Key Profile Areas

The University of Cologne has established nine Key Profile Areas (KPAs). These interdisciplinary research areas combine scientific strengths and deal with major social challenges.

They collaborate closely with partners in the region, throughout Germany and internationally, e.g. in the Rhineland metropolitan region or with our Strategic Research Partners. Several Collaborative Research Centres and five Clusters of Excellence are part of the KPAs.

The KPAs cover a range of topics, including ageing-associated diseases, cancer, food security, sustainability, climate change and quantum research. These topics affect many people and are of great public interest.

This is why the researchers are active in all four fields of transfer, particularly communication, to make their research visible, understandable and accessible for a broader public.