Current events

Artificial intelligence is not neutral: existing social power structures and inequalities can be perpetuated in data, algorithms and applications. Dr Eva Gengler, specialised in business informatics and expert on an intersectional-feminist perspective on AI, shows how gender bias and other forms of discrimination arise in AI and who they affect. As co-founder of the Feminist AI Community and author of the book “Feministische KI” (Feminist AI), she offers insights into how AI can be designed to be more equitable and responsible. (Regestration needed.)

Every second or third week on Friday, we welcome a chat with a cup of coffee and a cookie outside the control room. Come meet the user coordination team, relax with your beamline scientist, inspire and be inspired by our accelerator scientists, recharge your caffeine levels for the final stretch of the week.

One in ten women quits her job because of health-related challenges; many others reduce their hours or turn down a promotion. Menopause doesn't stop at the office door — it is often challenging at work, too. Yet open communication and small adjustments to the working environment can make a big difference. The talk introduces the most common symptoms (at work) and the available treatment options — plus practical tips for dealing with menopause on the job. (Registration needed)

Von der Steinzeit bis ins Plastik- und Silizium-Zeitalter - und dann? Gemeinsam erfinden wir neue Materialien für eine bessere Zukunft.

Wie wir leben, hängt davon ab, welche Materialien uns zur Verfügung stehen. Unter der Frage "Was könnten wir in Zukunft gebrauchen und wozu?" präsentieren das HZB und die Bundesanstalt für Materialforschung mit verschiedene Materialien - und entwickeln mit Euch zusammen neue Ideen (Eintritt frei, keine Anmeldung erforderlich, barrierefrei nicht zugänglich, max. 15 Personen).

Von der Steinzeit bis ins Plastik- und Silizium-Zeitalter - und dann? Gemeinsam erfinden wir neue Materialien für eine bessere Zukunft.

Wie wir leben, hängt davon ab, welche Materialien uns zur Verfügung stehen. Unter der Frage "Was könnten wir in Zukunft gebrauchen und wozu?" präsentieren das HZB und die Bundesanstalt für Materialforschung mit verschiedene Materialien - und entwickeln mit Euch zusammen neue Ideen (Eintritt frei, keine Anmeldung erforderlich, barrierefrei nicht zugänglich, max. 15 Personen).

International researchers are a structural feature of German science, yet the conditions that shape their careers are rarely examined as an institutional question. This keynote asks what actually determines the trajectories of researchers who migrate. Discrimination is part of the picture. So is the everyday architecture of visa regulations, administrative procedures, language requirements, contract structures, informal networks and uneven access to institutional resources. Drawing on intersectional research and on work in gender and organisational inequality, the talk examines how migration and ethnicity intersect with gender, social background, disability and career stage to shape who experiences belonging in a research institution, who is able to participate fully, and whose scientific productivity is quietly constrained. What would it mean to move from supporting individual international researchers to redesigning the structures, policies and cultures that make such support necessary in the first place? (Regestration needed)

Von der Steinzeit bis ins Plastik- und Silizium-Zeitalter - und dann? Gemeinsam erfinden wir neue Materialien für eine bessere Zukunft.

Wie wir leben, hängt davon ab, welche Materialien uns zur Verfügung stehen. Unter der Frage "Was könnten wir in Zukunft gebrauchen und wozu?" präsentieren das HZB und die Bundesanstalt für Materialforschung mit verschiedene Materialien - und entwickeln mit Euch zusammen neue Ideen (Eintritt frei, keine Anmeldung erforderlich, barrierefrei zugänglich, max. 15 Personen).

Ever wondered what the future of clean energy research look like? Meet our researchers and discover their work up close.

In this interactive session, you will get the chance to talk directly with researchers and learn how they use science, technology, and artificial intelligence to find better ways of producing cleaner energy and developing new materials.

