On 26 October 2023, the Minister of Education, Culture and Research of the Netherlands, Robbert Dijkgraaf, together with the Dutch Ambassador to Germany, Ronald van Roeden, visited the Helmholtz Centre Potsdam - GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences.

The meeting took place in the run-up to the opening of a network for Dutch scientists in Germany. Representatives of the Netherlands Research Council (NWO), the German Research Foundation (DFG) and the Young Academy, as well as the neighbouring Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research - Alfred Wegener Institute (AWI) and Leibniz Institute for Astrophysics Potsdam (AIP) were also present.

In the GFZ's Historical Library, the delegations discussed how to attract and retain new talent while achieving diversity and inclusion. The GFZ was able to point to its great successes in the area of international cooperation, the recruitment of top international researchers and the acquisition of highly competitive ERC grants. Experiences in the implementation of measures for greater gender equality were also shared

The visit ended with a tour of the historic Telegrafenberg.

The GFZ was delighted to have hosted the visit and would like to thank everyone involved for the positive and constructive dialogue.