uni.news

Researchers at Cluster of Excellence CITEC analyze brain waves

Just how cartoonish can a character in a movie or video game look so that the audience relates to him? Researchers at Bielefeld University’s Cluster of Excellence Cognitive Interaction Technology (CITEC) investigated this question, analyzing how the brain responds differently to photo-realistic and more stylized characters. Their work resulted in the following finding: cartoon characters can elicit the same emotions as human actors, but they don’t do not stay in the viewer’s memory as long. Along with their teams, psychology Professor Dr. Johanna Kißler and computer science Professor Dr. Mario Botsch presented their study on Thursday, 23 March 2017 in “Scientific Reports,” a journal published by the Nature Publishing Group.[Weiterlesen]

International THE ranking of universities aged 50 years or under: Number 22 worldwide, Number 4 in Germany

For the sixth time in a row, Bielefeld University has been ranked as one of the best young universities in the world. In the ‘Young University Rankings’, published on Wednesday (5th of April 2017), Bielefeld University is ranked twenty-second; among German universities, it is fourth. Compared to last year, this is an improvement of one place in each ranking. The ‘Young University Rankings’, formerly called the ‘150 Under 50’, is viewed as an internationally influential university ranking carried out by the British academic magazine ‘Times Higher Education’ (THE). Following this year’s ranking, the Rektor of Bielefeld University, Professor Dr.-Ing. Gerhard Sagerer, gave an interview to the THE.[Weiterlesen]

Five medical research projects to be launched at Bielefeld University

Bielefeld University is strengthening its cooperations in medical research. In five new projects, scientists at the university are cooperating with the University hospitals of the Ruhr University of Bochum in the Ostwestfalen-Lippe region. The projects are being funded by Bielefeld University’s Forschungsfonds Medizin, and the first will start this April. The state of North Rhine-Westphalia set up the fund in July 2016. Topics covered by the new cooperations range from heart and cancer research to regenerative medicine.[Weiterlesen]

Physicists at Bielefeld University develop new methods for microscopic research

How do tumours grow? And how do bacteria transform harmless substances into medical agents? When biophysicists want to understand what is happening in living cells, they have to introduce fluorescent probes  or other foreign molecules. There are several ways to overcome the cell wall without causing the cell permanent harm. Physicists at Bielefeld University have developed a particularly gentle method for this: nanoinjection. In a new study to be found in ‘Scientific Reports’ published by ‘Nature’, they show that with this method, nine out of ten cells survive being injected with foreign molecules.

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Bielefeld University and University of Kassel head major academic policy project with up to 20 million Euros of funding

A new research centre with its headquarters in Guadalajara, Mexico will be studying how Latin American societies solve crises. Bielefeld University and the University of Kassel are setting up the second Merian Centre in the world in cooperation with the University of Hannover and the University of Jena. The University of Guadalajara’s inspiration when founding the institute comes from Bielefeld University’s Center for Interdisciplinary Research (ZiF). The Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) will be funding each Merian Centre for up to twelve years with up to 20 million Euros. This makes it the most highly funded research project on Latin America currently being sponsored by Germany.

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Bielefeld University’s Institute for Interdisciplinary Research on Conflict and Violence (IKG) to head new research partnership

The Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) is funding the X-SONAR research partnership to analyse extremist activities in social networks. This new research partnership is being coordinated by Bielefeld University’s Institute for Interdisciplinary Research on Conflict (IKG). With a grant of  3 million Euros, the partnership will not only be carrying out basic research on how radical extremist groups communicate with, recruit, and mobilize people in virtual reality but also analysing possible forms of prevention and intervention.[Weiterlesen]

Cooperation between Bielefeld University and the University of Yaounde I

YaBiNaPA, which stands for ‘Natural Products with Antiparasite and Antibacterial Activity’, is the name of the new bilateral graduate school set up by Bielefeld University and the University of Yaounde I (Cameroon) that has now been opened in Cameroon. Representatives of Bielefeld University travelled to the opening ceremony.
Professor Dr. Norbert Sewald (Bielefeld University’s Faculty of Chemistry), Professor Dr. Gabriele Fischer von Mollard (Dean of Bielefeld University’s Faculty of Chemistry), and Dr. Thomas Lüttenberg (Head of Bielefeld University’s International Office) travelled to Cameroon for the YaBiNaPA opening ceremony that was also attended by the German Ambassador to Cameroon Dr. Hans-Dieter Stell.[Weiterlesen]

The university canteen in the Building X will reopen tomorrow, 17 February. The Studierendenwerk [Association for Student Affairs] informs: “However, the technical malfunctions in the power supply have damaged several kitchen devices so that these can momentarily not be used any more. That is why we start with a changed menu.“[Weiterlesen]

Due to technical reasons the university canteen in the Building X has to remain closed tomorrow, 16 February. The Studierendenwerk [Association for Student Affairs] informs: “The Studierendenwerk is working to expand the offerings in the Westend and the cafeterias in Building X and the University of Applied Sciences as much as possible to deal with the increased demand.“
We will keep you updated here with the latest information: www.uni-bielefeld.de/uni.aktuell[Weiterlesen]

Canadian guests on return visit to Bielefeld University

In which specific fields of study could cooperation be viable between the higher education regions of Alberta in Canada and Ostwestfalen-Lippe (OWL)? This was the main topic during a visit to Bielefeld University by Doug Weir (Executive Director, Student Programs and Services, University of Alberta) and Meghan McKinnie (Manager, Education Abroad and International Partnerships, MacEwan University).[Weiterlesen]