Focus on Outstanding Research and TransferFederal Minister of Research visits the Excellence University

11 February 2022, by Christina Krätzig

Photo: UHH/Schreiber

University President Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. Dieter Lenzen (from l to r) welcomed Bettina Stark-Watzinger, Federal Minister of Education and Research, and Katharina Fegebank, Second Mayor of the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg and Senator at Hamburg’s Ministry of Science, Research, Equality and Districts together with his appointed successor, Prof. Dr. Hauke Heekeren. The representatives of Universität Hamburg met with the two politicians at Hamburg’s Zoological Museum.

Photo: UHH/Esfandiari

Bettina Stark-Watzinger, since December 2021 Federal Minister of Education and Research, was “impressed by the interesting insights into the excellent research” being pursued at Universität Hamburg, as she wrote in the University Guest Book.

Photo: UHH/Esfandiari

During the Minister’s visit, the Cluster CLICCS was represented by Prof. Dr. Johanna Baehr, Head of Climate Modelling (center), and Prof. Dr. Stefan Aykut (left), a Junior Professor of Sociology. The two stood for the close collaboration between the natural and social sciences in climate research “made in Hamburg.” One source of amusement: the rubber ducky they brought with them. 30 years ago, an entire load of plastic ducks fell off of a container ship. Today, the spots where the ca. 29,000 duckies were found offer insights into the evolution of ocean currents.

Photo: UHH/Esfandiari

Investigating the universe and its history from the Big Bang to the present is the focus of the Cluster of Excellence “Quantum Universe.” Prof. Dr. Erika Garutti (r), Head of the Detector Development Research Group, and Prof. Dr. Oliver Gerberding (l), Head of the Gravitational Wave Detection Research Group in the Department of Physics, presented a picture of the universe and spoke with Minister Stark-Watzinger about the complex relation between mass and gravity.

Photo: UHH/Esfandiari

Prof. Dr. Christian Schroer (l) from the Department of Physics explained how his colleagues at the Cluster of Excellence “Understanding Written Artefacts” are now using X-rays to reveal the writing on sealed cuneiform tablets – even though these ancient Mesopotamian tablets are protected from prying eyes by clay casings. He presented his Cluster of Excellence together with Prof. Dr. Oliver Huck from the Institute for Historical Musicology.

Photo: UHH/Esfandiari

Researchers from the Cluster of Excellence “CUI: Advanced Imaging of Matter” brought along a full carton of eggs. Prof. Dr. Arwen Pearson (r), Head of the Experimental Biophysics Research Group, and Prof. Dr. Henning Moritz (center), Research group leader at the Institute of Laser Physics, used the eggs to help explain the principles of quantum research and how they are approaching the challenge of developing a quantum computer.

Bettina Stark-Watzinger, Federal Minister of Education and Research, recently visited Universität Hamburg. During her visit, she met with researchers from various Clusters of Excellence and was informed about the Excellence University’s transfer activities. She was welcomed by outgoing University President Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. Dieter Lenzen, his appointed successor Prof. Dr. Hauke Heekeren, and Katharina Fegebank, Second Mayor of the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg and Senator at Hamburg’s Ministry of Science, Research, Equality and Districts.

Bettina Stark-Watzinger, Federal Minister of Education and Research, recently visited Universität Hamburg. During her visit, she met with researchers from various Clusters of Excellence and was informed about the Excellence University’s transfer activities. She was welcomed by outgoing University President Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. Dieter Lenzen, his appointed successor Prof. Dr. Hauke Heekeren, and Katharina Fegebank, Second Mayor of the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg and Senator at Hamburg’s Ministry of Science, Research, Equality and Districts.

The Federal Minister was introduced to the Excellence University’s activities. Following a formal welcome, University President Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. Dieter Lenzen gave a brief overview of the University’s general strategy before Vice-President of Transfer and Equal Opportunity Prof. Dr. Jetta Frost presented her plans with regard to transfer.

Afterwards the Minister had the opportunity to speak with researchers from the University’s four Clusters of Excellence at the Zoological Museum (Bundesstraße 52). The researchers presented their respective focus areas at standing tables, each of which featured an object that was representative of their work.

During her visit, Minister Stark-Watzinger underscored the importance of supporting outstanding research at Germany’s universities, e.g. through the Excellence Strategy, which is to be further developed in collaboration with the Federal States in the future. This is a topic she’s quite familiar with; after all, she herself used to work in the academic world: from 2008 to 2013, the economist was Managing Director of the House of Finance at the Goethe University Frankfurt. She subsequently served as Managing Director of the SAFE research center, known today as the Leibniz Institute for Financial Research.

To round out her visit to the Excellence University, the Minister made an entry in the University Guest Book. “I was impressed by the interesting insights into the excellent research and your dedication! I wish you continued success!” she wrote, before everyone in attendance made their way to City Hall to join in the Senate’s farewell ceremony for University President Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. Dieter Lenzen.