Dear researchers and teachers, dear students, dear readers,

You are looking at the Research Report 2019 of the University of Duisburg‐Essen (UDE), which I cordially invite you to read. The report focuses on the research successes and future prospects of our University’s main research areas, scientific centres and associated institutes in the Johannes Rau Research Association, which in 2019 celebrated its fifth anniversary.

At the beginning of 2020, the UDE’s focus was on the establishment of a fifth main research area, namely water research. Our cover picture gives you an indication of the water-related topics our scientists plan to work on in the coming years.

The high rankings achieved in the Times Higher Education (THE) World University Ranking in recent years continued in 2019, a testament to the consistently high international visibility and reputation of our young university. In the autumn 2019 ranking, the UDE was again among the 200 best universities worldwide, in 194th place among the approximately 1,400 international universities listed. Only 23 German universities are represented in the TOP 200. Looking at the rankings in the citation index, an indicator of scientific success and productivity, the UDE in Germany is in an outstanding fifth place. In an international comparison of the universities most frequently cited in scientific publications, the UDE ranks 103rd.

Research, together with teaching, our core university task, is driven forward by all the UDE scientists, including those not explicitly mentioned in this report, and I would like to thank you all very much for the commitment with which you conduct your science. With it you are making valuable contributions on behalf of the University in your respective fields of study and beyond, whether through inter- and transdisciplinary cooperation or through outstanding individual research. You are all contributing to the further development and regional, national and inter­national visibility of research at the UDE.