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Kick-off for international "WOW Physics!" conference a resounding success
The international conference "WOW Physics! –
Women in the World of Physics!", initiated by a female physics professor
at Goethe University, brings outstanding female physicists onto the virtual
stage and inspires participants of all ages and from all continents with its
diverse program.
FRANKFURT. Women
still constitute a minority when it comes to the field of physics; in Germany,
only about 13% of physics professors are female, and the situation is not much
better in other Western countries. There are many reasons for this, one of
which is certainly the lack of role models. Giving them a stage and making the
work of female physicists visible worldwide was the goal of this week's
"WOW Physics! – Women in the World of Physics!" conference. The
international event was held online, and made its debut at Frankfurt's Goethe
University. Following the opening remarks by Germany's Federal Minister of
Education and Research Bettina Stark-Watzinger and Hessian Minister for Science
and the Arts Angela Dorn, Goethe University
President Prof. Enrico Schleiff emphasized the importance of the conference's
format: "The incredibly high number of participants illustrates the enormous
importance and the outstanding contribution made by women in physics, and in
the natural sciences in general! It gives us a sense of how important such
events and support measures are, and how significant such networking events can
be, especially in this field."
At 950, the number of participants
exceeded the expectations of the conference organizers. "We are completely
overwhelmed by this response and by the enthusiasm with which the event was received
by the participants," says Laura Sagunski, professor at Goethe
University's Institute for Theoretical Physics and conference initiator. She
and her team were able to attract several renowned female scientists from all
subfields of physics, who gave lectures at the 3-day event. Among those presenting their research were Laura
H. Greene, who serves as one of the advisors to the U.S. president, and Melissa
Franklin, who was involved in the discovery of the heaviest elementary particle
known to date. Since numerous students and even pupils had registered for the
conference, the aim was to present the content in the most comprehensible way
possible.
Conference information: WOW Physics! (9-November 11, 2022):Overview · Indico (cern.ch)
Further
information
Prof. Dr. Laura Sagunski
Institute for Theoretical Physics
Goethe University
Tel: +49 69 798 47888
sagunski@itp.uni-frankfurt.de
https://dmgw.space/home
Twitter: @DMGW _Frankfurt
Editor: Dr. Phyllis Mania, Science Communication Officer, PR & Communication Office, Tel: +49 (0) 69 798-13001, Fax: +49 (0) 69 798-763 12531, mania@physik.uni-frankfurt.de
Festive event marks the anniversary of the interreligious institution
FRANKFURT. Although the building on Goethe
University's Westend Campus was inaugurated in 2010, due to the Corona
pandemic, its tenth anniversary had to be cancelled. Making up for that, a
“10+2" celebration was held on November 10, 2022. The "House of
Silence" is no mosque or church and it is not only aimed at believers.
Instead, it serves as a place for all those seeking a moment of peace and
contemplation in university life. In their welcoming speeches, both Ayse Asar, state
secretary in the Hessian Ministry of Science and the Arts and one of the House's
founding members – it was inaugurated during her time at Goethe University –
and Goethe University President Prof. Enrico Schleiff paid tribute to the House
of Silence as a unique place of diversity and tolerance within the university
setting.
"When the House of Silence first opened its doors
on October 5, 2010, it did so out of a deliberate choice to set up a space on
the Westend Campus that is equally open to members of all religions," Schleiff
emphasized, adding that, “Anyone looking for denominational symbolism will be
searching in vain. The aim of the House of Silence is to practice openness,
tolerance and pluralism under one roof. True to its name, this openness is not
limited to the practice of religion alone, but also applies to meditation, for
example. As a university place of deceleration and contemplation, it is aimed
at the entire university public: After all, the pandemic-related increase in
the use of video conferencing, digital teaching or e-mail – which has meanwhile
become a real-time medium – contribute significantly to an acceleration of our
society and our everyday life, making places of deceleration more valuable than
ever. In this respect, the conceptual expansion of functions ensured that the
House of Silence remains relevant also in times like these."
