Since 2007, the University Alliance Ruhr has stood for technical and social change through cutting-edge research. We study, research and teach together in Bochum, Dortmund, Duisburg and Essen.
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University Alliance Ruhr: Shaping the Future Together
At the universities of the University Alliance Ruhr, 14,000 academics conduct research and pass on their findings to 110,000 students. This makes the UA Ruhr one of the largest and most powerful university alliances in Germany. The academic community at Ruhr University Bochum, TU Dortmund University and the University of Duisburg-Essen stands for innovation, excellence and a living partnership in research, teaching and administration. Strategic management is carried out by the rectors: "We are delighted that the University Alliance Ruhr is continuing to act as a unit in new areas, launching initiatives and sharing common values and views. Together we are shaping the future."
Bundling Top International Research
The UA Ruhr’s top-level international research on pressing issues of the future has been consolidated under the umbrella of the Research Alliance Ruhr since 2021. With four research centers and a college for social sciences and humanities, the Research Alliance is a beacon within the knowledge metropolis Ruhr and serves as an attractive research environment for outstanding scholars.
Support for Scientists on Their Career Path
In the Research Academy Ruhr, Ruhr University Bochum, University of Duisburg-Essen and TU Dortmund University have combined their extensive programs for supporting early career researchers since 2017. The more than 10,000 young researchers within the UA Ruhr are supported through transferable skills qualification opportunities and benefit from a diverse range of networking options throughout their career path.
International Networks
The UA Ruhr universities cooperate with universities and research institutes around the globe. In order to expand their international relations, the three universities set up their first joint liaison office in New York as early as in 2004. A wealth of programs promote international exchange, while the number of degree courses taught in English is also rising.
Excellent Together
In May 2025, the German Research Foundation (DFG) announced which Clusters of Excellence will be funded from 2026. The three universities of the UA Ruhr were able to improve their status quo: In the new round, the DFG approved three Clusters of Excellence with the participation of Ruhr University Bochum, TU Dortmund University and the University of Duisburg-Essen.
Find out more about the Cluster of Excellence within University Alliance Ruhr
Cluster of Excellence RESOLV - Ruhr Explores Solvation
The Cluster of Excellence RESOLV has put a focus on the solvent and established a new research discipline in chemistry. The consortium will enter its third funding period in 2026. The Bochum-Dortmund team is going to continue its successful interdisciplinary collaboration with researchers from the University of Duisburg-Essen and the three Max Planck Institutes for Coal Research, Chemical Energy Conversion, and Sustainable Materials. While biological and chemical reactions typically take place in a solvent, solvents have traditionally been considered a mere bystander in the process. The RESOLV team has shown that the role of the solvent has been underestimated, as it actively takes part in chemical reactions. The upcoming funding period is intended to gain an even better understanding and ability to regulate solvent-controlled processes.
Cluster of Excellence CASA – Securing the Digital Society
The Cluster of Excellence “CASA – Securing the Digital Society” will significantly strengthen the resilience of the digital society by developing next generation security solutions that holistically protect large-scale (socio-)technical systems. Cyberattacks now increasingly target not just individuals and companies, but also hospitals, government services, higher education institutions, and critical infrastructure. Attacks are increasingly being carried out by state attackers pursuing geopolitical interests. The emergence of disruptive technologies such as artificial intelligence, quantum computing, and blockchain is creating numerous new opportunities, while also increasing the associated risks in the digital space.
Cluster of Excellence Color meets Flavor
In the new Cluster of Excellence “Color meets Flavor” researchers from TU Dortmund University, the University of Bonn, the University of Siegen, and Forschungszentrum Jülich will jointly search for new phenomena in the interaction of fundamental particles. The existence of dark matter and the asymmetry between matter and antimatter in the universe indicate that our understanding of nature is still incomplete. Even though almost all measurements in particle physics can already be accurately described by the Standard Model of Particle Physics, deciphering the structure of matter at the subatomic level remains one of the most pressing questions in fundamental physics research.
Find out more about the Color meets Flavor Cluster of Excellence
Inter-University Funding
MERCUR is the inter-university funding organization of the University Alliance Ruhr with the aim of jointly developing innovative fields of research and creating long-term structures.
University Alliance Ruhr: Excellent Together
