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Wiss-Nama Newsletter November 2022
News from Indo-German cooperation
Indian students and scientists attend the 8th Heidelberg Lecture
Heidelberg University organised the 8th Heidelberg Lecture in Delhi on Environmental Social Governance (ESG) and its role in transforming businesses in the 21st Century on November 2. The jurist, Prof. Dr Marc-Philippe Weller, Vice Rector, International Affairs and Directore, Institute for Comparative Law, Conflict of Laws and International Business Law, Heidelberg University, delivered the lecture. Ambassador Dr Philipp Ackermann held the inaugural speech, “I am very pleased that Heidelberg University is holding a lecture on this very relevant topic. There is a greater need for understanding foreign legal systems and in particular the varying environmental, social and governance regulations, risks and opportunities for companies.” Minister of State of External Affairs and Culture Meenakshi Lekhi also addressed the audience. The lecture focused on how ESG is becoming one of the most important topics for businesses in the 21st century. It also highlighted the three pillars of ESG - present a comparative overview about pending climate change litigation against large companies in Europe (environment); examine the duties of care of European companies in cross-border supply chains (social); and the necessity for more diversity on corporate boards will be discussed (governance). Each year a distinguished scientist from Heidelberg University is invited to deliver the coveted lecture in India that is attended by a large group of audience, including representatives from Embassies, government bodies, scientists and students from institutions of higher education and research and the interested audience.
11 women awarded the under the WISER programme by IGTSC
Ambassador Dr Philipp Ackermann held a speech at the award ceremony of the women scientists of the Women Involvement in Science and Engineering (WISER) programme of Indo-German Science and Technology Centre (IGSTC) on October 18. IGSTC invited applications from women researchers from India and Germany to participate and collaborate in an ongoing R&D&I project in the partnering countries. 11 women, 10 from India and 1 from Germany, were awarded under this programme and certificates were handed over by Dr Ackermann, S.K. Varshney, Scientific Advisor, DST, and Prof Santishree Dhulipudi Pandit, Vice Chancellor, Jawaharlal Nehru University. Dr Ackermann affirms, “IGSTC is one of our flagship institutions. I am very proud of the work and activities of the Centre. Women are effective change agents and we need such programmes to give them more chances. India is setting an example for the rest of the world, with 43% female graduates in the field of STEM. I congratulate all the selected women and wish them luck.”
Upcoming events and conferences
November 16: Outlook on European Research Funding
DWIH New Delhi and The EU Liaison Office of the German Research organisations (KoWi) are organising a virtual event on European Research Funding, which will focus on funding schemes for doctoral and postdoctoral researchers from India, who want to research in Germany. The aim of the event is to provide an outline of funding opportunities under the Horizon Europe scheme and support international candidates.
November 23: Science Circle Lecture ‘Chemistry for Sustainable Innovations’
DWIH New Delhi and University of Göttingen are organising a virtual Science Circle Lecture on the topic Chemistry for Sustainable Innovations. Prof Lutz Ackermann, Director, Woehler Research Institute of Sustainable Chemistry, Georg-August-University, Göttingen, will deliver the lecture. He will give an overview into the process of sustainable electrocatalysis and how it reduces the carbon footprint and also discuss the potential of hydrogen to advance the green hydrogen economy. Prof Ackermann researches about the development and application of novel concepts for sustainable catalysis, with a topical focus on electrocatlysis and bond activation.
November 23-24: Grant Writing Workshop
Max Planck Gesellschaft (MPG) and University of Cologne (UoC) are organising an online workshop on “Grant Writing & Management- An Insight into German Research Landscape”. The prospective participants of this online workshop are young researchers, mainly Final year PhD and post-doctoral researchers. The concept of the workshop is to illustrate the methods and technical know-how required to prepare successful international research proposals irrespective of a certain disciplinary field. The workshop will cover topics varying from content development of a research proposal to budget planning and will be organized in two phases.
To participate, write to: skainthu@uni-koeln.de
November 24: Sexual Harassment at HEIs
India Office of Max Planck Society, Free University Berlin and University of Heidelberg in association with the University of Hyderabad are organising an online event that aims to raise awareness on the prevalent issue of “Sexual Harassment at Higher Education Institutions” and to learn about its impact on women's empowerment in the field of education and research. The session will be interactive with the research experts and the science administrators, who are thriving to bring equality and make the change. The event is being co-organized by India Offices of Max-Planck-Gesellschaft, Freie Universität Berlin and University of Heidelberg in association with University of Hyderabad.
December 7: Symposium ‘International Cooperation for Green Hydrogen’
DWIH New Delhi and its supporter organisations are organising a virtual symposium on international cooperation for Green Hydrogen. This symposium will have panel discussions and presentations that will address policies and current research to start an exchange on topics like running research projects on transport and storage as well as technology applications in the field of mobility.
DAAD Events
Web Session: APS Procedure for Studies in Germany
In order to accelerate student admission and visa processing, the German Embassy introduces the Academic Evaluation Centre (APS). Know more about this procedure!
November 11, 3:00 PM, Online
Pune: Study in Germany - Interaction on Student Visa Application Procedure
Interact with Stephan Kowitz, Head of Students’ Visa, German Consulate Mumbai and get all your queries answered.