What does a scientist’s day look like? What challenges do researchers face? How do new discoveries happen? Bring your questions and explore the stories, ideas, and experiments behind the research! (Free entry, Wheelchair accessible)

The year is 2050. The future of clean energy depends on a laboratory that has suddenly gone silent. Can you bring it back to life?

Step into the role of an emergency research team and enter a futuristic artificial intelligence-powered laboratory where scientists are developing the next generation of sustainable fuels. 

Your mission? Restart the Self-Driving Laboratory (SDL)—a smart research facility that uses automation and artificial intelligence to design and run experiments that accelerate the discovery of better catalysts.

Solve scienece-based challenges within 60 minutes. (Wheelchair accessible, Registration required (see online), Registrations open until 23 October, subject to availability, minimum age for participation 8 years old - if younger, please contact the organizer via e-mail, one person should register on behalf of a group by indicating the total number of participants in the registration form (min participants per slot 4, max 8), Please arrive 15 minutes before the start of the activity. Further instructions upon registration)

How can we create a workplace where people of different religious and worldview beliefs feel respected, included and able to contribute? This Talk by Prof. Dr. Lorenz Narku Laing explores belonging beyond our differences, freedom of belief in the workplace and the importance of open dialogue in a diverse community. Together, we will explore how we can find shared values despite different beliefs and foster an environment where diversity strengthens scientific excellence. (Registration needed)

Some ideas are too early for a pitch, too open for a clear transfer pathway — and too promising to leave unexplored. So, if you have an idea connected to your research or expertise but are not yet sure where it could lead. Then Campus Club – idea2action might be for you.

idea2action is a free three-month programme for researchers who want to give an early idea the time, structure and fresh perspectives it needs to move forward.

Across three interactive co-working days in Adlershof, you will shape your idea, explore its potential, exchange with peers and experts, build useful connections and work towards a realistic next step.

No finished concept. No business plan. No predefined destination.

You bring the idea and drive its development.

Programme dates: 11 November 2026 · 9 December 2026 · 20 January 2027

We are pleased to open the call for applications for Campus Club – idea2action: A Greenhouse for Curious Minds.

Application deadline: 2 October 2026 Language: English Participation: Free of charge Applications: Individually or in teams of up to 3

Every second or third week on Friday, we welcome a chat with a cup of coffee and a cookie outside the control room. Come meet the user coordination team, relax with your beamline scientist, inspire and be inspired by our accelerator scientists, recharge your caffeine levels for the final stretch of the week.

International conference dedicated to revealing dynamic functional interfaces through operando and in situ characterization. Bringing together leading researchers advancing interface science through experiment, theory, and materials design, ONI provides a unique forum to advance atomic- and molecular-scale understanding of dynamic interfaces in catalysis, electrochemistry, batteries, and energy materials.

The scientific program features keynote lectures, invited and contributed talks, poster sessions, and a roundtable discussion moderated by Nature Catalysis, where leading researchers will discuss emerging scientific challenges and future directions in operando nanoscale science. Complementing the scientific program, a second high-level roundtable discussion will bring together representatives from academia, industry, and public policy to explore how science and innovation can accelerate the global energy transition. 

Many people support equality. Yet queer employees still carefully consider when, where and whether they can be fully themselves at work. So why does Pride still matter? What happens when people stay silent? And what role do you - as colleagues, managers and allies - play in creating an environment where everyone can thrive?Whether you identify as queer yourself or not, this session is for anyone who wants to understand how inclusion shapes culture, collaboration and performance. Without allies, there is no inclusion. While Pride often centers queer voices, meaningful change happens when everyone engages in the conversation. (Regestration needed)

Classism refers to discrimination based on social class background or social status. In academia, it manifests itself, among other things, in access to networks, career opportunities, employment conditions, and notions of who is considered "excellent." This lecture examines these inequalities in academic career paths. (Registration needed)

Every second or third week on Friday, we welcome a chat with a cup of coffee and a cookie outside the control room. Come meet the user coordination team, relax with your beamline scientist, inspire and be inspired by our accelerator scientists, recharge your caffeine levels for the final stretch of the week.

