This article is part of a series on our user meeting and our collaboration with our country of honour Kenya. For further articles, see here.
Der Beitrag Great support for scientific images erschien zuerst auf Science at HZBblog.
]]>Science produces fascinating images. For two weeks, the most beautiful scientific images were exhibited in the foyer of the BESSY II X-ray source in Berlin-Adlershof. But it’s about much more than aesthetics: Helmholtz Imaging offers a great network that bundles expertise in imaging. Researchers benefit from this unbureaucratically and completely free of charge. Philipp Heuser from Helmholtz Imaging told me exactly what’s behind it during a roadshow at HZB.
Good pictures are needed everywhere! In research, of course, it’s not about beauty. In all areas of research, images are essential for gaining knowledge. Whether you work in medicine, analyse materials or analyse satellite images to study climate change: Images are extremely important, you can’t do it without them.
The challenges are very different, depending on which area you work in. The amount of data produced will grow immensely over the next few years. An example from the synchrotron research: If you use new detectors, even more data will be generated. This is important for obtaining better images. But you also should be able to handle such data volumes. For example, you need suitable software to analyse these images. Deep learning solutions are an important topic. This allows large amounts of information to be processed and analysed. This is also one of our main areas.
We have many different areas of expertise in the Helmholtz Association. So, we want to bring these together in Helmholtz Imaging! We experience that a problem has already been solved in one field of research but not yet in another. Normally, you don’t find out about existing solutions from other fields because the scientific communities are not connected. This is our starting point: Bringing together experts from different fields, initiating collaborations and developing solutions. Our motto is: enabling science. First of all, we try to broker the existing expertise from the Association, but if necessary our support and research teams will dive deep into the challenges, to find a solution. That is a great benefit.
Firstly, we provide everyone with concrete help for everyday problems. For example: What can I do if the beam has wobbled and my image is blurred? How do I get from my raw data to a complex 3D visualisation? We are here to answer all these questions: Simply send an email to our support hub. We offer short-term advice, free of charge and unbureaucratic! Moreover, we can also put you in touch with experts from our CONNECT database. By the way: you are welcome to contribute as an expert. This expands your own competences and perspectives, and gives you visibility.
Secondly, researchers can take part in our training programmes. We organise a summer school, hackathons, a large Helmholtz Imaging Conference and much more. Networking and learning are our main focus! Since we are talking about events: Our next Annual Conference will take place on 14-15 May in Heidelberg. The call for abstracts is open until 28 March 2024: https://events.hifis.net/event/1167/.
And thirdly, we publish an annual call for projects within Helmholtz Imaging. The next call is planned for spring 2024. Researchers can submit a project with relatively little effort – and receive funding and access to expertise to solve their problem.
As you can see, Helmholtz Imaging offers fantastic opportunities – from support to research and funding. Just take a look at our website right now.
Philipp Heuser works in the Engineering and Support Unit of Helmholtz Imaging at DESY.
Interview: Silvia Zerbe
Contact Helmholtz Imaging at: helpdesk@helmholtz-imaging.de
Further information can be found on the Helmholtz Imaging website. You can receive updates on LinkedIn or in the newsletter (register here).
The members of Helmholtz Imaging are happy to help you!
Der Beitrag Great support for scientific images erschien zuerst auf Science at HZBblog.
]]>Der Beitrag HZB’s DocTeam and Helmholtz Juniors: A voice for Doctoral Researchers erschien zuerst auf Science at HZBblog.
]]>They could be busy enough inside the lab, but they are active as well in the HZB DocTeam and in Helmholtz-Juniors (HeJus), which represents the interests of all doctoral researchers across Helmholtz Association (HGF). At the recent HeJu-retreat Namrata Sharma was elected as vice speaker of the Events Team and Thomas Gries as vice speaker of the Working Conditions Team. A short conversation about what, how and why?
Thomas: In the working conditions team, we are concerned with contracts and legal conditions of doctoral researchers in HGF, with the aim of improving the working conditions for DRs. It is interesting, and sometimes worrying, to see that the situation of doctoral researchers is different in different research centers. There is large room for improvement and more fairness.
Namrata: In the events team, we organise two meetings a year with Doctoral Representatives from all Helmholtz Institutes. The mid-terms are always organised at the Helmholtz headquarters in Berlin, and Annual meetings are organised every time at a different Helmholtz Center in Germany. These meetings are organised to share the ideas and progress towards improving the working conditions across all Helmholtz institutes. Additionally, we organise a monthly online meeting providing a platform for all HeJus to enhance our social bonding.
Namrata: Within only 6 months of our term as Doctoral Representatives at HZB, we have already organised several social events and provided platforms to doctoral researchers to meet each other, collaborate and make friends. These social events additionally give us an opportunity to discuss the needs and wants of doctoral researchers. As their representative we keep their perspective in front of the graduate centre and talk in respective boards about it, such as the HZB-internal Scientific Board. We are a voice to our community.
Thomas: The next big project is a new edition of the N2 survey on mental health and working conditions among doctoral researchers of the participating research associations, such as Max-Planck, Leibniz and Helmholtz. The last N2-survey dates back to 2021 and unveiled strong pressure on many doctoral researchers, resulting in higher anxiety and depression levels than in the rest of the population. The I see large potential for improvement is this field. The full report will be published at HZB soon! In addition, we set up projects in our team, like writing blogs on mental health to create awareness.
Namrata. I want to engage with something apart from the lab work and contribute to a platform to talk with people outside my own group. We can learn from each other and improve conditions.
Thomas: We would also like to increase visibility of Helmholtz Juniors at HZB, especially with respect to the upcoming N2-survey, where we aim for large participation of HZB’s Doctoral Researchers.
Namrata: Not to forget, it widens the horizon. For instance, as spokespeople of the HeJus, we are looking forward to meet Otmar Wiestler, the president of Helmholtz and discuss with him.
Thomas: We have a voice, that is my motivation.
Letter by the Helmholtz Juniors
Some data on mental health in Science
Letter by the Helmholtz-Juniors on brain health
Der Beitrag HZB’s DocTeam and Helmholtz Juniors: A voice for Doctoral Researchers erschien zuerst auf Science at HZBblog.
]]>Der Beitrag Our Friends in Israel: The fellow, the bicycle, and the super-vision in between erschien zuerst auf Science at HZBblog.
]]>The Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin (HZB) has long-standing cooperations with research institutions in Israel, often leading to close friendships over the years. One such friendship developed with David Cahen. As a renowned Professor of Chemistry, Physics and Material Research (emeritus), he runs a group at the Weizmann Institute of Science (and at Bar Ilan University) in Israel, where he works today on sustainable materials for energy conversion, especially Solar Cells. At the end of his fellowship at HZB in the month of September 2023, he told Ulrike Goldenblatt what he took away from his time in Berlin. (Please note, this interview was held before the atrocious terrorist attacks on Israel and its citizens on October 7th and in one spot amended by DC a day after that attack).
David Cahen: I came for one month and intended to interact with and try to be of help to as many interested students as possible, and learn from my HZB colleagues about their research, while also highlighting a central issue in my research. Indeed, not all of that worked out, but as this is not the first time that I spent a month at a different place, that was not a surprise; one adapts and I did; over-all, it was a great experience!
I think I did manage to generate some interest in the phrase “Sustainable Energy needs Sustainable Materials”, also for those that did not take my HI-SCORE course.
Apart from the larger than expected (by me) impact of the Wannsee-Adlershof separation, there were no major surprises regarding students, as I have interacted with many types of students. In Berlin, on the positive side the public transport was much better than I expected, notwithstanding annoying cancellations etc., also compared to what I know from places like NYC, Boston, Paris (Tel Aviv is several categories lower). On the negative side, I had not expected biking to be more dangerous than I am used to, and, yes, the number of smokers on the streets.
I won’t give names except HZB, but in general the art of lip-service is highly developed in this subject area, although not everywhere to the same extent. HZB and the university groups I interacted with are highly focused on generating energy from the sun and in that respect, this is certainly a very major center.
Yes, so it seems from the (limited) interaction I did have with students, also because of the international character of the city. At Weizmann I think there is a wider spread of the support umbrella, but then, we have (and always had) to make extra efforts, given the political situation in Israel (even before the 2023 events).
