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Profiling

The Bielefeld way

As a reform university, Bielefeld University stands for constant renewal. This also means dynamically shaping our research profile and promoting topics with great future potential. With the current profile-building process, we are on precisely this path: building on outstanding collaborative research projects and excellent structures, we are pursuing the goal of creating a characteristic profile that gives us an identity internally, visibility externally and strengthens our international competitiveness.

And why the Bielefeld way? Because we are embarking on this journey together: The emerging themes in the profile-building process are to be largely shaped by the university's academics themselves. They are invited to present their projects and research ideas, inspire others and jointly define goals for further development. The entire university - in research, studies, teaching and in its diverse networks - should benefit from this.

We need to invest in our strengths. We need to network, support and promote creative, innovative and high-performing scientists under the umbrella of common themes. However, profile building is not just about research. It also includes teaching and the development of the location as a whole. This is the Bielefeld way: thinking ahead and pursuing clear goals together openly and courageously.
Angelika Epple, Rector

Levels of profile development

© Universität Bielefeld

Exploration areas

support new, forward-looking research ideas. Here, scientists can work out their concepts and find collaborators without the need for extensive preparatory work. They are used to prepare collaborative research projects.
© Universität Bielefeld

Focus areas

demonstrate the research strength of Bielefeld University. They stand for excellent research topics with great future potential for our university. They deepen and further develop successful interdisciplinary approaches. Researchers from at least two faculties work together in a focus area.

The currently established focus areas are described here.
© Universität Bielefeld

Profile areas

form the most important stage of Bielefeld's profile development and are the flagship of Bielefeld University's research strength. Their topics are decisive for Bielefeld's research landscape, are characterised by their particular influence on research and teaching and set international standards.

The process of establishing profile areas is still ongoing.

Growing together: BI.research Conference

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Once a year, the process of building our profile becomes particularly visible and tangible: when several hundred researchers and interested university members from all areas - from students to employees in technology and administration - come together to talk about precisely this: What are the defining (research) topics of the future for our university?

At the BI.research Conference, our central participatory process module, research approaches are presented, ideas are exchanged, topics are further developed and new interdisciplinary connections are created.

A report on the BI.research Conference 2025 can be found here.