With the series of annual user meetings, we bring together our user community to intensify scientific exchange and stimulating new collaborations. The meetings will provide an overview of the many exciting and inspiring research results obtained at our facility in the past year and will emphasize on future developments in particular on BESSY III. Plenary talks, discussions, a public lecture, the market place of innovation and a poster session will provide vast possibilities of information and discussion. The bestowals of the 'Prizes for Young Scientists' donated by the Freundeskreis Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin e.V. (FHZB) are traditional highlights of the user meetings.

How can institutions truly implement inclusion? Beyond mere lip service and seriously addressing prejudices and concerns. Ensuring they attract talented, creative, and well-qualified employees with specialised skills.

Sebastian Wächter will guide us through the topic, drawing on his own experience of being an employee with a severe disability. He will share insights and challenge preconceptions – often with a touch of humor. Find out how diversity can work and how your organization – and all of us – can benefit from it. (Registration needed)

Some ideas are too early for a pitch, too open for a clear transfer pathway — and too promising to leave unexplored. So, if you have an idea connected to your research or expertise but are not yet sure where it could lead. Then Campus Club – idea2action might be for you.

idea2action is a free three-month programme for researchers who want to give an early idea the time, structure and fresh perspectives it needs to move forward.

Across three interactive co-working days in Adlershof, you will shape your idea, explore its potential, exchange with peers and experts, build useful connections and work towards a realistic next step.

No finished concept. No business plan. No predefined destination.

You bring the idea and drive its development.

Programme dates: 11 November 2026 · 9 December 2026 · 20 January 2027

We are pleased to open the call for applications for Campus Club – idea2action: A Greenhouse for Curious Minds.

Application deadline: 2 October 2026 Language: English Participation: Free of charge Applications: Individually or in teams of up to 3

Every second or third week on Friday, we welcome a chat with a cup of coffee and a cookie outside the control room. Come meet the user coordination team, relax with your beamline scientist, inspire and be inspired by our accelerator scientists, recharge your caffeine levels for the final stretch of the week.

Some ideas are too early for a pitch, too open for a clear transfer pathway — and too promising to leave unexplored. So, if you have an idea connected to your research or expertise but are not yet sure where it could lead. Then Campus Club – idea2action might be for you.

idea2action is a free three-month programme for researchers who want to give an early idea the time, structure and fresh perspectives it needs to move forward.

Across three interactive co-working days in Adlershof, you will shape your idea, explore its potential, exchange with peers and experts, build useful connections and work towards a realistic next step.

No finished concept. No business plan. No predefined destination.

You bring the idea and drive its development.

Programme dates: 11 November 2026 · 9 December 2026 · 20 January 2027

We are pleased to open the call for applications for Campus Club – idea2action: A Greenhouse for Curious Minds.

Application deadline: 2 October 2026 Language: English Participation: Free of charge Applications: Individually or in teams of up to 3

We would like to inform you about the upcoming “Quanstol winter school on Analytics for Photovoltaics and Photoelectrochemistry” to be held from January 30 – February 05, 2027 in Hirschegg, Kleinwalsertal, Austria. The school is now open for application until November 8th, 2026 (21.59 pm CET). You can find the link hier for the application form: https://www.helmholtz-berlin.de/events/quantsol-winterschool/applications_en.html .

The school primarily addresses young postdocs, PhD students, and master students in their final year at university with an interest in photovoltaics, photoelectrochemistry and solar energy conversion. Invited speakers, all recognised scientists from leading world institutions, will give lectures covering a wide range of topics on the fundamental principles of the conversion of solar energy into chemical and electrical energy as well as the physical and technical challenges.

The school is complimentary to the very successful Quantsol summer school on photovoltaics which were held in 1998, 2001, 2003, 2006-2026. The winter school will be very interactive and the participants and speakers are requested to present their field of research and themselves in a short oral presentation on the first day of the school.