We have a wider support net for the students, especially the foreign ones, as is sadly, but clearly shown by the near-immediate actions taken to facilitate evacuation and altogether safeguarding of our foreign students and PDs, well before their governments sprang into action. The distances, the fact that HZB is spread out, while the Weizmann Institute is on just one, easily walkable campus, means that you miss out on “corridor science”, which is an important factor back home. Being next to a large, vibrant city is a big asset for HZB. A further feature is its association with a mix of universities.
That is work in progress. So, let us wait and see.
Be prepared, certainly after you have completed 20-25% of your PhD research period, to answer clearly what is the problem you want to solve and the question you want to answer in your research, AND, why, if you succeed, will it matter (to you and where applicable, in a broader sense). So, have an elevator pitch ready, not for PR, but for yourself.
Less than I had hoped but still some 70+ km I’d guess.
Note: The interview was conducted by Ulrike Goldenblatt, who coordinates the international graduate program HI-SCORE (Hybrid Integrated Systems for Conversion of Solar Energy) together with PD Daniel Abou-Ras. HI-SCORE has been running since 2018 for the purpose of fostering research on solar cells in cooperation with Israeli academic institutions, and in support and exchange of the doctoral researchers involved. For more information, please visit here: HI-SCORE-Website
https://www.adlershof.de/en/news/hzb-launches-the-hi-score-international-research-school
Recommendation: Please watch or read the video-statement by David Cahen on self healing new materials for solar energy conversion: https://llx.fr/site/index.php/2022/06/06/wiggling-and-giggling-in-materials-fremissement-dans-les-materiaux/
Der Beitrag Our Friends in Israel: The fellow, the bicycle, and the super-vision in between erschien zuerst auf Science at HZBblog.
]]>Der Beitrag Summer students 2023: All the best and goodbye! erschien zuerst auf Science at HZBblog.
]]>Every year, a small team at HZB organises the International Summer Students Programme. This summer, 13 young people came from Kenya, Colombia, Serbia and other countries. At the final conference, all students presented their projects with flash talks and posters. The best poster and the most intriguing blog post were elected – a difficult process, since the quality was really very good.
It is really amazing, such an output in just eight weeks, one of the supervisors remarked during coffeetime at the final presentation. Sure, said another: “Instead of going to the beach and relaxing on holiday, they decided to do two months of lab. Who does something like that? Only the really motivated ones.”
Indeed, the summer students spared no effort: they studied solar cells, analysed complex materials, developed software and learned to operate the most complicated laboratory technology – and along the way they danced, visited museums and discovered Berlin. They recorded how they fared in their blog entries, which were published this year on the Helmholtz Augenspiegel blog: From the difficulties in the Berlin housing market to the fear of making mistakes in the lab up to original ways to discover Berlin.
The final presentation was another challenge: A “flash presentation” on only one slide and only two minutes to present their project. Afterwards, they could tell more about their work at the poster session. And they did.
A jury selected the best poster, based on aspects such as design, good communication and scientific achievement. Milanka Lovic from Serbia was convincing on all three points. Her poster about nanodiamond materials was not only particularly beautiful, but she also clearly highlighted the most important result and explained it really well, even to lay persons.
At the final presentation everybody received three little sticky stars to distribute on the 13 blogposts and vote for the best one. With thoughts on doubts and perseverance in “The Soliloquy of the Man behind the Lab Coat”, Ricardo Mogollon from Colombia earned the prize.
“Kings of hearts” with an enormous number of positive comments are Lucas Odhiambo Sije and Rodgers Otieno. “I didn’t know I enjoyed writing so much,” said one of the students later at the closing barbecue.
Der Beitrag Summer students 2023: All the best and goodbye! erschien zuerst auf Science at HZBblog.
]]>Der Beitrag Driving Scientific Innovation: HZB at Intersolar Europe erschien zuerst auf Science at HZBblog.
]]>The Intersolar trade fair, held in Munich from June 14th to 16th, served as a global platform for experts, industry leaders, and enthusiasts to explore the latest developments in the solar energy sector. Intersolar is part of “The smarter E,” four different exhibitions, Intersolar, ees, Power2Drive and EM-Power, focusing on renewable energy and highlighting groundbreaking advancements in the field – this year under the motto: “Creating a new energy world”. Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin (HZB), participates every year to Intersolar and presents its research expertise and technological achievements.
At HZB’s booth this year, we presented the main aspects of our current research on renewable energy, especially photovoltaic technologies.
We showcased our perovskite-based tandem solar cells, which held the world efficiency record with a certified efficiency of 32,5% until spring 2023, and minimodules manufactured via slot die coating. Janardan Dagar, staff scientist at HZB and responsible team lead for conducting research on large area perovskites, tells us: “We are producing a prototype which is the size of 5 cm x 5 cm area – a single junction slot die coated semi-transparent mini-module. And the idea is to make it applicable for industrial upscaling.”
Additionally, we highlighted our activities on building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV) with our consulting office for building-integrated Photovoltaics (BAIP). Björn Rau, physicist at HZB and responsible for BAIP, emphasizes the importance of addressing explicitly the construction industry: “We analysed the situation on the market, and we found that in the field of building-integrated photovoltaics, it is not necessarily only the product that needs to be developed or the solar module that needs to be optimised for integration into the building envelope, we found that the main problem why we see not enough BIPV is that the construction industry knows little about it.”
Complementing this, we showcased CatLab (Catalysis Laboratory), a Berlin-based research platform to advance the development of novel catalyst materials (together with Fritz-Haber-Institute of the Max-Planck Society and the Max-Planck Institute for Chemical Energy Conversion). Steffi Hlawenka explains: “For transition to green energy, we also must think about chemical energy storage and transport. For that, hydrogen is a promising material. Especially in direct connection with renewable energy sources like solar energy, the so-called called photovoltaics-to-fuels technology portraited by our exhibit”.
HZB is dedicated to the Helmholtz mission, and one key point is technology transfer. “To transfer gained scientific knowledge to applicable usage”, in the words of Jan Elmiger, responsible for technology transfer at HZB. As a publicly funded institution with access to cutting-edge research facilities like BESSY II, we strive to centre our scientific expertise on research to benefit society. Through technology transfer, our research findings will transform into real life solutions for economic and industrial use. Jan Elmiger explains: “In collaboration with industry partners, we develop commercial prototypes, license our technologies for commercial usage, or even establish spin-off companies.” This symbiotic relationship enables HZB to make a lasting impact on the solar energy sector and contribute to its evolution. By leveraging expertise and fostering collaborations, HZB actively contributes to a greener, more sustainable future.
Participating in trade fairs like Intersolar offers several advantages for HZB and the scientific community. Firstly, it allows us to showcase our innovations and research outcomes to a large and diverse audience, including industry representatives and potential collaborators. But also, we can present our research to young scientists. This visibility not only helps us to establish valuable connections and partnerships. We can show young scientists, interested in pursuing research, opportunities for their academic career at HZB. Niklas Albinius, scientist at BAIP, sums it up well: “We want to communicate what we do, mainly science, and technologies.” Additionally, trade fairs provide a platform for personal contacts, knowledge exchange, enabling us to stay up to date on the latest industry trends, challenges, and demands. This exchange helps us to set our research priorities with real-world needs, ensuring that our scientific efforts have a meaningful impact on society.
For further information on Intersolar, you can find the official website here.
Der Beitrag Driving Scientific Innovation: HZB at Intersolar Europe erschien zuerst auf Science at HZBblog.
]]>Der Beitrag Cyber attack on the Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin (HZB) erschien zuerst auf Science at HZBblog.
]]>Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin (HZB) became a victim of a cyber attack on 15.06.2023. To protect against it, we have shut down all IT systems. The research centre cannot be reached via the website, email or telephone at the moment. We ask for your understanding.
Berlin, 16.06.2023: Das Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin (HZB) ist am 15.06.2023 Ziel eines Cyberangriffs geworden. Zum Schutz haben wir alle IT-Systeme heruntergefahren. Die Forschungseinrichtung ist momentan nicht über die Webseite, via E-Mail oder Telefon erreichbar. Wir bitten um Ihr Verständnis.
Ihre Kommunikationsabteilung des Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin für Materialien und Energie | Your Communication Department of HZB
Der Beitrag Cyber attack on the Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin (HZB) erschien zuerst auf Science at HZBblog.
