News in research and teaching

Twins can help science understand whether our lives are more strongly influenced by genetic factors or environmental factors. Researchers, including Saarland University Professor Frank Spinath, are building a nationwide twin registry for studies exploring these questions. Spinath is looking for twins of all ages who are willing to participate in scientific studies. Twins interested in participating can register in the Gertrud portal, where they can view upcoming studies. [...]

Wie sie ihre individuellen Stärken entdecken können und welche Methoden es gibt, Herausforderungen des Alltags zu lösen – das erfahren Schülerinnen und Schüler der Oberstufe in einem Workshop der Fachrichtung Psychologie. Der dreistündige Workshop mit dem Titel „Ideenwerkstatt: Talente entdecken und Zukunft gestalten“ findet am Freitag, 6. März, ab 9 Uhr auf dem Unicampus statt. Eine Anmeldung ist bis zum 4. März möglich. [...]

Wer sich auf eine neue Stelle bewirbt, sollte mit politischen Äußerungen vorsichtig sein. Denn die Personalverantwortlichen lassen sich davon beeinflussen, ob und wie sich jemand politisch äußert – insbesondere in Richtung extremer politischer Ränder. Steht die politische Meinung der des Recruiters entgegen, sinken die Jobchancen. Das zeigt eine Studie der Universität des Saarlandes, die vor Kurzem im Journal of Business and Psychology veröffentlicht wurde. [...]

With crewed missions planned to the moon and, in the medium term, to Mars, gaining a better understanding of how longer periods of spaceflight affect the human organism is becoming increasingly critical. Researchers are therefore studying the effects of prolonged stays in space on mammalian organisms using data collected on the International Space Station (ISS). [...]

Children's hospice work provides families in extremely challenging situations with expert support and compassionate care. The financing of children's hospice work is only partially covered by the existing systems. In Homburg, the official start of construction was marked for Germany's first combined children's and adult hospice. [...]

Die Rechtswissenschaftliche Fakultät der Universität des Saarlandes macht grundsätzlich keine Einschränkungen bei KI im Studium – auch nicht bei Haus- und Seminararbeiten. Es gilt jedoch das Gebot der Eigenständigkeit der Leistung und der verantwortungsvollen Nutzung. Die Fakultät will die Studierenden von Beginn an unterstützen, diese Anforderungen zu erfüllen, und zugleich die KI-Systeme erforschen. Für ein Experiment sucht der Rechtsinformatiker Georg Borges Jura-Studierende aus Deutschland. [...]

Plastik aus Stroh: Auf diese Formel lässt sich das Vorhaben reduzieren, das das Team von Christoph Wittmann aus der Systembiotechnologie gemeinsam mit Partnern aus Wissenschaft und Industrie seit Anfang Februar verfolgt. Im vom Bundesforschungsministerium geförderten Projekt „LiGNUM“ sollen Bakterien so manipuliert werden, dass sie ein Nebenprodukt aus der Strohzellstoff-Produktion verwerten können, um daraus Grundbestandteile für Nylon und Perlon zu erzeugen. [...]

Saarland University is once again hosting public lectures. The lectures for the upcoming week will be announced here. The planned lecture dates can also be found in the event calendar on the university's homepage. [...]

Fundamental breakthroughs in the natural sciences are rare. Progress is usually made in small steps, with knowledge slowly accumulating as more pieces of the puzzle fall into place. Now, however, chemists at Saarland University have made a major breakthrough: they have synthesized a stable molecule that chemists worldwide have been seeking – unsuccessfully – for decades. Their discovery has now been published in Science. [...]

Anyone who builds furniture or doors wants to use lightweight materials that are both stable and durable. That’s where wood fibres come into play. Similar to corrugated cardboard, wood fibres can be shaped into different wave heights. Hans-Georg Herrmann, Professor of Lightweight Systems at Saarland University, is working with the company Homanit to develop a new high-performance material system that can be implemented in various contexts. [...]

On 5 May, Saarland University will once again offer companies the opportunity to introduce themselves to students and young researchers from all departments and connect with potential skilled workers early on. Spaces for exhibition stands are still available. Companies interested in participating can visit the 'next' campus fair website: www.uni-saarland.de/next [...]

Sixty years ago, Catholic bishops and cardinals convened in Rome at the Second Vatican Council to adapt and reorient the church to a changing world. Since 2016, more than 150 scholars have been researching what the Council has achieved worldwide to date – and what it has not. Among them is Urszula Pękala, who has been a Professor of Church and Theological History at Saarland University since 2025. [...]