"It is impossible to imagine Goethe University's Westend Campus without
the 'House of Silence,'" said Ayse Asar. "When it was built 12 years
ago, the main priority was to create adequate spaces for prayer. But to me, the
'House of Silence' is so much more: It offers the university, whose students
come from 130 different countries of origin (spanning all five continents), the
chance to develop new forward-looking ways for communal work and life. In so
doing, it makes an extraordinary contribution to the university's
representation of academic living and learning culture, on the one hand, and to
opening up the possibility of intercultural dialog, personality development and
an independent structuring of communal life, on the other. After all, we need
bright and creative minds to tackle the challenges of the present and the
future with empathy and inquisitiveness. That is why it is all the more
gratifying to see that this very concept has been working for 12 years already.
I offer up my warmest congratulations on this anniversary and would like to wish
all university members continued inspiring encounters in the 'House of
Silence'."
The idea for an interreligious place first came up
during Goethe University's move to the Westend Campus. The "House of
Silence" was designed by Munich-based architectural firm Karl und Probst:
It features high walls, an interesting lighting design and a work of art in
gold. Instead of the university running the house, it is operated by an
"Association for the Promotion of Interreligious Dialog at Goethe
University Frankfurt am Main", which was specifically founded for this
purpose. Both the association and its board are made up of representatives of
all religions.
The anniversary was marked with an event in Goethe University's ceremonial hall.
In his speech, Prof. Rudolf Steinberg, Chairman of the Association's Board of
Trustees and one of the institution's co-founders, referred to the House of
Silence's genesis and development, emphasizing that, "As a constitutional
lawyer, I am convinced that this form of religiosity has its place in a secular
university." The keynote address on the topic of "Spaces of Silence
and the Struggle for the Religion-Sensitive University" was given by
religious studies scholar Prof. Alexander-Kenneth Nagel of the University of
Göttingen. For the concluding panel discussion on "The Truth of
Others", moderated by Prof. Joachim Valentin, Chairman of the Council of
Religions Frankfurt (Rat der Religionen Frankfurt), Nagel was joined by Prof.
Anja Middelbeck-Varwick, Prof. Christian Wiese and Prof. Armina Omerika (all
Goethe University). The closing remarks were delivered by Rania Boujana, chairwoman
of the Islamic university community. Ahead of the festivities, students of the
religious study foundations had held a prayer in the House of Silence.
More
on the topic: UniReport interview with Prof. Rudolf
Steinberg on the “House of Silence" Nice and quiet: A place for
deceleration on campus | Aktuelles aus der Goethe-Universität Frankfurt
(uni-frankfurt.de)
New endowed professorship at Goethe University Frankfurt to research social transformation of the working world due to digitalization
A new endowed professorship in Digital
Transformation and Work will enhance the social science research at the Goethe
University and build on the tradition of critical social theory. The contract
was signed on November 8, 2022, by the two donors
ProLife Foundation and Frankfurt University of Labour along with Goethe
University.
FRANKFURT. Digital information, systems and culture have long been key parts of our day-to-day lives and have fundamentally changed the way we work and do business. Success in business is determined, for example, by whether the maximum amount of data is gathered and algorithms are expertly managed, whether the greatest attention is attracted from potential customers and whether offerings are delivered in real time. How is this change occurring and what are the social consequences of the transformation from the industrial to the digital age – for society and particularly for business and the world of work? How do new technologies change social practices and work processes, public opinion and forms of corporate participation and co-determination? The new endowed professorship at the Faculty of Social Sciences at Goethe University Frankfurt will explore these questions in depth.