]]>Der Beitrag Science for Kenya erschien zuerst auf Science at HZBblog.
]]>The BESSY@HZB User Meeting welcomes 17 scientists from Kenya. They come from six different universities. One of them is Robert Ngure; he is a Master’s student in material science at Egerton university. He tells us more about his fascination for science and what he expects from his visit to Adlershof.
Robert Ngure graduated in June 2019 and enrolled a few months later for a Master’s degree in science. In most universities in Kenya, you study for one year before you choose a specialisation. Robert’s decision was relatively straightforward: “I am convinced that material science is very relevant for my country. From the beginning, my goal is to drive forward the energy conversion.”
Robert works in Tabitha’s material science group (read more) at Egerton university, Kenya, and thanks to this connection, he also got in contact with Lucy Ombaka (read more). Finally, he met “Dr. Antje when she came to Egerton in November 2022” (read more). “She spoke with such enthusiasm of BESSY II; discovering my research topic at HZB was fascinating. Some of my teams work on organic solar cells. This is extremely interesting, and I am keen on developing novel nanocomposites of solar cells,” says the student. Even at this early stage in his career, the scientist is passionate about material science. He calls his discovery of BESSY II light source an “eye-opener.”
In spring 2023, he attended the HZB-Photon School in Adlershof with Nancy (see Blog post here). During two weeks, a group of students had lectures and could do some hands-on experiments at BESSY II. “My research work is on the synthesis and characterisation of nanocomposites. The idea here is to synthesize nanocomposites using graphene and, in my case, silver-based nanoparticles.
Robert adds: “During the photon school, I learnt a lot about data analysis. I also had the privilege to see the PV competence center in Adlershof, a very inspiring place. They showed different ways of implementing photovoltaics.”
Robert is very excited to meet other experts in his field end of June at the BESSYII@HZB User Meeting: “I would like to talk about better materials and learn new advanced methods.”
The scientist has a big vision: “My dream is that every household in Kenya should have a renewable energy source. To my mind, access to affordable solar cells for everybody is urgent! There is some hydroelectric; however, this does not reach all people. Right now, some people use kerosene for lighting. I really recommend the mass production of organic solar cells – there is so much sun over here, solar energy is basically free!”
This blogpost is part of a series on our cooperation with scientists from Kenya. You can find further articles here.
And here, you can find the website of Tabitha’s material science group.
Der Beitrag Science for Kenya erschien zuerst auf Science at HZBblog.
]]>Der Beitrag Keeping up the passion erschien zuerst auf Science at HZBblog.
]]>Dr. Tabitha A. Amollo is a researcher and lecturer at Egerton University in Njoro in Kenya. She holds a Ph.D. in physics from the University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Her research interests focus on developing cutting-edge nanomaterials for energy conversion devices including graphene nanomaterials. She published a number of articles in reputable journals. At Egerton University, she is the head of a young team to explore dye-sensitive solar cells, she is a chairperson of the Physics Department, and she coordinates the undergraduate program and gives lectures to undergraduates and postgraduate physics students.
That’s similar, only few girls choose physics. In my case, in high school, I had a good physics teacher. I was the best student and he gave me a science book as an award. And this really encouraged me to take physics in the following grade.
I am totally fascinated by new organic materials, such as dye sensitive materials for solar cells of the next generations. We are developing such new materials, combining them with graphene and nanostructures, and examining their photovoltaic performance.
Last November, Dr. Antje Vollmer gave a great talk at my university, Egerton, and we all got really excited about the options at BESSY II. We are really looking forward to start experiments. I will come for the user meeting and beamtime in June 2023 and I will bring some of my students along. It will be a very busy week, we plan to measure our samples to inquire their quantum efficiencies, but also to examine them under the Transmission Electron Microscope, Scanning Electron Microscope and with Atomic Force Microscopy. And I hope to get into contact with the PV-experts at HZB, they have great expertise in perovskite materials, another very fascinating class of materials.
I want to contribute to society with my research in solar energy. We just had a black out here in the lab, we often do, it is a problem. So I am really working to improve the energy system. Solar energy has great potential to provide cheap electricity, and it is fossil free, so it will not contribute to global heating.
Well, a research lab requires equipment, and for phyisics experiments, these are expensive. I won two research grants, in 2020 and 2022, which financed the equipment acquisition. The focus of my research lab is the development of innovative solar energy conversion materials and technologies.
I would advise them to keep up their passion, their curiosity. There always are obstacles, and passion gives you the energy to surmount them.
This interview was conducted by Antonia Rötger.
Dr. Tabitha Amollo on the website of Egerton.
This blogpost is part of a series on our cooperation with scientists from Kenya. You can find further articles here.
Der Beitrag Keeping up the passion erschien zuerst auf Science at HZBblog.
]]>Der Beitrag With nanoparticles from Nairobi to Berlin erschien zuerst auf Science at HZBblog.
]]>In April, Nancy Ochiba was a guest at HZB in Berlin doing research on nanoparticles. “I made good use of the time,” says the young chemist from Nairobi, Kenya. First she took part in the Photon School for young scientists, then she joined the lab at the Institute for Solar Fuels as a guest researcher. “Here I can benefit from technology that is not available to me at the Kenya University of Technology. For example, I have now examined my samples under a scanning electron microscope.”
Nancy is in the first year of her PhD. What motivates her? She wants to help people live better. “Currently, about 75% of households in Kenya still cook with firewood or paraffin,” Nancy says. “However, the smoke is unhealthy, and many women and children suffer from respiratory diseases.” Moreover, wood is hard to find and paraffin is expensive, apart from the climate-damaging effect of burning fossil resources.
Nancy is therefore investigating special catalysts to electrochemically produce a “green” fuel from CO2 and solar energy, such as methane or propane. The idea sounds appealing: the climate-damaging greenhouse gas CO2, which is produced when oil, gas or coal is burned, could be recycled into a new fuel. But the process is complex: the reaction of CO2 with water in an electrolyser requires energy, which in principle can be supplied by the sun – and special catalysts that ensure that the desired compounds are formed from water and CO2. The energy balance of these reactions is currently not yet convincing. But many processes would benefit from the development of suitable catalysts.
Nancy synthesises nanoparticles of two different metals, copper-nickel, copper-zinc or even copper-cobalt. These metal nanoparticles have very large surface areas which, depending on their nature, accelerate the desired chemical reactions. “It’s still pretty basic research,” says Nancy. But it’s important to take the first steps; these catalysts are very versatile.
Nancy will also be attending to the user meeting in June 2023. “I want to apply for beam time at BESSY II for operando studies of my nanoparticles, so I can see how they favor specific chemical reactions.” When Nancy is not working in the lab, she enjoys walking around Berlin: “I especially like the old sites of the city,” she says. “And that special sausage, the one with the sauce, I think it’s called currywurst.”
Written by Antonia Rötger.
This blogpost is part of a series on our cooperation with scientists from Kenya. You can find further articles here.
Der Beitrag With nanoparticles from Nairobi to Berlin erschien zuerst auf Science at HZBblog.
]]>Der Beitrag When science bridges the way from Kenya to Germany erschien zuerst auf Science at HZBblog.
]]>The 2023 User Meeting BESSY@HZB end of June welcomes Kenya as country of honour. Dr Lucy Ombaka from Technical University of Kenya in Nairobi tells us how she got to know about BESSY II light source and how she motivates women in science.
Early May 2023 when we talk, Lucy Ombaka is just back from Berlin, where she spent a few days with the Humboldt Foundation. In 2018 she was awarded a postdoctoral fellowship there. Lecturer in Inorganic Chemistry at the Technical University of Kenya (TUK), Lucy holds a PhD in nanotechnology and catalysis. “I met Antje Vollmer1 from BESSY II during an online Humboldt-Symposium. The topic of our session was Sustainable energy systems. Having all those people together, coming from a lot of countries and exchanging ideas about renewable energy, this was extremely inspiring.”
This Humboldt Symposium was the beginning of an intense and enriching exchange between Dr Lucy Ombaka in Nairobi and Dr Antje Vollmer in Adlershof, both passionate about applied science and solutions for a more sustainable future.
