Mission statement

Due to its wide range of subject fields, the German Sport University Cologne holds a special position amongst the universities on a national and international level. Its research, teaching, further education and consultation activities revolve around sport and exercise as a common and comprehensive point of reference. The university consequently strives to take the structural change in sport and exercise science into account and emphasises the increasing significance of sport and exercise with regard to health, social policy and the economy. Accordingly, the university has greatly expanded the spectrum of tasks and fields of application for sport and exercise science, in the hope of creating new, innovative solutions.

The German Sport University Cologne is dedicated to ensuring its position as leader in both national and international sport and exercise science.

Thanks to its varied teaching and research environments, its close interlocking of theory and academically-based practice in all fields and types of sport, as well as its excellent services in sport and exercise science, the German Sport University Cologne is established as the top European Sport University.

Aware of its responsibility towards both sport and society, the university continually invests in innovation, including support and development for elite sport as well as leisure and recreational sports. 

Moreover, the German Sport University Cologne recognises the significance of women’s equality as well as personal, cultural and ethnical diversity in academic work.  

• in its institutes, it promotes fields relevant to sport, humanities and social science as well as medical/scientific research at a high international level. With the help of special research and service centres, the university brings together the potential and resources from several institutions and disciplines, 
• it supports and develops scientifically sound practice for various sports and application-orientated exercise research, 
• it promotes inter-disciplinary exchanges and close cooperation with various fields involved in the application of sport, 
• it encourages new academic talents, 
• it offers its students specialised training in academically-orientated career profiles, which suit the modified requirements of the employment market and form a sound basis for job-related activities in many fields of sport and exercise science, 
• it picks up on social changes and problems in the field of sport: healthcare prevention and rehabilitation, leisure, social integration and socialisation - and identifies new solutions to problems through exercise, 
• it develops innovative models for leisure, recreational and professional sport. 
• as the only European sport university, it boasts intense international – notably European – cooperation and exchanges with foreign universities, and promotes mobility, reciprocal recognition of studies, and examination performance,  
• it also ensures the distribution and use of its research results, 
• it is considered to be a critical and independent authority with regards to development issues in sport and exercise science, notably on the topic of doping, commercialisation and the environment, 
• it is open to gain new knowledge and technology, 
• it keeps the public informed about the results of its work and promotes a public dialogue between the academic world and society. 

All members of the university use the means and options available to them in the context of their current duties and roles in accordance with the Universities mission statement. This requires ongoing discussion, critical self-reflection and the will to change the content of research and teaching as well as the forms of organisation. 

The university is particularly committed to the academic excellence of its employees, the quality of its students and active positioning in its academic and non-academic environment.