The
professorship is financed by an endowment fund from the ProLife Foundation and the University of Labour, an institution
supported by the IG Metall metalworkers' union and the German Trade Union
Confederation (DGB). The contract was signed yesterday in the presence of the
Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences, Professor Christopher Daase, by Jürgen
Eckert, CEO of the ProLife Foundation,
Professor Martin Allespach, President of the University of Labour, Rainer
Gröbel, Chancellor of the University of Labour, and Professor Enrico Schleiff,
President of the Goethe University.
Eckert
explained the objective of the new endowment fund: “With this professorship, we
want to further understanding of the social consequences of digitization. We
can see the technical changes that are coming to the world of work all around
us – but we are missing the narrative around what that actually means for
people in their working world and living environment". Gröbel went on to say:
“From our point of view, this is not about rejecting the digital
transformation, but about the question of how we can impart knowledge and
skills to deal with the transformation processes to students and employees in
companies." The donors emphasized that in choosing the Goethe University they
are consciously aiming to draw on the tradition of critical social theory and develop
the university's strengths in social philosophy and social research.
“We
are very pleased with the trust placed in Goethe University to make significant
contributions to solving pressing global challenges in research and teaching",
said University President Schleiff. “The fund also gives us the opportunity to
strengthen our profile area of Orders and Transmissions, in which colleagues
from various faculties and centers at the Goethe University are primarily
addressing the question: What does the fundamental digital transformation and
its consequences mean for the future of people, nature and the environment?"
“For
the Faculty of Social Sciences", says the dean of the faculty, Professor
Christopher Daase, “the new professorship offers the holder the opportunity to
sharpen their profile in critical social research and demonstrate their
political and social relevance."
The ProLife Foundation and the University
of Labour already have links to the Goethe University and the Institute for
Social Research, the Sigmund Freud Institute, and the Frobenius Institute
through their project funding. The endowed professorship will increase the
collaboration between the Goethe University and the University of Labour.
Images to download: www.uni-frankfurt.de/128030034
Caption: The contract for the new endowed professorship in Digital Transformation and Work has been signed: (from left) donors Jürgen Eckert, CEO of the ProLife Foundation , Rainer Gröbel, Chancellor of the University of Labour, and Professor Martin Allespach, President of the University of Labor (2nd from right), and Professor Christiane Thompson, Vice President of Teaching, Study and Continuing Education, University President Professor Enrico Schleiff (center) and Professor Christopher Daase, Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences (right) (photo: Uwe Dettmar)
Axel A. Weber to succeed Otmar Issing as Chairman of the Board of Trustees
After 14 years as
chairman of the House of Finance’s (HoF) Board of Trustees, Otmar Issing will
be retiring at the end of this year. He will be succeeded by economist and
Board of Trustees member Axel A. Weber.
FRANKFURT. As of January 1, 2023, Prof. Dr. Drs. h.c. Axel A. Weber will take over the position of Chairman of the Board of Trustees at the House of Finance. He succeeds Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. mult. Otmar Issing, who held the position since the HoF’s inauguration in 2008 and played a key role in establishing the House of Finance as a place for interdisciplinary, finance-related cutting-edge research, policy advice and continuing education.
Axel A. Weber was elected his successor at a Board of Trustees meeting
on November 8, 2022. His scientific career and work are a perfect fit for the
dialogue between science, politics and financial practice, as lived by and in the
House of Finance.
After studying economics at the University
of Constance, Axel A. Weber completed his habilitation at the University of
Siegen. His academic career also included stations at the University of Bonn,
Goethe University Frankfurt as well as the University of Cologne, where he held
the Chair of International Economics from 2001 to 2004. During this time, Weber
also served as member of the German Council of Economic Experts and the scientific
advisory board of the Deutsche Bundesbank, the central bank of the Federal
Republic of Germany, among others. In April 2004, the economist took over as
President of the Deutsche Bundesbank, a post he held until spring 2011. From
May 2012 to April 2022, he served as Chairman of the Board of Directors of UBS
Group AG.