In her research lab in Nairobi, Lucy Ombaka and her group look at green hydrogen and the possibilities for an energy transition in Kenia. “We developed a think tank on green hydrogen with my students Nancy and Daisy and have trainings with GIZ (2) our partner” she underlines. And then she adds smiling, “I love my job! I can contribute academically and in the application of research, it’s awesome to be able to act on both sides.”
Being in a mostly female team, Lucy confirms that this was intentional: “The best way to inspire and stimulate other women to join is to form a research group with other women. For me this is extremely important: supporting, fostering, and always encouraging women to consider science as a career path”. So, when she brought up her group, she declined a few male chemists until she had several female scientists applying. Lucy wanted first to fill up the positions with ladies, “we need more women, especially in Inorganic Chemistry” she says.
In the past months, Lucy had the chance to visit BESSY II light source. “However, there is so much more to explore and discover,” she says fascinated. “Foremost, I am very eager to learn more about what the instrument can do and I would like to work a few hours on it.” With 16 other scientists Lucy will take part in a two-day twinning programme before the User Meeting and be able to get a close look at how a beamline works, what kind of research she may be able to conduct there. Teams at Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin have set up several twinning groups to welcome small groups of Kenyan scientists so that they can address their questions to experts in their field.
Lucy Ombaka has been preparing for this special visit since a long time and is very excited: “I cannot wait to talk to the beamline scientists about the work at BESSY II. I have read a lot. Now I want to see on-site what is all possible and we hope to bring some samples along that to measure them at BESSY II.”
End of last year Antje Vollmer came to visit the Technical University of Kenya in Nairobi and gave the scientists some advice to apply for beamtime: “This is definitely something I would like to try, getting beamtime at BESSY II in the future would be amazing! I am very enthusiastic to work hand in hand with other scientists, challenge approaches and open new perspectives together.”
1Antje Vollmer is facility speaker of BESSY II light source. Read a piece about her in our “Kenya-Series” here.
2GIZ – Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit. The GIZ is a service provider in the field of international cooperation for sustainable development and international education work. https://www.giz.de/en/html/index.html
This article is part of a series on our user meeting and our collaboration with our country of honour Kenya. For further articles, see here.
Der Beitrag When science bridges the way from Kenya to Germany erschien zuerst auf Science at HZBblog.
]]>Der Beitrag “I would like to see more researchers from Africa in the future.” erschien zuerst auf Science at HZBblog.
]]>The BESSY@HZB user meeting will take place at the end of June 2023. For the first time, there will be a country of honour, Kenya. Antje Vollmer, BESSY II spokesperson, tells us how this came about and why it is important to work at eye level with researchers from other countries.
Science diplomacy has long been a central theme for Antje Vollmer. She recalls that a lecture by Rolf-Dieter Heuer1 had a particular impact on her: “He spoke about the importance of CERN beyond science, and the role of large-scale research institutions for international cooperation and science diplomacy.” At BESSY II, international collaborations in this direction have been established over the years, including close contact with SESAME2. The transnational access programmes such as CALIPSOplus have also played an important role, in which, in addition to promoting the mobility of the user community, European integration has also been specifically advanced through twinning programmes3.
“CALIPSOplus launched in 2015 . To present the possibilities of European X-ray sources and to familiarise colleagues in the EU13 countries with our facilities, I travelled to 15 universities. On site, I got to know the people and their scientific structures, which was extremely enlightening for the joint collaboration.” By the end of this European programme (2021), many twinning meetings with HZB have taken place. “Independent proposals have emerged from this, and the new user groups now regularly come to BESSY II, thus also forming a seedbed for international collaboration at their university,” Antje Vollmer emphasises.
In autumn 2022, Antje packs her suitcase and travels to Kenya. A few months earlier, she had met Lucy Ombaka, a researcher at the Technical University (TU) of Kenya, at the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation’s annual online conference. “When online conferences increased during the pandemic, I was sceptical at first. But suddenly we were from 23 countries like Myanmar, Bangladesh, Kenya… at this annual conference and I was thrilled that we were together in one, albeit virtual, space and could exchange ideas.”
In the months following the online meeting, the two women establish contact and exchange information about research at HZB and at the Technical University of Kenya. Lucy is a group leader there and does research on hydrogen. “She visited HZB and then invited me to Nairobi. Three lectures and three tutorials in four days, that was an intensive programme. In particular, the interest, curiosity and enthusiasm I felt among the students and lecturers made me very happy. There is a strong personal commitment behind the research topics!”
Together with Lucy, we thought about inviting students to the BESSY@HZB user meeting,” Antje says with shining eyes, “some of them even came to the Photon School in April.
At the end of June, 17 researchers from six different universities in Kenya will first spend three days at various beamlines at BESSY II and then take part in the user meeting. “I think it’s a great opportunity to advance scientific projects together and on an equal footing,” emphasises the BESSY II spokesperson. “Africa may not have a synchrotron, but it has highly motivated young scientists with whom we can share ideas and infrastructure.
What does Antje Vollmer wish for this user meeting in 2023? “I have two wishes, she says with a smile. The first is a long-term one. It would be that Lucy’s dream comes true and that every family in Kenya has an ethanol cooking system called Koko4 in their home that runs on ethanol produced sustainably in Kenya.
My second wish is more moderate and specifically concerns the user meeting. I wish that lasting contacts are made that lead to collaborations and also that the Kenyan colleagues learn about measurement time at BESSY so that they will send measurement time requests in the future.”
Cover picture: TUKNews-Magazine Dec. 2022
1Rolf-Dieter Heuer is a German physicist and former Director General of CERN.
2SESAME is the light source in Jordan that brings together researchers from different regions and countries, even though they do not share political views.
3Twinning programmes allow scientists to participate in measurement time with an experienced user group.
4https://kokonetworks.com/
This article is part of a series on our user meeting and our collaboration with our country of honour Kenya. When published, you will find further articles listed here:
When science bridges the way from Kenya to Germany
With nanoparticles from Nairobi to Berlin
Keeping up the passion
Der Beitrag “I would like to see more researchers from Africa in the future.” erschien zuerst auf Science at HZBblog.
]]>Der Beitrag We are all unique. erschien zuerst auf Science at HZBblog.
]]>Diversity is a very hot topic at the moment. All over we see campaigns about it, companies waking up to its profit potential, and institutions wanting to harness its creative power. What do we mean when we use the word diversity, what is its scope? Who do we want to reach and who feels spoken to when we say that diversity matters?
Simply put, diversity is the existence of a wide variation of characteristics in a group of people. When we say diversity matters, we are recognizing and valuing that variation, and aiming at promoting fair treatment and full participation of all people – particularly those underrepresented or subjected to discrimination.
The diversity actions we take should work towards nurturing a sense of belonging – embracing and speaking to everyone, making sure that we are all heard and seen in our uniqueness. For we all are the curated result of our upbringing, our genes, our background, our surroundings, our choices. Some of these we can control, work on to achieve certain traits, to harness and perfect specific skills; some are imposed upon us by genetics, by society, by circumstance. Some of these bring us forward, give us a too often invisible push ahead; some keep us back. But us being unique carries value.
Let us take science as an example: we learn that science is objective, the systematic pursuit of knowledge. We know that the answers to the big mysteries that puzzle us are independent from our uniqueness. They are concrete outcomes of well-designed experiments, neutral, consistent. But the questions we pose and how we go about seeking objective answers to those questions are results of our prior knowledge and experience. What a scientist does is unavoidably informed by who they are as a one-of-a-kind person and how they interact with other one-of-a-kind people trying to solve the same riddle. Our being different, our being unique, makes for better science. It enriches scientific pursuit and brings us closer to grasping the wonder of the world; it makes us collectively more creative and innovative; it drives us further.
Our uniqueness also carries power. The dynamics of diversity are complex, and its different dimensions mean that we are at times victims of discrimination whereas at other times we are the ones discriminating towards others. It is crucial that we recognize not only those circumstances in which being unique works against us, but also those when it works for us. We must dare to reach deep inside ourselves and acknowledge our inherited privilege. Identifying and reflecting on how we benefit from our circumstance will allow us to be agents of change.
Only then can we help bring forward those in less privileged or even outright marginalised groups, help them join their voice. We can do this by public shows of support, by promoting equity as a means to achieve equality, by fighting to give everyone space to thrive and fully explore and blossom, to do their very best. It is not an easy process as we will be pushing against artificial historic and systemic barriers, made to keep out instead of bringing in, as well as be forced to acknowledge and be accountable for our (often unconscious) role in perpetuating them. In the end, we will all be better for it.
