"This is a place of speaking science!" With these words, Federal Research Minister Anja Karliczek praised the Albert Einstein Science Park on Potsdam's Telegrafenberg during her inaugural visit to the state of Brandenburg on 20 March 2019. Together with her host, Brandenburg's Minister of Science, Research and Cultural Affairs, Martina Münch, the Federal Research Minister came to the Telegrafenberg during the fourteenth PhD Day of the GFZ, an event where the GFZ doctoral students present their current research projects, among other things. The ministers were able to gain an impression of the FameLab competition, in which young researchers have to inspire a jury and the public in a lecture of only three minutes and without major technical aids. The regional preliminary decision for Berlin-Brandenburg took place with ten participants together with the GFZ-PhD-Day. It was Federal Minister Karliczek’s part to honour the winners of the competition: "This is science communication at its best," she said.

Previously, the ministers could deliver good news in the lecture hall of House H: As a partner of the Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus-Senftenberg, GFZ will benefit from funding from the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) as part of the initiative 'Land-Innovation-Lausitz' as of June 2019. The vision and goal of 'Land-Innovation-Lausitz' is to develop Lusatia into a model region for adapting land use to climate change through innovative technologies oriented at the bioeconomy value chain. The funding is part of the BMBF programme 'WIR! – Wandel durch Innovation in der Region' (Change through Innovation in the Region).

Outstanding research on the universe and our planet

After the award ceremony of the three FameLab winners Catalina Munteanu (1st place; Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin), Jakob Paul Morath (2nd place; Max-Planck-Institut für Infektionsbiologie, Berlin) and Felix Günther (Audience Price; Technische Universität Berlin) the 'hosts' of Telegrafenberg presented their institutes to the ministers: Reinhard Hüttl presented the GFZ, Ottmar Edenhofer the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, and Bernhard Diekmann the Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research. Afterwards, the ministers went on to the Great Refractor, where Matthias Steinmetz presented the Leibniz Institute for Astrophysics Potsdam.

"The Telegrafenberg in Potsdam is home to outstanding research on the universe and our planet," said Federal Research Minister Anja Karliczek. "Today, more than ever, we need these scientific findings in order to meet major societal challenges such as climate change".

Brandenburg's Science and Research Minister Martina Münch said: "The research facilities on Potsdam's Telegrafenberg make a significant contribution to the international appeal of the outstanding and innovative scientific landscape in Potsdam and Brandenburg. The extraordinarily positive development of Brandenburg's scientific landscape is of inestimable importance for the region".

Reinhard Hüttl was very pleased with the visit of the ministers and the words of praise: "It is something very special for us to welcome Federal Minister Anja Karliczek and State Minister Martina Münch to our PhD Day. We hope that the impression of the Telegrafenberg will whet their appetite for further visits and look forward to continuing our successful cooperation". (ph)

Further information:

• BMBF programme 'WIR! – Wandel durch Innovation in der Region' 
• 'Land-Innovation-Lausitz' initiative