Representatives of Germany's Excellence Initiative visit the US to promote Germany as a research destination

Joint press release of the German Research Foundation (DFG), the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), and the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation (AvH)
Bonn, 11.24.2008. The outstanding research projects which are underway in Germany should be more widely recognized in the US. For this reason, nine German university executives and top researchers representing universities who have received recognition through Germany's Excellence Initiative will travel to the US research hubs of Washington DC, the San Francisco Bay Area, and Los Angeles the week of November 30th through December 5th, 2008, at the invitation of the German Research Foundation (DFG), the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), and the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation (AvH). The delegation will be accompanied by representatives of the three funding agencies as well as of the German Council of Science and Humanities (Wissenschaftsrat).

The goal of the information trip is to increase visibility of the Clusters of Excellence, Graduate Schools, and Institutional Strategies which have been selected for extra funding through the Excellence Initiative, a nationwide competition to identify and support Germany's leading research universities, the strongest fields of scholarship, and the best graduate programs. The delegation also hopes to foster opportunities for international research collaboration with US institutions. Interdisciplinary presentations will draw attention to the new and very attractive research opportunities in Germany, with the hope that these prospects attract researchers and educators to post-doc and professor positions in Germany.

In each of the three locations, there will be an information session for talented and ambitious young researchers, a workshop for distinguished university leaders and top-level researchers meant to encourage and initiate transatlantic partnerships, as well as individual, one-on-one meetings with the members of the delegation. The German Academic International Network (GAIN) has also invited German researchers living and working in the US to participate in the events.

• http://www.gain-network.org/

The information trip is a part of the "Research in Germany - Land of Ideas" initiative of the Federal Ministry of Education and Research, and is jointly organized by the DFG, DAAD, and AvH.

Further Information

Contact:

Marco Finetti, German Research Foundation
Press and Public Relations
Tel.: +49 (0)228/885-2230, email: marco.finetti@dfg.de
Kennedyallee 40
D-53175 Bonn
Germany

Francis Hugenroth, German Academic Exchange Service
Head of Press and Public Relations
Tel.: +49 (0)228/882-454, email: presse@daad.de
Kennedyallee 50
D-53175 Bonn
Germany

Georg Scholl, Alexander von Humboldt Foundation
Head of Press and Communications Office
Tel.: +49 (0)228/833-258, email: presse@avh.de
Jean-Paul-Str. 12
D-53175 Bonn
Germany