Written by Ana Anselmo – HZB Diversity officer.
This blogpost is part of a series on Diversity. You can find further articles here.
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]]>Der Beitrag “Diversity motivates creative thinking” erschien zuerst auf Science at HZBblog.
]]>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, and then you put them together in one research group, you fuse all their knowledge, perspectives, and experiences. And then, the product will be completely different from having a monotonous research group. That’s it.
At what points in your work does diversity play a role?
In my work, I enjoy working with people from different cultures. There is room to get to know each other. And talk about each other. Ask each other about what did you study in your undergraduate studies? What did you specify in? Would you classify, for example, material science as an engineering science or chemistry or physics or whatever it is. And there is open room for people to come to know each other. To talk about their experiences, and what did they learn in their previous workplaces, or their previous learning environments.
So, having an opportunity to talk to people and come to know your colleagues and talk about each other, exchanging ideas and perspectives about things, leads to very fruitful inspirations and also fuels your imagination and leads to better science and scientific advancements.
Do you have some examples when it really helped you to have different opinions and different perspectives?
Last summer, I visited a university in Japan. There I worked with a research group that is doing the same as we are doing here at HZB. And we exchanged different perspectives of making the same type of solar cells. And I learned a lot of from them because they take care of very small details that we didn’t take care of in Germany. On the other hand, in Japan, they organized their labs in a different way from us. And I could give them very useful insights about how to organize their instruments and the lab to make their research more efficient.
Dou you also have an example where there has been friction?
Of course, you cannot in all cases guarantee that you will always have the positive side of diversity. People are different. But friction happens even if you don’t have diversity. I would even say that the possibility for a negative form of friction is even higher when you have a homogenic group of people than with a diverse one. True, the collision probabilities are higher in a diverse team. But when you have diverse people, there is a lot to exchange. And you will have a much better, constructive form of friction because everyone has a lot to exchange with and learn from the others.
How do you think could HZB help to encourage diversity further?
I think it would be nice if we had some exchange programs to especially sub-Saharan countries, or to invite young researchers and students to visit us more frequently. We are one of the world’s top leading research institutes and in that position, we have a global social responsibility, especially to less developed countries, and we all can only benefit from more exchange. Diversity motivates creative thinking. Bringing people from different backgrounds together really leads to genius ideas.
This interview was conducted by Ribal Zeitouni.
Diversity encourages innovation. And innovation leads to better science. That is already known. Recent studies even suggest that demographically underrepresented academics produce more innovative work than their peers from more privileged groups. And yet, although their work is more innovative and contributes greatly to the scientific progress, people from marginalised groups are still underrepresented in scientific functions. In the study linked above, you can find more information about the discriminatory structures in science, which we, as the scientific community, must combat. Not only for equality but also for a better science.
Written by Ribal Zeitouni.
Bas Hofstra et al. (2020): The Diversity–Innovation Paradox in Science. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.117/17: 9284-9291. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1915378117
Der Beitrag “Diversity motivates creative thinking” erschien zuerst auf Science at HZBblog.
]]>Der Beitrag “We should talk about privilege more often” erschien zuerst auf Science at HZBblog.
]]>Aarthi Nandy studied chemical engineering at the University of Bath in England and then lived and worked in the UK for several years. Aarthi Nandy has been working at HZB since March 2021, first in the procurement team of the dismantling project and now in the user coordination department. A talk about privilege at work and in professional context.
What do you do at HZB?
Since February 2023, I have been in the User Coordination department, which looks after measurement guests from all over the world. I am responsible for quality management. Our users are very international, which is very exciting! I’m also the deputy equal opportunities officer at HZB.
At what points in your work does diversity play a role?
Diversity plays an important role in all areas of my life, both professionally and privately. Particularly in my work as deputy equal opportunities officer, I accompany recruitment processes and job interviews across departments, in which people with very different backgrounds and life paths introduce themselves. It is a matter close to my heart to proactively work for equal opportunities for all candidates and colleagues.
What is important to you about diversity?
The issue of privilege is clearly at the forefront of my mind. I think it is very important that we reflect more on our own privilege and address them more often in the work context. People classified as “non-normative” have a much harder time gaining a foothold in the world of work. For example people with a migration background or “people of colour”, people perceived as “queer” or “handicapped”, people who have to deal with language barriers or people who do not have degrees recognised in the EU.
There are barriers that are often not visible to others. Society would have to be more aware of the different starting conditions that people bring with them. Therefore, we should not only look at the qualifications, but also at the life paths of the applicants. Many come to their profession in a roundabout way and should be given opportunities, precisely because they bring fresh perspectives and a wealth of life experience with them.
What aspect of diversity should HZB be more committed to?
I would like to see more visibility and representation of deprived people at HZB, for example more women* in leadership positions and more permanent people of colour in key positions. The provision of gender-neutral toilets and the extended use of gender-reflective language are also important to me. In general, we need to create more awareness. We should also be able to talk openly about dealing with illnesses or mental stress. And we should always take accessibility into account so that we don’t exclude people.
This interview was conducted by Silvia Zerbe.
Often, we talk (for a good reason!) about discrimination and about the barriers that different non-privileged people face. But often, we forget to address what it means to have certain privileges. In short, to be privileged is to benefit from advantages that other people are denied. And this is simply because of certain characteristics that one has. In the work context, these privileges show themselves, for example, in higher positions and salaries, or in better working conditions.
Privilege can also be very simple. If you are perceived as male, you don’t worry about your clothes because you won’t be judged for it. Or if, as part of a heterosexual relationship, you don’t have to worry about your partner coming over during lunch break. Or when, as a person who is perceived as German, you can afford to use bumpy language without having to fear that your competence will be denied.
One thing all these privileges have in common: They are mostly invisible to privileged positions. As a privileged person, you often don’t think about the fact that right now, at this very second, you have it easier than others. Simply because you had the privilege of being born with certain advantageous characteristics.
Recognising one’s own privilege and acknowledging the experiences of non-privileged colleagues is essential for good cooperation. Together, we can stand up for equal opportunities and rights and fight to break down barriers.
The emancipation of non-privileged people requires a holistic approach that works on an individual, organisational and societal level. Addressing privilege and actively working to create more equitable workplace environments, we can contribute to a more inclusive society.
Written by Ribal Zeitouni.
This blogpost is part of a series on Diversity. You can find further articles here.
Der Beitrag “We should talk about privilege more often” erschien zuerst auf Science at HZBblog.
]]>Der Beitrag “Respect for Different Life Biographies” erschien zuerst auf Science at HZBblog.
]]>Dr Ulrich Schade has been with BESSY II from the beginning and has built up and further developed the IRIS beamline. A wide variety of materials are studied there with infrared or terahertz radiation, from biological cells to superconductors to archaeological finds. Today, he will talk with us about respect, diversity, and a good life in a collaborative environment.
What is particularly important to you when it comes to diversity?
In my environment, i.e. in research, this is not really a problem. I am very open about it and have never seen diversity as negative: Everyone has the same rights. But of course, discrimination happens all the time in society, I don’t want to belittle that.
At what points in your work does diversity play a role?
I work in a very international team, with people from many countries, some older, some still young. I am happy about that. But of course, there are differences: Look at the shelf in my office, there are still a lot of reference books. With the younger ones, I can’t find any more books, they only read digitally. They bring a lot of risk-taking with them, they are under a lot of pressure to publish and to get ahead. We older people can sometimes think a bit more, bring in our experience and, of course, our contacts that we have built up over a lifetime.
When has it helped you that there are different opinions on a topic?
I was in Japan for a while as a junior researcher, and I lived there with my family in a housing complex for research guests. A Chinese family lived below us and they always cooked fish in the morning, at noon and in the evening. We didn’t like the smell at all and a little resentment built up, I have to admit. But when we had to move out of the flat and were urgently looking for a new place to live, these neighbours, of all people, helped us. That was really a revelation for us.
Where was there friction?
So I wouldn’t say friction, actually I don’t see a problem. But what bothers me is when diversity is turned into such a fighting term. It gives people the feeling that something abstract is being imposed on them from above. But you have to fill it with life in a concrete way, on the ground among the people themselves, that’s where living together becomes clear, and where it doesn’t, you just have to talk to each other.