November 15, 2:30 PM, Conference Room, DAAD Information Point Pune, Indo German Chamber of Commerce, 710 Nucleus Mall, 1 Church Road, Pune
Read more and register
Chennai: Higher Studies in Germany
Know more about Bachelor, Master and PhD studies in Germany.
November 15, 4:00 PM, Goethe-Institut, No.4, 5th Street, Rutland Gate, Chennai
Web Session: Studying at HS Hof
Grab your chance to know more about higher studies in HS Hof.
November 16, 3: 00 PM, Online
Panel Discussion: Research and Career Opportunities in Geo & Hydro Sciences
How can Germany give that extra edge to your career, if Geo or Hydro Sciences is your field? Know here!
November 17, 3:00 PM, Online
Calls for proposals
GFFA Science Slam 2022 in Berlin
The Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture invites applications from students, doctoral researchers, young scientists and postdocs for the Global Forum for Food and Agriculture (GFFA) Science Slam in Berlin. The GFFA is an international conference on key issues regarding the future of the global agri-food industry. The science slam is a platform to introduce your scientific research topics in a creative manner, to give a diverse, non-expert audience a chance to learn scientific content. 10-minute presentations are invited on topics related to “Food Systems Transformation: A Worldwide Response to Multiple Crises”.
Application deadline: November 12, 2022
PhD positions at the International Max Planck Research School for Chemistry and Physics of Quantum Materials
The Max Planck Institute for Chemical Physics of Solids, Dresden, Germany, Technische Universität Dresden, and the University of St Andrews, Scotland invite applications for a joint PhD programme at the International Max Planck Research School for Chemistry and Physics of Quantum Materials. Aim is to provide candidates with a stimulating environment with an opportunity to interact and work with world-leading scientists and use their excellent infrastructure and facilities. Applicants with a bachelor or master degree in a field of study that is well aligned with their research programmes are eligible to apply.
Application deadline: November 30, 2022
Workshop on ‘(Re)constituting a South Asian Environmental Humanities’
ICAS:MP and Krea University invite applications from scholars, writers and those working with alternative forms, namely art, fiction, film, image amongst others to participate in a two-day workshop on (Re)constituting an environmental humanities approach embedded in the contexts of South Asia. The workshop will have lively discussions on topics such as, rethinking archives, research methods, the constitution of regions and emerging concepts. The aim of the workshop is to set forth a research agenda that proceeds from a historical or political economy approach to the environmental crisis in the subcontinent.
Application deadline: December 15, 2022
Seven PhD positions at Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research, Cologne
The International Max Planck Research School (IMPRS) on Understanding Complex Plant Traits using Computational and Evolutionary Approaches is a collaboration between Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research, Cologne and University of Cologne. It invites applications for 7 fully funded PhD positions in computational and experimental plant sciences. Candidates holding or pursuing a Master degree in a related subject are eligible to apply.
Application deadline: January 6, 2023
Special Call for Indo-German Bilateral Virtual Workshops
The Indo-German Science & Technology Centre (IGSTC) invites proposals for Indo-German virtual thematic workshops for interactions between scientists/researchers from academia and industry. The workshops are to be designed around a specific research topic out of thematic areas relevant to both DST and BMBF. Scientists holding regular positions in public or private non-profit research organisations, institutions of higher education and universities are eligible to submit applications.
Applications are considered on a rolling basis.
Institute of the month
Technical University Munich
The Technical University of Munich (TUM) is one of Europe’s top ranked universities, with rank 30 in the THE rankings worldwide and rank 49 in the QS World University Rankings. Committed to excellence in research and teaching, it attracts young talent from around the world. The university also forges strong links with companies and scientific institutions across the world and is represented with five liaison offices on four continents. The TUM Mumbai liaison office was established in 2014 as part of TUM’s Excellence Initiative proposal. TUM has eight partners in India and the office in Mumbai supports TUM researchers in establishing links to Indian counterparts and stakeholders and facilitates communication with partners and alumni in the country. It serves as an interface between TUM and the diverse opportunities India has to offer in terms of research, education, and innovation, providing support for Indo-German projects and initiatives. With the Indo-German Partnership project, a successful initiative was launched in 2020 in which TUM together with partners IIT Bombay and IIT Kharagpur foster Indo-German interdisciplinary research and academic exchange in the thematic topics of Environment, Climate, Energy, Mobility & Transportation. It has notable outcomes under this program such as the joint centre of intelligent transportation systems, a winter school in Mumbai and Kerala, joint online lectures and a student competition. TUM has over 170 degree programs and more than 1,500 applicants from India. Mohaa Vyas, Senior Regional Manager, TUM Mumbai quotes, “With India in the limelight, it is important to tap Indo-German opportunities at the most optimum time. In order to expand the India portfolio we highlight the successful case studies conducted jointly by our collaborators and researchers thus making it crucial to demonstrate TUM’s forte and excellence in India & Germany.”
TUM Global Dialogue Series will be conducted on the December 8, 3.00 pm IST on the topic Innovative approaches to Food security and Climate Change in India and Germany.
Did you know?
There are nine types of recognized higher education institutions in Germany for students to choose from, namely, universities, technical universities, pedagogical colleges, universities of applied sciences, art and music colleges, institutions for the army, dual studies institutions, theological colleges and institutions of continuing vocational education.