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Wiss-Nama Newsletter August 2024
News from Indo-German cooperation
German organisations come together for science roundtable
The German Embassy hosted a roundtable with some 20 German agencies, each with science-related programmes in and with India on August 13 at the Embassy. Universities, research institutes, funding agencies, foundations, and other organisations discussed priorities and plans for the upcoming six months. Dr Sanjay Mishra, Senior Advisor and Head, International Relations at the Department of Biotechnology (DBT) was the guest speaker at the event. He affirmed, that India and Germany will continue to cooperate in the field of biotechnology and DBT would like to collaborate more with the German organisations. Dr Surabhi Singh also presented briefly the activities of the International Centre for Policy Migration Development (ICMPD). The Tour de Table was followed by a stimulating exchange on the upcoming projects of German universities and organisations in India.
German Embassy and Fraunhofer host a conference on sustainability in Delhi
On August 12, the German Embassy in cooperation with Fraunhofer India hosted a conference titled ‘Sustainability: The Technology Imperative for Our Future: German Innovations in India’. This served as a significant step in strengthening the technological and sustainable innovation partnership between India and Germany. The event brought together top industry leaders from prominent German companies, underscoring the deepening ties between the two nations. It featured participation from high-level executives and CEOs of leading German corporations, including Mercedes Benz, SAP, MERCK, Continental, Daimler Truck, FESTO, Siemens Healthineers, Bosch Global Software Technologies, and Infineon. These companies play a crucial role in driving technological innovation in India, contributing to various sectors from automotive to healthcare. A pivotal moment of the event was the launch of a knowledge paper titled “From India to the World: How India Can Transform into a Global Product Development and Innovation Hub.” This paper offers a comprehensive analysis and strategic recommendations on how India can position itself as a global leader in product development and innovation. German Ambassador, Dr. Philipp Ackermann, highlighted the conference's alignment with the growing cooperation between India and Germany. He emphasized that the event was timely, given the upcoming high-level dialogues between leaders of both nations, and it demonstrated a shared commitment to fostering innovation and tackling global challenges collaboratively. Neeraj Sinha, from the Office of the Principal Scientific Advisor to the Government of India, lauded the initiative's potential to enhance India's innovation ecosystem. The conference also set the stage for future collaborations focused on leveraging German technological innovations to support India’s sustainable development goals.
Upcoming events and conferences
Workshop and Roundtable: World Literature
University of Göttingen and Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), supported by DWIH New Delhi, are organising a two-day workshop and roundtable on world literature on October 4 and 5 in New Delhi. During the event, the speaker will be confronted with other issues projected onto the function of literature and with functional differences between literary regions, genres and epochs. Part two of the presentation will focus on different forms of communication within, and provided by, literary texts. The presentation will demonstrate the criteria for specific function for readers and for society and the consequences for teaching literature. The participating institutes are JNU, University of Göttingen, XIM University and Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Pune.
Read more about the XIM University under the section ‘Institute of the Month’
Web talk: Role of Artificial Intelligence in Climate Adaptation and Mitigation
DWIH New Delhi is organising a web talk on the role of artificial intelligence in climate adaptation and mitigation on October 8. The panel discussion will offer a comprehensive view of influencing artificial intelligence to address climate change challenges, encompassing both basic research and practical applications of AI. Experts from India and Germany, including AI researchers, AI lab leaders, start-up founders, and policymakers, will explore the prospects and difficulties of global cooperation for climate mitigation, emphasizing open access, data sharing, knowledge exchange, ethics, data management, and policy matters.
iHED – International Higher Education Dialogue 2024
DAAD Regional Office New Delhi in cooperation with the Association of Indian Universities (AIU) is organising the iHED workshop 2024 on October 10 and 11 in New Delhi. International Higher Education Dialogue (iHED) by DAAD India fosters international cooperation and dialogue in higher education. iHED connects educational institutions, policymakers, and researchers from Germany and South Asia addressing. Through annual conferences and workshops, iHED facilitates the exchange of knowledge, best practices, and innovative ideas, advancing the internationalisation of higher education. It engages with its existing network and welcomes new participants, offering a platform for exchange. This event aims to contribute to the capacity development and knowledge exchange of international offices of Indian higher education institutions, strengthen the Indo-German/European higher education network, and connect Indian higher education institutions with Germany. Furthermore, the conference marks also 50 years of fruitful Indo-German partnership in science.
DAAD Events
Explore Germany - Education and Employment Pathways
The event will feature three key presentations by experts. Participants will be able to meet with experts and inquire about a wide range of topics, ranging from opportunities of higher education in Germany, training programmes, working in Germany to student’s life, family relocation, leisure activities, etc. in Germany.
Kohlapur: August 25, 2024, 10:00 AM, Mini Auditorium, Shahu Smarak Bhavan, Dasara Chowk, Kolhapur
Web Session: PhD in Germany
Join this web session and find out all that you need to know about doing a PhD in Germany. Get your questions answered too!
August 27, 3:00 PM, Online
Web Session: Master & PhD Scholarships
The session will provide you with information on DAAD scholarship programmes across various subject fields and degrees, eligibility criteria, application procedure, deadline etc.