Which aspect of diversity (origin, gender, age, disability, sexual orientation, religion) should HZB be more committed to?
It’s actually quite simple: respect for different life biographies.
This interview was conducted by Antonia Rötger.
This is the headline of the Helmholtz Guideline on Diversity and Inclusion. It emphasizes that while diversity naturally exists in our society, inclusion requires intentional effort. Diversity encompasses a wide range of dimensions and highlights the differences among individuals. It goes beyond categories such as nationality or gender, recognizing that each person is unique in their personal life choices, circumstances, worldview, background, abilities, inclinations, and appearance.
What is crucial to understand, is that diversity is not some annoying ideology imposed from above. It is an integral part of our society. Embracing and celebrating diversity brings richness and fresh perspectives to our communities. Sensitivity to this topic and an active approach to inclusion are fundamental for fostering successful and collaborative environments.
Inclusion, on the other hand, goes beyond just acknowledging diversity. It involves actively shaping our collective culture to ensure equal opportunities for all individuals. It is about creating an atmosphere where everyone feels respected, valued, and included, where their voices are heard, and their talents can flourish. Inclusion requires ongoing efforts to promote fairness, openness, and a sense of belonging. It is an ongoing process of nurturing an environment that allows individuals to grow personally and contribute their best.
Recognizing diversity as a fact and implementing active inclusion policies serve as the foundation for fostering successful and harmonious collaborations. By embracing the broad spectrum of diversity, being sensitive to the needs of others, and actively including all individuals, we can build stronger, more innovative, and inclusive communities that benefit everyone.
Written by Ribal Zeitouni.
This blogpost is part of a series on Diversity. You can find further articles here.
Der Beitrag “Respect for Different Life Biographies” erschien zuerst auf Science at HZBblog.
]]>Der Beitrag “Things Often aren’t as Easy as They Seem” erschien zuerst auf Science at HZBblog.
]]>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 training on the topic, when managers and directors address diversity in a positive way.
At what points in your work does diversity play a role?
As a recruiter, diversity plays a huge role in the selection process.
Sometimes you tell yourself or are told that your team is not diverse. Nevertheless, there are many aspects of diversity, for example social background or mental ability, which are not always visible. It is important here that we are open to each other.
When did it help you that there were different opinions on a topic?
In general, I find that by having different opinions, I adjust my view of the world and it helps me to not just stay in my “bubble”.
In the work context, I have noticed, for example in the pandemic, that there are very different approaches here. I find it important to be aware that one person can never cover all perspectives alone. Through different opinions, we can optimise and redesigne processes.
Where were there also points of friction?
Sometimes, I notice that my background in the humanities makes me act very differently than people from the legal sciences, for example. I like to work creatively, to test new ideas, to “have a go” and then, colleagues approach me and share their view: “Have you considered this and that, kept this legal framework in mind”. That is very enriching, because things often aren’t as easy as they seem.
Which aspect of diversity (e.g. origin, gender, age, disability, sexual orientation, religion) should HZB be more committed to?
Do I have to choose one? Then it would be disability, not only diagnosed, but I am talking about neurodiversity here, for example. I see a huge potential there for people for whom we are not creating an environment at the moment.
On the topic of gender, I can say that we commit strongly to equality between men and women here – but we should not only focus on this binarity. In my work, it is natural, but also important, that we as HZB become even more attractive for women or people of all genders.
The interview was conducted by Florentine Krawatzek.
Translation by Ribal Zeitouni.
Neurodiversity is an account on neurological differences, such as autism, ADHD, dyslexia, and other conditions. These differences are normal and should be respected as unique ways of experiencing the world. Neurodiversity promotes the idea that these differences contribute to the diversity of human strengths, perspectives, and abilities, instead of seeing them solely as deficits or disorders. It advocates for inclusivity, understanding, and support for individuals with diverse neurological profiles.
In science, neurodiverse people can have great advantages in comparison to their neurotypical colleagues, if their environment promotes them to use their full potential. For example, researches have found that autistic people demonstrated exceptional attention to detail, enhanced visual perception, and the ability to focus intensely on specific tasks, which are valuable qualities in scientific research[1]. Further, studies suggest a positive correlation between people with ADHD and entrepreneurship[2],[3].
It is important that we create an inclusive environment, in which neurodiverse people can live up to their full potential. It is an ongoing process that requires a commitment to diversity, empathy, and continual improvement.
Written by Ribal Zeitouni.
This blogpost is part of a series on Diversity. You can find further articles here.
Der Beitrag “Things Often aren’t as Easy as They Seem” erschien zuerst auf Science at HZBblog.
]]>Der Beitrag “You don’t see your own privileges” erschien zuerst auf Science at HZBblog.
]]>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.
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.
Very practically in the daily encounter with people from an international context. That is really the main part. There, culture and religion also come into play, which shape us differently in each case. When it comes to hosting an event, for example, I think it’s important to consider that some cultures don’t eat pork or that many people today are vegan or vegetarian.
When did it help you that there are different opinions on a topic?
During my doctorate, I worked in Japan and in Stanford, USA, which was very different from my German environment back then at DESY. But the most was during my Coming-Out in 2019: That’s when I really started engaging in the queer scene for the first time, got to know women from Russia, Africa, or South America. And I realised what privileges I bring with me as a white, Western European woman. And also, what privileges I had for decades, when I was still perceived as a man. I hadn’t seen them at all, I had been blind. Many people are like that: You don’t see your own privileges; they are blind spots. But as a woman I could notice the difference, this staring, this aggression that suddenly came from strangers. I think that changed me; I reflect that more now.
I see identity politics in its exaggerations. People worry that everyone will only stand for themselves and put their own self-realisation as an absolute. People who previously had privileges, for example as a white cis man who is also heterosexual, now also have to give up power, lose the ability to decide how the world is being interpreted. It may feel like everything is falling apart. But it’s good that everyone wants to get involved, it is basically what moves society forward.
Discrimination is often intersectional. This means, you are not taken seriously or discriminated against because you are a woman, non-white and not straight, or because your social background is different, or you do not have a university degree. Or even a chronic illness or disability. And these dimensions reinforce each other. All this is not good and prevents us from listening to all people and learning from them. That’s why I wouldn’t single out any one aspect, it’s all important.
The interview was conducted by Antonia Rötger.
Translation by Ribal Zeitouni.
In short, in intersectional discrimination, different marginalised characteristics (i.e. the characteristics due to which a person suffers from structural and normative discrimination) overlap within a person and then mutually influence each other[1]. In this process, new forms of discrimination emerge for those affected, which only result through the overlapping and interaction of their characteristics. Examples of intersectional discrimination include:
What these examples have in common is that the discriminatory situations described cannot be broken down and analysed by their individual aspects – intersectional discrimination is a multidimensional approach that makes it possible to draw a more complete picture and better identify the need for action to fight against discrimination.
Written by Ribal Zeitouni.
This blogpost is part of a series on Diversity. You can find further articles here.
Der Beitrag “You don’t see your own privileges” erschien zuerst auf Science at HZBblog.
]]>Der Beitrag Let us appreciate diversity together! erschien zuerst auf Science at HZBblog.
]]>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 ought to be much more than that. Diversity is first and foremost about us and how we all get along. It’s about genuinely turning our differences into something truly positive. And, in my experience, that doesn’t just happen by itself.
What do you do if an introverted colleague has trouble making her opinion heard in team meetings? Or if a PhD student who is just starting to write his or her thesis can’t express himself in English as well as the rest of the group? Do we honestly give equal value to someone’s arguments if that person can’t speak the language fluently yet; do we take the opinion of a young recruit as seriously as that of a colleague who has been with the company for much longer; do we put the same amount of trust in an employee even if he is sometimes absent due to a mental illness? Would an employee get promoted to a managerial position even if she is a single parent with a baby?
I think we would love to be able to answer all these questions with a resounding “yes”. But if we’re being honest with ourselves, we know that there have been times when this didn’t work out. We really would like for different personality types, lifestyles and career aspirations to be equally recognised. But sometimes we struggle in making this a reality. When people are different, it can disrupt our routine. Diversity can be like sand in the gears; it causes friction, especially in those cases where opinions would otherwise be so conveniently aligned. But maybe the solution isn’t to remove the sand, but to rebuild the gears to make them less fragile.