Otmar Issing, who will hand over the baton
to Axel A. Weber at the end of the year, is certain that the future of the
House of Finance is in the best hands with his successor, who, just like
himself, is familiar with all the House of Finance’s areas of activity: "I
am delighted that with Axel A. Weber we have been able to win over an academic
for the chairmanship of the Board of Trustees who combines the experience of excellent
researcher, top manager and banker in one person."
When he leaves office at the end of the
year, Otmar Issing will hand over a well-functioning house that is home to,
among others, two university departments from the Faculties of Law as well as
Economics and Business, graduate and advanced education institutions and
several research institutes or units, including the Leibniz Institute SAFE –
itself an example of how under Ottmar Issing’s patronage, the HoF has been able
to develop as an interdisciplinary incubator of finance research and knowledge
transfer in politics and society.
The designated successor, Axel A. Weber,
is looking forward to supporting and further developing the House of Finance,
whose concept of interdisciplinary, internationally networked research and
teaching is more relevant than ever, in its contribution to tackling the
challenging issues of the present and the future: "In Frankfurt am Main,
we need excellent finance research to provide policy-makers and the financial
sector with orientation and know-how throughout the ongoing transformation
processes, and we must continue to foster the education and training of
qualified young professionals in this field. To that end, we intend to make
even greater use of the opportunities offered by a comprehensive university in
the future."
Images for
download: https://www.uni-frankfurt.de/128052902
Captions:
Image 1:
Professor Otmar Issing will step down as Chairman of House of Finance’s Board
of Trustees after 14 years. (Photo: Uwe Dettmar)
Image 2: In the
future, economist Prof. Axel A. Weber will hold the reins at the HoF's Board of
Trustees. (Photo: UBS)
Additional information
Prof. Dr. Rainer Klump
Executive Director
House of Finance
Goethe University
Tel: +49(0)69 7983400
E-Mail klump@hof.uni-frankfurt.de
Homepage www.hof.uni-frankfurt.de
Editor: Dr. Anke Sauter,
Science Editor, PR & Communication Office, Tel: +49 (0) 69 798-13066, Fax:
+49 (0) 69 798-763 12531, sauter@pvw.uni-frankfurt.de
Evaluation report recognizes outstanding work in research and education
The team of the Fritz Bauer Institute at Goethe University Frankfurt can be pleased about a recent laudation by the German Science and Humanities Council (Wissenschaftsrat). Despite its “low staffing", the Council testifies to the Institute's "impressive achievements" – and suggests better financing. Another positive development, the Council says, is the closer cooperation with Goethe University, made possible by a cooperative professorship.
FRANKFURT. Combining high-quality research
and a wide range of educational offerings is something the Fritz Bauer
Institute does very well despite its limited staffing. That is the conclusion
reached in an evaluation of the German Science and Humanities Council, which
was commissioned by the Hessian Ministry of Science and the Arts. The Frankfurt-based
institute's research on National Socialist crimes of violence, and especially
on the Holocaust, as well as on the legal and societal handling of these crimes
after 1945, is of high quality, the report said. "Research on the
Holocaust and the conveyance of a critical awareness of history remain greatly
important today, especially in Germany. The Fritz Bauer Institute makes a
valuable contribution to this, one that in future should resonate even more on
the international stage," Dorothea Wagner, Council chairwoman, was quoted
as saying in a press release.
In the face of the pandemic, the Institute
had offered its lecture events online – both as a livestream and also for later
accessing. The public's response to the offer was great, and the Institute was
able to expand its reach. That is why the German Science and Humanities Council
recommends maintaining the online offer, while at the same time emphasizing
that this would require better staffing. It is not just the Institute's
education and outreach activities that are thinly staffed, the Council's
evaluation found, but also the areas of IT, digitization and media support in
particular. It is solely thanks to the exceptionally high commitment of the
employees that the Institute is able to uphold its extensive and high-quality
services. The German authority recommends a moderate increase in the number of
base-funded positions and an annual increase in the budget to keep pace with
rising costs.
