Global Responsibility combines internationalisation with a third mission in order to spread and transfer the knowledge generated by the University of Cologne in our local, regional and global networks and contribute to global change. Global Responsibility expresses thereby an attitude, which defines the role and the motivation of a university to act globally. It emphasises that all actions have a global impact of which every individual should be aware of. It is the task of a university to generate and spread knowledge in order to overcome old concepts and raise global awareness.

In 2019 the UoC won a grant from the German DAAD, to build up a partnership with a start-up and entrepreneurship centre in Morocco. Since 2021, UoC is furthermore building up a cooperation with Herat University, Afghanistan, to support building up the German department there.

With the H2-Markets, the IO will bring in its knowledge on building local networks and improving internationalisation and transfer structures at partner universities. Furthermore, it will bring in its intercultural knowledge in the business skill trainings (see activities and division of tasks).