In short, just because there are people with different backgrounds in a team doesn’t mean that this diversity will automatically lead to something positive. It takes a joint effort, patience, willingness and, in my opinion, empathy. The decisive factor in this is management. Managers have to give space to different opinions, value them, and let each person find their own place. We don’t need managers to delegate for us. We need managers to moderate for us.
But, if we are to achieve greater diversity, we first have to take a good look at ourselves. How do we perceive others? How do we listen to them? All too easily, we find ourselves falling back into learned patterns and rehearsed group dynamics. We have unconscious perception mechanisms that are immediately triggered when we meet other people. We can’t just turn that off. But we have to realise that it often makes us too quick to judge others, which leads us to give some people opportunities and others not – in job interviews or in project meetings, for example. This is exactly the kind of thing we need to think about.
In a diversity training session which I took part in recently, organised by the Berlin Senate’s Office against Discrimination, I was asked to go ahead and write on a flipchart what diversity means to me. I couldn’t make up my mind. My first impulse was to write: “Diversity leads to better results in teams.” Or: “Diversity means accepting other perspectives.” But in the end, I went with: “Diversity means not putting others into pigeonholes.” Because only then, even by just starting to realise that, can we actually achieve greater diversity. And ultimately benefit from it.
Silvia Zerbe, HZB Diversity Officer
Translation: Peter Gregg
This blog post is part of a series for the European Diversity Month in May. In the following weeks we will publish blog posts on different aspects of this topic. You will find the posts, as soon as they are published, here.
“Diversity motivates creative thinking”
Der Beitrag Let us appreciate diversity together! erschien zuerst auf Science at HZBblog.
]]>Der Beitrag Momentum of a Research Stay erschien zuerst auf Science at HZBblog.
]]>A research stay abroad that is well planned and executed can propel your advancement as a doctoral student. It also gains you valuable professional contacts and broadens your horizon. When doctoral student Erwin Fernandez somewhat stagnated with his experimental results, he was positively surprised what his co-supervisors in the project and a change of perspective could do for him.
An interview by Ulrike Goldenblatt, Coordinator of HI-SCORE
I am back in Berlin after a month-long stay at Ben Gurion University (BGU) – Ilse Katz Institute of Nanoscale Science and Technology in Be’er Sheva, Israel. My primary purpose of my research stay was to learn the procedure for the extraction of photogeneration yield in transition metal oxide thin film photoabsorbers, which forms an essential part of my research work. I must say that my stay was a fruitful one, having successfully learned the tools I need to extract the photogeneration yield in my epitaxial BiVO4 thin films.
The HI-SCORE network allowed me to interface with my Israeli counterparts, and most importantly to establish my collaboration with my host laboratory at BGU. Aside from learning and benefiting from the expertise in photogeneration yield analysis from Dr. Daniel Grave’s team at BGU, the HI-SCORE network provided me a unique opportunity to experience working with colleagues in an Israeli working environment, as well as experiencing the day-to-day life in Israel in general.
I worked daily in an office allocated by my host supervisor, Dr. Daniel Grave, from Sunday-Thursday, 9 am-6 pm. Going to the office takes 15 minutes by foot from my dormitory accommodation. My office offered me a relatively peaceful space for me to work, which allowed me to highly focus on my work involving computational/modelling tasks. I take a 1-hour lunch break in the university canteen, or in the dorm. On some occasions I drop by my lab mates’ office for some chat – science or otherwise – over coffee and chocolate. On Shabbat, I do my 21k runs around the city.
I appreciate their laboratory management system over in BGU-Ilse Katz Institute – their system allowed for a quick overview of bookings/reservations of all instruments/facilities institute wide. attain. I also loved how the BGU-IKI building has a lounge on every floor!
I’ve been guided by Dr. Grave himself, and Sa’ar Peled, Dr. Grave’s PhD student. They were extremely helpful in explaining to me the fine details of photogeneration yield extraction and optical modelling of thin films, things that I won’t be able to read from already published literature or learn by my own in a short span of time. Understanding the technique is enough motivation for me to push my work forward.
I did take for granted the optical modelling aspect of my work up until my visit in BGU, which was eye-opening. Now I fully realize how important optical modelling is to my current work. On the personal side, I discovered for myself the wonders the Dead Sea mud can bring, especially on our skin! How it made my skin very smooth and supple is beyond amazing!
The Helmholtz International Research School HI-SCORE offers PhD students the option to pursue their PhD in cooperation of HZB with the best Israeli universities and graduate schools in order to conduct solar energy research.
More information > https://www.helmholtz-berlin.de/jobskarriere/karrierewege/promotion-am-hzb/research-schools/hi-score/index_en.html
Der Beitrag Momentum of a Research Stay erschien zuerst auf Science at HZBblog.
]]>Der Beitrag World Café: Encouraging open exchange in science erschien zuerst auf Science at HZBblog.
]]>Academic retreats are serious business. They are not only about professional exchange on scientific questions, but also about overarching goals and strategies. It can be worthwhile to add new formats such as a World Café to the traditional retreat programme. The CatLab team tried this out.
“At expert meetings, we often find that people stay in their own groups. But we also wanted to get them talking to others and create a concrete opportunity to do so,” says Sophie Spangenberger from the Catlab retreat organisation team. So, in addition to the traditional programme with scientific sessions and workshops in small groups, a World Café on the morning of the second day was included.
World Cafés have been used at NGO meetings for years as a way of quickly sharing knowledge, opinions, new ideas and approaches from a wide range of people. At the CatLab Scientific retreat, there were seven thematic stations: one on strategy and one on organisation and communication within the CatLab project, as well as five on specific scientific topics, each of which could be explored in more depth in afternoon workshops. At each station there were two experts, who acted as host facilitators giving a brief overview; then, they encouraged the guests to ask questions or provide ideas and suggestions. They also documented the results on provided pin boards. After exactly 20 minutes, the moderator Jörg Weiss from Congressa rang a bell and the participants found a seat at one of the other topic stations. There were four rounds in all.
Professional moderation is just as important as the right space and the right topics. “People had very lively discussions, that was nice to see. And even the younger or more reserved participants got involved,” says Sophie. In her opinion, the venue was a crucial factor for the success of the that format. The conference hotel provided the so-called Play Cube, a large, bright room with colourful furniture that could be quickly arranged into loose groups. “It looks like a kindergarten,” said more than one participant, maybe sceptically at first. But the unconventional atmosphere helped in encouraging a playful mind and open discussion. “We thought carefully in advance about what we had to achieve on the morning of the second day. The World Café seemed to provide the ideal concept for it,” says Steffi Hlawenka, CatLab project coordinator. The lively discussion and the unusually high level of feedback show that it was worth the effort. An idea that perhaps other teams organising expert conferences and retreats might want to take up?
Wikipedia gives a good first overview on new and inspiring conference formats such as Unconference.
Der Beitrag World Café: Encouraging open exchange in science erschien zuerst auf Science at HZBblog.
]]>Der Beitrag Beyond research: Capturing science through illustrations erschien zuerst auf Science at HZBblog.
]]>Laura Canil discovered her passion for visual science communication while working on her PhD at HZB. First, she illustrated her own results, then those of her colleagues. Now, she is ready to work for other scientific teams. An interview with Laura about her career choice as a freelance scientific illustrator.
Laura: I’ve always been curious about the mechanisms that make our universe work, so I decided to study physics. I did my bachelor and master at the University of Padova in Italy and my master thesis at the AMOLF Institute in Amsterdam with a project on silicon nanostructures for photovoltaic applications. I really liked working in the renewable energy field because it was giving me the opportunity to do something good for the world and the climate change crisis. So for my doctorate I continued to work on photovoltaics with Antonio Abate’s group at HZB. In 2022 I obtained my PhD with a thesis on tuning the interfacial properties of perovskite solar cells.
During the PhD I felt that, even if I liked working in the lab, the academic life was not what I wanted for my future. While preparing scientific presentations and publications, I realized that I really liked to work on their aesthetic part. I liked to find the best way to communicate my results in a clear but also attractive way. It was coming natural for me to take complex ideas and make them simple, especially through visual representations. With this in mind, I started to look around to find a job that would allow me to exploit this passion. I wanted to stay in touch with science, but from a visual communication point of view. And I wanted to contribute to something that is often lacking: a clear but engaging visual representation of scientific ideas and results.
