Portrait foto of Mahmoud Hussein

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Mahmoud Hussein is a PhD candidate at the department for active materials and interfaces for stable perovskite solar cells. In this interview he talks about his experiences working in international teams and how different cultures can contribute to scientific progress by encouraging creative thinking. What is important to you about diversity? The most important aspect in diversity, for me, is having people from different cultures and from different backgrounds – and different science perspectives. That’s very important because this is one of the main driving forces of science. Why? Because when you take people. from different backgrounds, from different educational systems, different academic sub fields,Read More →

Portrait of Lisa Seelau

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Lisa Seelau is a HR specialist for personnel marketing and participates in the LGBTQ group at HZB. Diversity plays a big role in her everyday professional life. In this talk, she mentions how much a culture of openness and exchange about different perspectives enriches her. What is important to you when it comes to diversity? I firmly believe that diversity in a company brings new ideas and perspectives. It changes the view that has existed for a long time, the heteronormative view of the cis-white male. There are also numerous studies showing that diversity makes companies more successful. Diversity works best when there is trainingRead More →

Portrait picture of Nomi Sorgenfrei

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Physicist Dr Nomi Sorgenfrei develops methods and instruments for research with X-ray light at BESSY II at HZB and investigates catalytically active thin films herself. A conversation about privileges, diversity at work, and intersectional forms of discrimination. What is particularly important to you when it comes to diversity? The appreciation of all people with their different backgrounds, whether cultural, religious or gender. We all just want to have a good life and contribute to society. And it is very good when people with different perspectives contribute. At what points in your work does diversity play a role? Very practically in the daily encounter with peopleRead More →

Diversity: "You must be the change you want to see in the world"

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Everyone is talking about diversity nowadays. Every organisation is looking to be as diverse as possible. It is seen as a commercial success factor and is also often worn as a badge of honour. Diversity has already been written into many company guidelines and policies. In one wording or another, we read that diversity leads to better results, increases profits and secures innovation. And this is all true, of course. Yet, I often find that the claims being made are still too vague. It feels like maybe companies only start championing diversity when they can put a number on its added value. But diversity oughtRead More →

coral

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In: Careers, International, Lightsources, PhDlife, Science Communication, Students

A few weeks ago, I discovered utterly beautiful pictures in our Twitter timeline: filigree, radially symmetrical structures that looked like art objects. They were tiny corals that had just formed their first skeleton. The pictures had been taken at the BAMline at BESSY. They triggered my curiosity and I contacted the scientist who had posted them. Federica Scucchia replied right away and we arranged to meet next time she would be in Berlin.Read More →

Scientists in the laboratory

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Erika Zaiser is working on her doctoral thesis on superalloys at HZB. She studied in Berlin and Tomsk, Russia, and graduated from TU Berlin with a double Master’s degree in physical engineering. She did her Master’s thesis at HZB, and her supervisor at the time, Dr Florian Vogel, is now also supervising her doctorate. However, he now lives in China. In the interview, I asked Erika how such a doctorate over distance is possible. At the end of the interview, Florian also joined in.Read More →