific areas.

When employed relatives take over family care for a longer period, they lose 2.7 percent of their hourly wage. That is the result of a study carried out by the SOCIUM Research Center on Inequality and Social Policy at the University of Bremen together with the German Centre of Gerontology.

The senator for science and ports, Dr. Claudia Schilling, supports the University of Bremen with the creation of a European university. Schilling took part in a network meeting at the University of Maastricht.

The University of Bremen will initiate the process to fill the position of director of finance and administration as quickly as possible, as has been agreed by the University Executive Board and Bremen State Science Department.

A strong network within material research has been established at the University of Bremen with the MAPEX Center for Materials and Processes. The center has now been granted 2.2 million euros by the German research Foundation (DFG) to build a device for 3D laser metal deposition.

At 4 p.m. on January 16, 2020, the University of Bremen will be saying goodbye to 490 graduates of the following degree courses in the Glocke: Business Studies, Economics, and Engineering Management. Prizes will also be awarded at the ceremony.

The computer sciences professor Tanja Schultz was named as an IEEE fellow from January 1, 2020. The honorary membership from the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers is awarded to persons who have produced outstanding work. This is a great honor for the University of Bremen.

Revising in the university library on Sunday will be possible from January 12, 2020. For six weeks, the headquarters on the university campus will be open until 8 p.m. on Saturdays (instead of 6 p.m.) and will additionally open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sundays. Books cannot be borrowed or returned.

School is the main focus: How one can create modern spelling lessons and what role does fear plays in math lessons – those are the topics of two conferences at the University of Bremen in January 2020.