Not at first, I didn’t even know it was an actual job. But then I discovered the website of Thomas Splettstößer, a professional scientific illustrator. It was eye-opening! Not only I found out that this is a possible career, but I also related a lot with the description in his biography: he also did a PhD, during which he realized his passion for the visual representation of science. I actually had the chance to meet him in person later on. We had an interesting discussion about this career path, he was very helpful and open to answer all my questions.
I started with making illustrations for myself. I made a cover for a paper I wrote, for my PhD thesis and for that of friends. Then I started to work on some small projects for colleagues, while learning how to use design software on the side. I started using Adobe Illustrator and a little bit of Blender while I was doing my PhD. After I finished it, I could intensify the learning process. I learned from scratch Illustrator and Photoshop for 2D illustrations and Blender for 3D. Mostly from online courses on Udemy and tutorials on YouTube. It was an intensive but satisfying process. I also invested in a computer fast enough to handle 3D renderings. And I had to buy a good monitor and the licence for the Adobe Creative Suite.
First, I have to understand what the message is. It is important to keep it simple, not to overload the illustration. So I have a chat with the scientist in charge, we talk about the idea for the image, what we want to convey, but we also discuss style, purpose and deadlines. Then it goes back and forth between us, with me working on the illustration and the scientist giving me feedbacks. Sometimes it takes a lot of tweaking before reaching a result we are happy with. But obtaining in the end an image that is both scientifically sound and aesthetically attractive gives always a lot of satisfaction.
My website is now up and running and I’m also building my web presence by showing my work on social media channels. I think I am now ready to start working and I am really looking forward to interesting clients and challenging assignments.
As a child I wanted to be an inventor and then a painter. It seems that I have now found a way to be both.
Website: https://www.canilvisuals.com/
Contact: laura.canil@canilvisuals.com
Profile on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/canilvisuals/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/laura_canil
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laura-canil-8a203819b/
Note: Laura Canil is born in Venice, Italy. She studied physics at the university of Padova and did her master thesis project in Amsterdam. She joined the team of Antonio Abate at HZB in March 2018 and finished her PhD in Spring 2022 with a thesis on the interfacial properties of perovskite solar cells.
Der Beitrag Beyond research: Capturing science through illustrations erschien zuerst auf Science at HZBblog.
]]>Der Beitrag Highlight of the year 2022: What do the numbers say? erschien zuerst auf Science at HZBblog.
]]>Ideally, when research teams submit a particularly important paper, they share it with the comms team. Then it is usually my turn to take over and write a science highlight. It’s a short, highly simplified text, optimised for quick and easy reading. Publications of 30 or more pages are condensed into one page, leaving out a lot, however the motivation and relevance of the research should come across clearly.
Of course, our science news also end up on many other websites and platforms, additionally we distribute them through different channels and ensure dissemination. It is difficult to determine exactly how often they are accessed there. Probably many times over.
Sometimes researchers want to know: Where is the benefit asking the Comms team to highlight my paper? It is time consuming for the scientists: they have to explain what is particularly important in the paper, provide nice illustrations and check the drafts. In fact, it’s all about getting attention! Not necessarily through the mass media: the topics of our research are often too specific for that. But certainly, among the science community, science management and politics. After all, who still manages to read the original publications on a broader field of knowledge? Short science news can provide a rough overview and perhaps even help to discover interesting methods in related fields.
Many – but not all – publishers display both the accesses of publications and the frequency with which the Digital Object Identifier(DOI) appears on the web. This last indication is collected by Altmetric. It takes into account Twitter, Reddit, Mendeley, Facebook, blogs and news sites on the web that reference the original publication with the DOI.
After a science highlight goes online, these Altmetric numbers often rise sharply and this also seems to correlate with accesses of the publications.
The 3 publications with the highest Altmetric scores in 2022 have also been retrieved many thousands of times. They are among the top 2% of all publications in the respective journal. Among the 43 science highlights on the HZB website in 2022, a further 30 publications have managed to score among the top 5%. (as of 21.12.2022).
Of course, one can debate what such numbers say. It is always possible that outstanding research is initially overlooked and only recognised over time by the science community. But to recognise and evaluate scientific results, the first step is always: to be aware of their existence.
First place (Altmetric Score 146) goes to a publication in Nature that has been accessed over 18.000 times. In it, HZB researcher Thomas Dittrich, among others, presents the method of method of transient surface photovoltage spectroscopy with which the Chinese partners succeeded in measuring the charge transfer in photocatalytically active particles.
HZB-Webnews: Photocatalysis: Processes in charge separation recorded experimentally
Nature, 13 October 2022: Spatiotemporal imaging of charge transfer in photocatalyst particles. DOI: 10.1038/s41586-022-05183-1
Second place (Altmetric Score 143) goes to the paper on the perovskite/silicon world record in 2021, published in Nature Nanotechnology in 2022. It was retrieved 9779 times.
HZB Webnews: Tandem solar cells with perovskite: nanostructures help in many ways
Nature Nanotechnology, 24 October 2022: Nano-optical designs for high efficiency monolithic perovskite-silicon tandem solar cells. DOI: 10.1038/s41565-022-01228-8
Third place (Altmetric Score 141) is taken by a paper on a rather theoretical topic in Nature Physics that has been retrieved over 16.000 times.
HZB Webnews: Quantum complexity grows linearly for an exponentially long time
Nature Physics, 28 March 2022: Linear growth of quantum circuit complexity. DOI: 10.1038/s41567-022-01539-6
Der Beitrag Highlight of the year 2022: What do the numbers say? erschien zuerst auf Science at HZBblog.
]]>Der Beitrag <strong>One week for four problems – 2022 Hackathon@HZB</strong> erschien zuerst auf Science at HZBblog.
]]>A group of 14 volunteers gathered one week on Zoom. From morning coffee until late in the night, they tackled intricate problems and worked out great solutions based on machine learning for digital twins of batteries or for predicting cracks in materials. “This year, we had the most successful hackathon so far, it was incredible,” says HZB data scientist Gregor Hartmann, who initiated the Hackathon.
Many problems in research require a deep understanding of the material as well state of the art knowledge in methods of artificial intelligence. “You need this very close collaboration between the domain scientists and the data scientists, says Gregor Hartmann, who has started as a physicist and is now specialised in machine learning. “Every step and every suggestion by the data scientist can be checked and critically assessed by the domain scientist, so no path goes nowhere.” This is why Hartmann organises Hackathons at HZB: with a small team of colleagues, he invites young volunteers, to deepen their skills while solving difficult problems in different fields of materials research.
This year’s Hackathon was addressed at postdocs and PhD students with solid knowledge of python and open-source machine learning packages. 14 postdocs and PhD students invested their time. “We all worked together via Zoom in small teams and really from morning till late at night”, Hartmann recalls. He organised beforehand access to the powerful HICORE-servers at KIT.
“We presented this time four projects, some of them have been known since 30 years”, Hartmann says. Two of them have been solved so completely that they can probably become a publication in 2023. The other two projects have also taken a big step forward. “This makes me very happy.”
One problem consisted to generate realistic images of battery electrodes. These images are needed in order to decide which regions are interesting and should be examined more closely. Here the team decided to use generative neuronal networks (GAN) and trained them to produce realistic images. “Because each recording takes a long time and costs time, often days”, he explains. Three data scientists in the team competed against each other and trained different “GAN”s to produce images in large quantities that a downstream discriminator would no longer distinguish from real images. “That took four days, then it worked very well.”
Another example was stress in materials: Can it be predicted before the first cracks appear? This is a so-called ill posed problem, because there is always a wide variety of solutions. “Here, a fancy neuronal network succeeded in solving the inversion very efficiently”, Hartmann says.
The next Hackathon will take place in summer 2023. “Next time, we would like to invite also newcomers, and scientists who are not already experienced in methods of machine learning”, Hartmann points out. These methods are so powerful that everybody should know about them. “We will offer tutorials which will empower the participants to use those tools and solve the next bunch of difficult problems.”
Der Beitrag <strong>One week for four problems – 2022 Hackathon@HZB</strong> erschien zuerst auf Science at HZBblog.
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