"We are happy about this great
appreciation of our work," comments Prof. Sybille Steinbacher, who has
headed the institute since 2017 and holds the specially created professorship
on "Researching the History and Impact of the Holocaust" at Goethe
University's Department of History. "Although we are a small institute, we
do a lot. The fact that our potential is recognized and appreciated is
important for us and will hopefully be reflected in an increase in our
funding." The evaluation formulated expectations with regard to
digitization, internationalization and networking, which had in fact already
been set in motion. "We are glad that the Council report confirmed that this
cannot be achieved without an increase in personnel. We are fully aware that
these are financially difficult times, but we urgently need more funds, especially
for our digital offerings, for outreach work in and outside of schools, and for
our exhibitions," Steinbacher said.
"We are pleased to have the independent
Fritz Bauer Institute working closely with us, especially thanks to the
establishment of a cooperative professorship at the History Department,"
said Goethe University President Prof. Enrico Schleiff. "The Fritz Bauer
Institute conducts research at the highest level and will increasingly explore
its research questions in an interdisciplinary manner – a development that is
in line with the entire Goethe University. After all, solutions to the challenges
facing society as a whole must be as diverse and multi-perspective as the
challenge itself. Doing that puts a comprehensive university enriched by
affiliated institutes in a position to research the knowledge for
tomorrow," Schleiff continued.
The Fritz Bauer Institute was founded in
1995 as a foundation under civil law. It was named after Fritz Bauer
(1903-1968), the Hessian attorney general who set the first Auschwitz trial in
Frankfurt in motion. In 2000, the Fritz Bauer Institute became an independent
cultural institute affiliated with Goethe University. In 2017, the institute's
director was for the first time jointly appointed with Goethe University, and
Prof. Sybille Steinbacher has held this position ever since. From the time of its
founding, the Fritz Bauer Institute has closely linked research on the
Holocaust and its impact and reception history with mediation and
documentation. The Institute implements research projects, publications,
scientific and public events as well as traveling exhibitions. It is also
involved in teaching at Goethe University's History Department. The Institute
is financed by the State of Hesse and the City of Frankfurt; a further, smaller
share is provided by the friends' association Fritz Bauer Institute e.V. Goethe
University also contributes to the financing by providing infrastructure. In
addition, the Fritz Bauer Institute also draws on third-party funding from
foundations and the public sector to finance its research projects, which
currently include several on the history of Frankfurt under National Socialism.
Apart from that, a fund endowed by and named after the Frankfurt physician
Dorothee Freudenberg was established in 2020, enabling both research projects
and scholarships, especially on the history of "euthanasia" in Nazi Germany
and occupied Europe.
The German Science and Humanities
Council's press release (in German)
can be accessed here.
Images
for download: https://www.uni-frankfurt.de/127353222
Captions:
Photo 1: "We are happy about this great appreciation of
our work." Prof. Sybille Steinbacher has served as
head of the Fritz Bauer Institute since 2017. (Photo: Niels P. Jørgensen)
Photo 2: Fritz Bauer at Club Voltaire, pictured
between 1965 and 1968. (Photo: Siegfried Träger, Fritz Bauer Institute,
Frankfurt am Main)
Photo 3: A look inside the archives of the
Fritz Bauer Institute. (Photo: Werner Lott)
Photo 4: The Fritz Bauer Institute is
located in the IG Farben House on Goethe University's Westend Campus. (Photo:
Werner Lott)
Further
information
Prof. Dr. Sybille Steinbacher
Sekretariat.Steinbacher@fritz-bauer-institut.de
Phone: +49 (0)69 798-32240
Homepage: https://www.fritz-bauer-institut.de/
Editor: Dr. Anke Sauter,
Science Editor, PR & Communication Office, Tel: +49 (0) 69 798-13066, Fax:
+49 (0) 69 798-763 12531, sauter@pvw.uni-frankfurt.de