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Third Mission

Science in an ivory tower? Not with us!

The practical orientation of the WiSo Faculty and the awareness that our research results should be made usable for society are central components of our Faculty's profile. This attitude is also expressed in our motto "Today's Ideas. Tomorrow's Impact."

"My impact will be to teach the next generation of social scientists that research can be serious fun."

Prof. Dr Lea Ellwardt,
Professor of Sociology and Heisenberg Fellow

Researchers of the University of Cologne and our Faculty continuously generate new knowledge. The term "Third Mission" refers to the mission of the University to make this knowledge available to society and usable by the economy, and at the same time to take up impulses from the non-university world for research and teaching. Interactive knowledge transfer is thus at the heart of all Third Mission activities.

Below you will find an exemplary selection of our diverse Third Mission activities.