August 28, 4:00 PM, Online
Study & Research in Germany (GITAM)
The DAAD virtually visits GITAM, for a session on Study & Research in Germany. Students will be guided about Master & PhD studies
Open only for students of GITAM
Chennai: September 3, 2024, 11:00 AM, Online
Study in Germany
The DAAD New Delhi office is conducting an in-person Study in Germany information session where students will be guided for Bachelor, Master and PhD studies in Germany. This will be followed by a Q&A session.
New Delhi: September 12, 3:30 PM, DAAD Regional Office New Delhi, 1 Africa Avenue, DLTA Complex, New Delhi 110029
Study in Germany Day - Masters in Focus
Focus will on Higher Studies in Germany, German language and culture, expert talks on career opportunities, and student visa procedures.
Chennai: September 27, 2024, 2:30 PM, Anna University, Centre For Distance Education, Sardar Patel Road, Guindy, Chennai 600025
Calls for proposals
Internationalisation at Indian Higher Education Institutions – Structures and Services
The DAAD New Delhi is organising a two-day workshop on ‘Internationalisation at Indian Higher Education Institutions’ on October 14 and 15 at Don Bosco University, Guwahati, Assam. It invites applications from representatives, heads and deans of international offices/international relations at Indian higher education institutions from the states of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Meghalaya, Manipur, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim, Tripura, Odisha, Jharkhand, Bihar, Chhattisgarh and West Bengal to present on the selected themes. The workshop will highlight the topics of structural framework conditions for internationalisation, implementation of contracts for international cooperation and structures to support and management of international cooperation projects. The participants will brainstorm in interactive sessions, develop ideas for internationalisation strategies and will get insights into international cooperation project management. The aim is to host up to 25 participants.
Application deadline: August 25, 2024
DAAD–DST Project-based Personnel Exchange Programme
DAAD and the Department of Science and Technology (DST) are inviting applications from university professors and scientists from German and Indian universities and those in permanent employment at independent research institutes are eligible to apply for 2 years of funding for collaborative research projects between Indian and German research groups. Young researchers get an opportunity to gain international research experience and undergo further training at an international level. The bilateral research cooperation can be used as a starting point for future cooperation. Applications need to be submitted simultaneously by Indian and German partners to DST and DAAD respectively.
Application deadline: August 31, 2024
Max Planck-India Mobility Grant (MPIMG)
Max Planck India Mobility Grants are a distinction awarded to highly qualified Indian scientists who should be in their final year of doctorate or have obtained their doctorate no longer than ten years ago. MPIMG are awarded for three years enabling the candidates to initiate and pursue research links to a Max Planck Institute of their choice. Candidates have the right to visit a Max Planck Institute (MPI) for a minimum of one month per year. Former Max Planck Partner Group Heads and former Max Planck India Mobility Grant Holders are not eligible to apply for this grant.
Applications are on a rolling basis throughout the year.
MSCA Postdoctoral scholarships 2024
The Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions Postdoctoral Fellowships aim to improve the creative and innovative potential of researchers holding a PhD. They will help researchers acquire new skills, develop their careers, and gain international, interdisciplinary, and inter-sectoral experience by working in another country. MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships aims at supporting the international mobility of researchers within (European Fellowships) and beyond Europe (Global Fellowships). Researchers based in India willing to move to Europe for their fellowship can apply for a European Fellowship. Researchers based in Europe can apply for a Global Fellowship to carry out research of up to 2 years in a third country, in this case India, and return to Europe for 1 year. Individual researchers can submit proposals for funding written in liaison with their planned host organisation in Europe. The host can be a university, a research institution or facility, a company, small or medium-sized enterprise, a government, public institution, or body, a museum, hospital, or NGO or any other organisation.
Application deadline: September 11, 2024
The International Max Planck Research School on Earth System Modelling
The International Max Planck Research School on Earth System Modelling (IMPRS-ESM) offers a structured, interdisciplinary and international program for graduate students who want to earn a PhD degree. The main focus of this doctoral program is to advance the understanding of processes and dynamics in the Earth system as well as the prediction skills. IMPRS-ESM is a joint program by the Max Planck Institute for Meteorology (MPI-M) and the University of Hamburg (UHH). Candidates who have a strong interest in climate research and have experience in working with numerical models of Earth system or its components are welcome to apply. A Master’s degree in physics, geophysical sciences (incl. meteorology and oceanography), ecology, mathematics, computer science, engineering, economics, or political science is needed for the eligibility criteria.