Conventional lithium-ion batteries contain problematic substances such as nickel and cobalt, and the solvents used to coat the electrode materials are also toxic. Materials scientists at Saarland University are therefore working to develop environmentally friendly alternatives. By introducing finely dispersed iron oxide into tiny, highly porous, hollow carbon spheres developed by Professor Michael Elsaesser at the University of Salzburg, the Saarbrücken team has achieved very promising results. [...]

Hans-Jürgen Lüsebrink, professor of Romance Languages and Literature at Saarland University, has been awarded the Prix d'Histoire du Gouverneur Général du Canada. The prize is one of Canada's highest academic honours and was awarded for Lüsebrink’s biography of French-Canadian journalist and intellectual Paul-Marc Sauvalle (1857-1920). [...]

Woman, man, non-binary? The social construct of gender determines many aspects of our lives: from the name we receive at birth and the clothes we wear to the education we receive. Gender is deeply personal and at the same time politically controversial. It therefore may come as a surprise that analytic philosophy has paid little attention to the concept of gender. Viktoria Knoll, a researcher at Saarland University, is fundamentally examining gender with around one million euros funding. [...]

Mikroplastik ist eine große Belastung für die Umwelt. Inzwischen finden sich die winzigen Kunststoffpartikel überall in Flüssen, Meeren und an Land. Da sie sehr langlebig sind und im Verdacht stehen, toxisch auf Lebewesen zu wirken, sind sie eine Gefahr für Natur und Mensch. Wie man die schwer abbaubaren Plastikteilchen effizient aus dem Wasser entfernen kann, erforschen die Universität des Saarlandes und die htw saar in einem gemeinsamen von der EU und dem Saarland geförderten Projekt. [...]

Der Klimawandel ist durch aktuelle geopolitische Krisen etwas aus dem Blick geraten. Dennoch bleibt er langfristig eine der größten Gefahren für das Zusammenleben der Menschen auf der Erde. Eine große Rolle spielt dabei das „Klimagas“ CO2, das die Erderwärmung beschleunigt. Wie man CO2 mit High-Tech-Materialien effizient und günstig speichern kann, zeigen nun saarländische Wissenschaftler der Universität und der htw saar in einem Überblicksartikel im Fachjournal Advanced Functional Materials. [...]

Mental health problems among young people have risen sharply. Many have developed fears about the future in the wake of the Covid pandemic, the climate crisis and global conflicts. This makes it all the more important to support young people in managing stress and mental health challenges – and to help them build and maintain mental resilience. [...]

Der Krieg in der Ukraine ist ein polarisierendes Thema. Das gilt nicht nur für politische Akteure selbst, das gilt auch für ihre Anhänger. Martin Ulrich, Soziologe an der Universität des Saarlandes, hat auf Grundlage österreichischer Daten herausgearbeitet, dass die Österreicherinnen und Österreicher je nach Parteipräferenz deutliche Unterschiede in der Bewertung der Fragen machen, wie wichtig sie Frieden in Europa für die österreichische Politik finden und was sie von den Geflüchteten halten. [...]

Am Donnerstag, 12. Februar, um 18.15 Uhr hält Urban Wiesing, Professor für Ethik in der Medizin an der Universität Tübingen, einen Gastvortrag zum Thema: „Assistierter Suizid in Deutschland: Was ist erlaubt?“. Der Vortrag im Rahmen der „Paul-Fritsche-Stiftung Wissenschaftliches Forum“ findet auf dem Homburger Campus im Hörsaalgebäude der Medizinischen Fakultät statt (Geb. 35, Hörsaal 1). Alle Interessierten sind herzlich eingeladen. [...]

Under the title ‘Elections in south-western Germany – between state issues and a federal government stress test', the German Political Science Association (GPSA) is hosting an online discussion on 12 February from 12–1 p.m. It will be moderated by Georg Wenzelburger, who is a member of the GPSA executive committee and professor of political science at Saarland University. [...]

Following their re-election by the University Senate, Saarland University's four incumbent vice presidents will continue their work supporting President Ludger Santen. The Senate re-elected with a large majority Professors Jutta Kray, Dominik Brodowski, Robert Ernst and Raimund Seidel for a further term of two years. [...]

Am 25. Januar kann die frühere Direktorin des II. Physiologischen Instituts der Universität des Saarlandes und Sprecherin des Sonderforschungsbereichs 246, Prof. Dr. Irene Schulz-Hofer, in Frankfurt ihren 85. Geburtstag begehen. [...]

What services does the Saarland University and State Library (SULB) offer? What do the library rooms look like and how does borrowing books work? Find out by joining an open tour of the library beginning 2 February 2026. The tours of the SULB will take place every Monday at 2 p.m. and last around one hour. Registration is not required. [...]

