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Sixty-six young researchers from 29 countries will gather at the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation’s network meeting being held at the Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus-Senftenberg (BTU) from 25 to 27 February 2025. The attendees are currently in Germany as researchers sponsored by the Humboldt Foundation and are working with colleagues at research institutes throughout the country. The event has the aim of acquainting the new Humboldtians with one another and with Cottbus, a city that is exemplary of Germany as a location for conducting research. In addition, attendees will have the opportunity to talk with Foundation staff members and receive tips regarding living and conducting research in Germany.
Opening ceremony: Tuesday, 25 February 2025, 3 p.m.
Venue: BTU Cottbus-Senftenberg, Audimax 1, Konrad-Wachsmann-Allee 3, 03046 Cottbus
Journalists are welcome to attend! We will be glad to arrange interviews.
On Tuesday, 25 February, Gesine Grande, president of BTU, and Steffen Mehlich, head of the Sponsorship and Network Department at the Humboldt Foundation, will welcome the attendees at 3 p.m.
This will be followed by the keynote address to be given by Jörg Acker, professor of Physical Chemistry at BTU. Jörg Acker’s research focus is energy – from supply security to renewable energy systems and storage technologies to CO2 abatement. His work currently revolves particularly around recycling lithium-ion batteries or electronic scrap. He has had active contact with the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation since 2001 when he conducted research at Princeton University in the USA with a Feodor Lynen Fellowship from the Foundation.
On Wednesday, 26 February, the attending Humboldtians will visit research institutes at BTU where researchers will present the work being done by their institutes and brief lectures will be held in specialist groups. Attendees will also have the opportunity to establish contact with one another and with German colleagues. During the poster session that begins at 3 p.m., fellows will present the focus of their research (BTU Cottbus-Senftenberg, Main Auditorium Building [Zentrales Hörsaalgebäude], Konrad-Wachsmann-Allee 3, 03046 Cottbus).
Parallel to this, at 3 p.m., the Humboldt Foundation will present itself and its programmes to all interested parties during an informational lecture (BTU Cottbus-Senftenberg, Main Auditorium Building [Zentrales Hörsaalgebäude], Lecture Hall C, Konrad-Wachsmann-Allee 3, 03046 Cottbus).
The majority of participants at this year’s network meeting come from the natural and life sciences (52%), followed by the humanities and social sciences (33%) and engineering (15%). Most of the guests from abroad come from China (11), India (9) and the United Kingdom (6).
Every year, the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation enables more than 2,000 researchers from all over the world to spend time conducting research in Germany. The Foundation maintains an interdisciplinary network of well over 30,000 Humboldtians in more than 140 countries around the world – including 61 Nobel Prize winners.