Application deadline: September 15, 2024
Multiple Short-Term Fellowships at ICAS:MP for the academic year July 2025 – June 2026
The M.S. Merian – R. Tagore International Centre of Advanced Studies “Metamorphoses of the Political: Comparative Perspectives on the Long Twentieth Century” (ICAS:MP), a project under the aegis of the Max Weber Stiftung India Branch Office, is inviting applications for multiple fellowships for the academic year July 2025– June 2026. It offers fellowships for researchers (Postdoc and Senior) who work on at least one of the following ICAS:MP research themes: Working Group ‘Theory from the South’, Thematic Consolidation Group ‘Constructing Alternative Pasts: (New) Sources and Methods’, Thematic Consolidation Group ‘The Challenge of Gender’ and Thematic Consolidation Group ‘Normative Conflicts and Transformations’: Collective Action and the Self – South Asian Perspectives. The fellowship seeks to support research on these and related topics with a focus on South Asia. Scholars from across the humanities and the social sciences are invited to apply. Fellows must already have a PhD degree and have 3 years of research or teaching experience after their PhD.
Application deadline: September 30, 2024
IGSTC launches WISER programme 2024
The Indo-German Science & Technology Centre (IGSTC) launched Women Involvement in Science and Engineering Research – WISER programme for the year 2024. This scheme allows women researchers in India and Germany to participate and collaborate in an ongoing research project in the other country without applying for fresh project grant in partnering countries. With this low-threshold offer for female scientists, WISER intends to build scientific capacity, retain and promote women researchers in India and Germany. Women researchers holding a regular position in academic/research institutions/industrial research organisations in India or Germany are eligible to apply.
Applications are considered on a rolling basis.
Call for nominations for Max Planck Partner Groups
Max Planck Society is inviting applications for the Max Planck Partner Groups that are intended for highly motivated junior scientists or postdocs who have obtained their doctorate no longer than seven years ago. A particular focus of this year´s call will be on new partner groups in the following regions, Africa, Asia/Southeast Asia and Central and Eastern European countries. They must have spent a minimum of 6 to 12 months at an MPI before moving to a respective research institution in their home country or one of the regions mentioned above. The nomination of female scientists is explicitly encouraged.
Application deadline: September 30, 2024
PhD positions in Solar System Science
The Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research (MPS) in Göttingen invites applications for PhD positions in Solar System Science. The IMPRS for Solar System Science at the University of Göttingen and TU Braunschweig (“Solar System School”) offers a research-oriented doctoral programme in Solar system science. With its approximately 300 staff members, MPS in Göttingen is one of the leading institutes in the field of solar physics and planetary research. In particular, the institute is involved in numerous international space missions. In the context of this IMPRS, the MPS offers PhD projects in three main areas: Sun and Heliosphere, Solar and Stellar Interiors, and Planetary Science. Solar System School students collaborate with leading scientists in these fields and graduates are awarded a doctoral degree from the University of Göttingen or the TU Braunschweig. Applicants must have, or about to obtain, a M.Sc. degree or equivalent in physics, chemistry, geosciences or a related field.
Application deadline: October 1, 2024
PhD positions at the International Max Planck Research School on Astrophysics at the Ludwig Maximilians University Munich
The IMPRS on Astrophysics are inviting applications for 25 PhD positions for research topics in diverse fields of astrophysics. This is a joint International Max-Planck Research School (IMPRS) on Astrophysics of the Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics (MPE), the Max Planck Institute for Astrophysics (MPA), the University Observatory Munich at the Ludwig Maximilians University (LMU/USM) and the European Southern Observatory (ESO). Together, they form one of the largest centers of astrophysical research in the world, covering every subject from planets, stars, and galaxies to cosmology. Access to the world's largest telescopes and a stimulating scientific environment provide the students with the ideal conditions for their PhD research.
Application deadline: November 1, 2024
Institute of the month
XIM University Bhubaneshwar
Xavier Institute of Management University was founded in the year 1987 and has been recognised as a premier Business School in India. It hosts 12 schools and offers undergraduate, masters and doctoral programmes, focussing on research and innovation. The academic programmes are designed around a “learning by-doing” model that encourages extensive interaction with all components of the University’s ecosystem which serves as a starting point for evolving leadership philosophy and resilient business practices. It hosts two unique courses of study – Sustainability Management and Urban Management, both first of their kind in the country and among the very few in the world. The University’s School of Communications is the first state-of-the-art, high-quality media school in the State of Odisha. The School of Commerce, School of Law, Economics, Governance and Public Affairs, Computer Science and Engineering and Liberal Arts, as well as other career-oriented courses, are the educational initiatives to provide holistic and integral career-oriented to students. XIM University has been ranked top 46th Management Institute of India in the Management category by NIRF Ranking 2023.
Great women in science
Nigar Shaji
Indian aerospace engineer Nigar Shaji has been integral to the country's space exploration since joining ISRO in 1987. She was the project director of the Aditya-L1, India's first solar mission. Her extensive career at ISRO, spanning over 35 years, showcases her multifaceted professional capabilities, including her role as the Associate Project Director of Resourcesat-2A, a pivotal Indian Remote Sensing Satellite dedicated to national resource monitoring and management. Her academic background includes a Bachelor's in electronics and communication and a Master's in Electronics from BIT Ranchi. Shaji's contributions highlight her vital role in India's space missions, emphasising her commitment to advancing the nation's space exploration endeavours.
Did you know?
Germany was declared the most innovative country in the world in the 2020 Bloomberg Innovation Index and was ranked 8th in the Global Innovation Index in 2023.