With more than 5,300 students, the Catholic University of North Rhine-Westphalia (katho) is Germany's largest state-recognised university under church sponsorship. Founded in 1971, the university is sponsored by the (arch)dioceses of Aachen, Cologne, Münster, Paderborn and Osnabrück and is largely refinanced by the state. 126 full-time lecturers and 249 lecturers teach and research in the fields of social affairs, health and religious education. lt is the largest provider of social work degree programmes in Germany with more than 3,800 study places. katho is renowned for its research in care and provision, addiction and addiction prevention, health and social psychiatry, education and diversity, age and disability, inclusion and participation, network research in social work and pastoral practice research. katho cooperates with international universities and practice facilities in 37 countries.