'Crises at home – expectations abroad? Franco-German responsibility for Europe's future' is the title of this year's European Podium on Thursday, 29 January 2026, at 6.30 p.m. in the Rathausfestsaal in Saarbrücken. The panel discussion features speakers from Germany, France and another European country and takes place every year as part of Franco-German Week. Please register by 28 January. [...]

During the winter semester, Saarland University is once again hosting public lectures. The lectures for the upcoming week will be announced here. The planned lecture dates can also be found in the event calendar on the university's homepage. [...]

Starting in the winter semester 2026/2027, WOGE Saar will begin renting out the new student residences it built on the campus of Saarland University. These and other planned student halls of residence aim to provide an attractive option for first-year students, who generally begin studying in the winter semester and often have difficulty finding affordable accommodation at the start of their studies. Available units will be available for short-term rental during the summer semester [...]

From how course materials are created to new exam formats to developing novel skills, artificial intelligence (AI) is fundamentally changing the educational landscape. Teaching Day 2026 is dedicated to this topic and offers space for creative approaches, critical reflection and practical examples from university teaching. It will take place on 23 January 2026 from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in the Innovation Center (Building A2 1) at Saarland University. Media representatives are welcome. [...]

What do the European Commission's latest plans mean for data protection? Will the planned changes make the law easier to implement, or will it lose its teeth? This year, the Institute for Legal Informatics at Saarland University will once again provide a platform for discussing current topics with the public lecture series 'Data Protection Law in Practice'. Eleven German state data protection commissioners, all recognized experts in the field, will speak on data protection during the series. [...]

The global skin care company Beiersdorf and the Helmholtz Institute for Pharmaceutical Research Saarland (HIPS) on the Saarbrücken university campus have entered into a long-term, exclusive partnership. In this collaboration they aim to investigate the role of the skin microbiome in maintaining healthy skin. The goal is to identify natural products produced by microorganisms on the skin that have a positive effect on skin balance. [...]

Vom 21. bis 25. September 2026 findet die zweite Summer School des Käte Hamburger Kollegs für kulturelle Praktiken der Reparation (CURE) in der Villa Vigoni – Deutsch-italienisches Zentrum für den europäischen Dialog am Comer See statt. Sie beschäftigt sich mit dem Thema „Beyond Division / Über die Spaltung hinaus“ und fragt nach kulturellen Praktiken, in denen Spaltungsprozesse bearbeitet, aufgelöst oder verhindert werden können. [...]

Mattias Kettner has been appointed as the new Professor of Forensic Medicine at Saarland University. His research centres on reconstructing violent crimes using forensic techniques. This includes, among other things, bloodstain pattern analysis at crime scenes and employing imaging technologies to capture and digitally reconstruct crime scenes for use in criminal proceedings. [...]

Till Patrik Holterhus has been appointed Professor of Public, European and International Law at Saarland University. He will also serve as co-director of the Europa-Institut and hold a joint appointment within the Cluster for European Research. Previously, Holterhus was a professor at Leuphana University Lüneburg, where he headed the Center for European and International Law. [...]

Industrielle Abwässer enthalten häufig Öle und Fette, die unsere Flüsse und Meere belasten können. Für Unternehmen gelten deshalb strenge Vorgaben, bevor das Wasser wieder in die Umwelt gelangen darf. Ein neues gemeinsames Vorhaben der inomat GmbH, der Hochschule für Technik und Wirtschaft des Saarlandes (htw saar) und der Universität des Saarlandes will moderne Filtermembranen entwickeln, die diese Verunreinigungen zuverlässig und ressourcenschonend abtrennen. [...]

A party night with a difference is coming soon to Saarland University's Saarbrücken campus. On 16 January 2026, the professors will take to the decks to play their favourite tracks in personally curated sets. The General Students’ Committee (AStA) and Saarland University are organizing the ‘Night of the Profs’ in the university auditorium (building A3 3). From 9 pm, students will be able to see their professors in action behind the mixing desk. [...]

When red blood cells are centrifuged in a density-gradient medium, they form a striking banded pattern. The cells arrange themselves into vivid red stripes containing high concentrations of red blood cells with paler bands containing far fewer red blood cells in between. The lowest density red cells are found in the uppermost red band while those with the highest density are located in the lowest band. Until now, scientists believed this was caused by uneven water loss as cells age. [...]

