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Sheet music by persecuted Jewish musicians from Frankfurt was rediscovered through a musicology seminar. This past May, the works were performed once again.

Expressive faces, elaborate hairstyles and sophisticated iron-smelting techniques – archaeologists and archaeobotanists from Frankfurt have spent many years researching the Nok culture in Nigeria. One thing quickly becomes clear in conversation with Peter Breunig and Gabriele Franke: The Secret of the Nok Culture has by no means been fully revealed.

Dr. Julian Wagner of Goethe University Frankfurt was honored with the prestigious Boehringer Ingelheim Prize. In addition to the main prize and 5,000 euros in personal prize money, the researcher will receive 55,000 euros in project funding. The grant from the Boehringer Ingelheim Foundation will fund a forward-looking research project aimed at strengthening his scientific profile.

Questions for Earth system scientist Prof. Nico Wunderling about a recent study by the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) and Goethe University Frankfurt, which found that continued deforestation weakens the overall stability of the Amazon rainforest.

Jakob Johanna Lindner, Ruth Lindner, and Paul Lindner attended Joshua Groß’s lectures for UniReport; their article discusses, among other things, the significance of “shapeshifting”—transformation—for his poetics.

At a widely anticipated lecture on April 24, sociologist Eva Illouz posed a provocative question: “Is Guilt Good for Democracy?” Speaking at Goethe University’s Forschungskolleg Humanwissenschaften Institute for Advanced Studies, she argued that guilt and shame have become central organizing principles of postwar liberal democracies.

From April 7 to 11, Goethe University welcomed the national congress of the German Association of Classical Philologists (DAV), hosted in collaboration with the Institute for Classical Philology. Held every two years, the congress brings together classical philologists from schools and universities across Germany and ranks among the world’s largest conferences devoted to classical antiquity.

The start-up Algrid won first place at the Goethe SDG Contest 2026. The team collects harmful Sargassum algae offshore and transforms them into valuable biomass for use in the pharmaceutical, energy and construction industries.

Students can evaluate courses, serve on committees, and provide feedback on degree programs. But how effective is their participation, and who does it actually reach? These questions are at the center of STUQUEST, a new alliance project launched in April 2026 by Goethe University Frankfurt and the University of Applied Sciences Münster. The project aims to systematically examine student participation in quality assurance and the development of degree programs – and to identify ways of strengthening it.

At the Goethe University Study Congress, on July 14, 2026 at Campus Westend, students will showcase how the humanities come to life through podcasts, exhibitions and film series, offering insights into the work they undertake as part of their degree programs.

During the 2025/26 summer semester, Goethe University reached a major milestone: since the turn of the millennium, more than 10,000 students have taken part in an Erasmus exchange. What began with 118 exchange students in the 2000/01 academic year grew to 658 participants last semester – and demand continues to rise. As of June 3, 2026, more than 740 nominations have already been received for the 2026/27 academic year.

Ten years on, Micah Gunkel still finds it hard to believe how far the MakeLab has come. Founded by students, the open workshop in the basement of the Faculty of Computer Science has evolved considerably over the past decade. What began with a focus on expertise and support for 3D printing has steadily grown. Today, Gunkel and the MakeLab team offer opportunities to explore everything from laser cutting, textiles and electronics to woodworking and screen printing. “Our understanding of what we want to be is partly shaped by the concept developed by the network of open workshops,” Gunkel says. “A key principle of that model is participation at every level. A workshop should continually adapt to the needs and interests of the people who use it.”

The Senate of Goethe University has adopted a new set of framework regulations governing the university’s degree programs. Approved on Wednesday, the revised regulations are designed to further enhance study conditions by promoting flexibility, transparency and equal opportunities, while taking into account the distinct cultures and structures of different disciplines. 

Muslim theologian and Islamic studies scholar Rana Alsoufi has been appointed to the German Ethics Council by Bundestag President Julia Klöckner, effective April 1, 2026. UniReport spoke with Prof. Rana Alsoufi about her research, her approach to teaching, and what the appointment means to her.

It’s a perfect match: nineteen years ago, chemist Alexander Heckel joined Goethe University Frankfurt’s Faculty of Biochemistry, Chemistry and Pharmacy as a professor to pursue his research. Asked what excites him most about his work, he answers immediately and without hesitation: “The interdisciplinarity.” 

The Academic Bridge Program at Goethe University Frankfurt supports highly qualified young people with refugee backgrounds as they pursue or resume their academic careers.