(29.07.19) It has become something of a tradition: every summer, a group of young Indian scientists travel to Lindau, Germany, to join hundreds of other young researchers from all over the world for a weeklong interaction with Nobel laureates. This year too.

Twenty-one young scientists from India, selected by the Department of Science and Technology (DST), travelled to Lake Constance for the 69th Nobel Laureate Meeting dedicated to physics, held from 30 June to 5 July 2019 in the city of Lindau, to discuss scientific and non-scientific matters with around 30 Nobel laureates and with their own peers from around the globe.

Following the week in Lindau, DFG invited these 21 Indian researchers on a tour through Germany. Together with Dr. Sivaji Chadaram (DST), the Indian guests visited various research institutions in the field of physics. The “Post Lindau Tour” started in Konstanz University, moved on to the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, followed by Heidelberg University, Mainz University and lastly the Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research in Mainz. DFG’s aim was to give an overview of the German higher education and research system and to demonstrate the state-of-the-art research taken place in Germany’s top research institutes. During the weeklong tour, the Indian delegation also had the opportunity to visit the DFG Head Office in Bonn, where they interacted with officials from DFG, DAAD, the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation as well as Germany’s Federal Ministry of Science and Research (BMBF). Before flying back home, India’s General Consulate in Frankfurt generously hosted the group for one afternoon.

The weeklong tour not only showcased Germany’s scientific landscape, but also its rich cultural heritage, its vibrant cities and plenty of funding opportunities open to scientists from India. The participants appreciated it: DFG colleagues accompanying the tour or meeting its participants in Bonn were questioned extensively about ways to come to Germany and to join one of its state-of-the art research institutions, and a number of participants stated that project proposals are already being worked out. We will be very excited to meet our Indian guests soon again – this time as researchers in a German university or research institute!