On 16 and 17 January, a symposium at the Medical Campus in Homburg will be exploring how AI-based technologies are reshaping healthcare. The symposium ‘Artificial Intelligence in Medicine’ is hosted by the Health.AI network, Saarland University, Saarland University Medical Center and the German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence (DFKI). It is aimed at clinicians, healthcare professionals, and researchers, as well as anyone with an interest in the topic. [...]

During the winter semester, Saarland University is once again hosting public lectures. The lectures for the upcoming week will be announced here. The planned lecture dates can also be found in the event calendar on the university's homepage. [...]

The Supervisory Board of Saarland University Medical Center (UKS) in Homburg has appointed Professor Michael Zemlin as Acting Medical Director and Chair of the Board. He succeeds Prof. Jennifer Diedler, who stepped down from her role at the end of the year at her own request, effective 1 January 2026. [...]

During the winter semester, Saarland University is once again hosting public lectures. The lectures for the upcoming week will be announced here. The planned lecture dates can also be found in the event calendar on the university's homepage. [...]

Wie schützen Unternehmen ihr Know-how? Wo liegen Risiken, fremde Schutzrechte zu verletzen? Das Zertifikat „Patent- und Innovationsschutz“ der Universität des Saarlandes ist ein Weiterbildungsangebot für Fach- und Führungskräfte. Jetzt hat Jörg Thomaier die fachliche Leitung übernommen, der als Head of Intellectual Property bei der Bayer Group tätig war und eine umfangreiche industrielle Erfahrung einbringt. Noch bis zum 15. Januar kann man sich für das zweisemestrige Online-Programm bewerben. [...]

On Monday, 19 January, one of the leading experts in the development of quantum computers will explain how Nobel Prize winners in Physics John Clarke, Michel H. Devoret and John M. Martinis paved the way for the supercomputers of the future –even though their original work was conceived as fundamental research. All interested members of the public are warmly invited to attend Frank Wilhelm-Mauch's general-interest lecture, which will start at 6 p.m. on the Saarbrücken campus (E2 5, Hall 1). [...]

How can the German-French language barrier be reduced across healthcare settings in the border region – from hospitals and clinics to medical practices, pharmacies, care facilities and emergency departments? This question will be addressed at the Cross-border Health Day that will take place at the Saarbrücken Regional Adult Education Centre (vhs) on 3 February, from 8.30 a.m. to 2 p.m. [...]

Am 27. Dezember kann der Professor für Physiologie Dr. Hans-Peter Richter, der der Universität des Saarlandes seit über 40 Jahren verbunden ist, in Homburg seinen 80. Geburtstag begehen. [...]

Are AI browsers, like those offered by Perplexity and OpenAI, changing the internet? And will Germany finally become a supercomputing nation with its new high-performance computer Jupiter? Quality journalism is key to keeping up with the rapid development of new technologies. The media should convey the enormous social relevance of many topics in computer science to the general public. The best articles from 2025 will therefore be honoured with the Journalism Prize for Computer Science. [...]

'Yearning for Autocrats' is the title of a series of talks hosted by the Käte Hamburger Centre CURE and the Saarland State Theatre in cooperation with the public broadcaster SR kultur. The talks will be held across three Sunday matinées on 11 and 25 January and 8 February in the Alte Feuerwache. Admission is free, but advance registration at the theatre box office is required. [...]

Alexander Baumeister, Professor of Business Administration at Saarland University, has been accepted into the Academy of Excellence in Higher Education. Membership is granted to university teaching staff who stand out from many applicants in a competitive selection process and who represent exceptional teaching styles and innovative approaches. The academy is a nationwide network of outstanding teachers from various departments, types of universities and status groups. [...]

How can living and bio-based materials contribute to resource efficient construction and healthy living? How can these materials enable new technical solutions for innovative sensors and durable structures? These questions are the focus of the 14th Regional Forum Saar, which will take place on 13 January at 4.30 p.m. in the auditorium of Saarland University. [...]

Two new halls of residence on the Saarbrücken campus are set to provide modern accommodation for an extra 300 to 400 students. Both buildings will be built on land provided by the university close to the student halls already under construction. Saarland's Minister of Science Jakob von Weizsäcker, University President Ludger Santen, Secretary of State for Building and Housing, Saarbrücken Mayor Uwe Conradt and investor Edwin Kohl presented the plans today. [...]

Die Fachrichtung Physik der Universität des Saarlandes veranstaltet auch in diesem Wintersemester das Probestudium Physik. Dabei können Schülerinnen und Schüler der gymnasialen Oberstufe an drei Vorlesungen und einem physikalischen Praktikum teilnehmen. Das diesjährige Thema lautet: „Von Zufall, Wärme und warum die Zeit nicht rückwärts läuft“. Start ist am 10. Januar 2026. [...]