Manuel Vasquez Montoya and Mayara da Silva are two PhD students at HZB. They have been selected this summer to participate in the Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting and came back with new ideas and contacts. Among the highlights were the walks with Nobel Laureates in a small group. In this short interview they resume their experiences.Read More →
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 →
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 →
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 →
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 →
By Ivona Kafedjiska. The doctoral researchers at HZB who are working in the field of solar cells might all have different research interests and varying educational backgrounds, but we all agree on one point: attending the QUANTSOL summer school in Hirschegg, Austria is a must.Read More →
How do we benefit from neural networks? How do they make our work easier? And in what concrete scenarios can these algorithms be used? These were questions that were dealt with by around 50 participants, from six countries, at the Machine Leaning Summer School of Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin.Read More →
Poster sessions can be quite frustrating – for everyone. Cognitive research offers tipps for better academic posters: the key message must be easy to grasp at a glance and inspire questions.Read More →
„If only we’d stop trying to be happy we’d have a pretty good time.“ Edith Wharton This topic is quite a controversial and also philosophical one. Let´s be honest here: we can´t guide you to fundamental happiness. There´s no neat trick that works for everyone. If so it would be a more peaceful and relaxed world. What we want to do is make you think. Because even if you´re totally against everything we will write down here: thinking about it may bring you a step further to your version of happiness. So join us on this ride! While being happy might be the ultimate goalRead More →
We often talk about heart and lung health, etc. but we seldom talk about brain health which is undeniably central to all our health. The brain is like any other organ. During our Mental Health Awareness month we actually talk a lot about stress. Stress is often portrayed as having only relatively short lasting psychological impacts, but it also alters the biochemistry happening in your body and especially your brain and therefore actually having also long lasting physiological impacts. So, if you properly take care of it, you will reap the most fulfilling benefits. As the renounced neuroscientist Dr. Daniel Amen [10] said: When yourRead More →