The University of Göttingen is an internationally renowned research university. Founded in 1737 in the Age of Enlightenment, the University is committed to the values of social responsibility of science, democracy, tolerance and justice. It offers a comprehensive range of subjects across 13 faculties: in the natural sciences, humanities, social sciences and medicine. With about 30,000 students and more than 210 degree programmes, the University is one of the largest in Germany.
New press releases
Senate passes motion to vote out the President
On 2 October 2024, the motion to vote out the President, Professor Metin Tolan, was submitted at a special meeting of the Senate of the University of Göttingen. The senators present voted in favour of this dismissal with the necessary majority. The Senate's proposal for dismissal will only take effect if it is confirmed by the University Foundation Committee.
more…Mystery of Uruguay’s amethyst geodes
Amethyst is a violet variety of quartz which has been used as a gemstone for many centuries and is a key economic resource in northern Uruguay. Amethyst geodes have been found in cooled lava flows, which date from the original breakup of the supercontinent Gondwana around 134 million years ago. However, their formation has remained a mystery. So, a research team led by the University of Göttingen investigated using cutting-edge techniques.
more…Megadiverse flowering plant family on isolated islands
Asteraceae, a family of flowering plants are the most diverse group of flowering plants in the world. This plant family comprises around 34,000 species. A research team found that an unexpectedly high number of evolutionary events occurred in the aster family within relatively short time periods on many islands worldwide.
more…Greenwashing in food labelling
A research team led by Göttingen University found that the label ‘climate neutral’ makes food appear significantly more climate-friendly than it actually is. Even when information about how the damage to the climate is being offset was explained, this did not stop consumers gettting the wrong idea. In contrast, a traffic light labelling system helped people to better assess the climate impact of food. The results were published in the journal Food Quality and Preference.
more…Honey bees fly to organic farming
Honey bees are valued both for their honey and their ability to pollinate crops. However, populations are suffering from the loss of areas of wild flowers in intensive farming, pesticide applications and from the influence of pathogens, so it is all the more important to understand what keeps them healthy. Researchers at the Universities of Halle and Göttingen discovered that organic farming and flower strips can promote the health of honey bees.
more…Good results for the University of Göttingen
The University of Göttingen has achieved a good position in the Shanghai Ranking again. In the Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU) 2024, the University falls in the category of sixth to eleventh place in Germany, along with the Universities of Frankfurt, Cologne, Mainz, Münster and Tübingen. ARWU is primarily based on a university's research performance and analyses data from more than 1,500 universities around the world.
more…