HI-SCORE international research school: Kick Off Meeting in Berlin
More than 50 participants from Israel and Berlin initiated the international research school HI-SCORE with a kick off meeting. © HZB
The international research school on solar energy promotes exchange between Germany and Israel and excellent conditions for PhD students.
With a two day kick off meeting at Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin (HZB) the Helmholtz International Research School HI-SCORE on solar energy research has started. To accomplish this, HZB is collaborating with the Weizmann Institute in Rehovot, the Israeli Institute of Technology (Technion) in Haifa, and three Israeli universities as well as universities in Berlin and Potsdam. The project is funded by the Helmholtz Association.
The name “HI-SCORE” stands for “Hybrid Integrated Systems for Conversion of Solar Energy”. The research themes extend from novel solar cells based on metal-organic perovskites, to tandem solar cells, to complex systems of materials for generating solar fuels. These complex materials systems can convert the energy of sunlight to chemical energy so it can be easily stored in the form of fuel.
The research school HI-SCORE does offer more than 30 places for PhD students in Israel and Germany, with excellent research conditions and with internationally renowned scientists as supervisors. Additionally they benefit from the comprehensive selection of seminars and advanced training opportunities. All of the HI-SCORE doctoral students will conduct research in both countries and be advised by staff at HZB as well as by the Israeli partners.
More than 50 participants joined together in a working meeting April 23-4, 2018 to inaugurate the new HI-SCORE Research School. A total of 20 Israeli colleagues came to Berlin from the five Israeli partnering institutions. The acting Managing Director of HZB, Prof. Bernd Rech, welcomed the participants in the BESSY auditorium. After the individual projects were presented on Monday morning, the participants used the afternoon to plan the joint research work for the next few months. There was an opportunity to visit laboratories at the HZB on Tuesday.
Dr. Daniel Abou-Ras, Scientific Coordinator, explains: "All the participants got to know each other personally for the first time at this initial meeting and were able to reach concrete agreements on the projects and the distribution of tasks. We are very much looking forward to productive teamwork."
The Helmholtz Association is funding HI-SCORE as the Helmholtz International Research School beginning in 2018. The School will receive a total of 1.8 million Euros from the Initiative and Networking Fund of the President of the Helmholtz Association over a period of six years. In addition, the collaborating partners and HZB are making their own contributions, so that the total budget will be approximately 7 million Euros.
More information:
Website HI-SCORE International Research School
Interview with the speaker of Hi-SCORE Research Schhol in our Campus-Blog (in German).
General informationen about the Helmholtz International Research Schools
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- Perovskites: Hybrid materials as highly sensitive X-ray detectorsNew bismuth-based organic-inorganic hybrid materials show exceptional sensitivity and long-term stability as X-ray detectors, significantly more sensitive than commercial X-ray detectors. In addition, these materials can be produced without solvents by ball milling, a mechanochemical synthesis process that is environmentally friendly and scalable. More sensitive detectors would allow for a reduction in the radiation exposure during X-ray examinations.
- Electrical energy storage: BAM, HZB, and HU Berlin plan joint Berlin Battery LabThe Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing (BAM), the Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin (HZB), and Humboldt University of Berlin (HU Berlin) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to establish the Berlin Battery Lab. The lab will pool the expertise of the three institutions to advance the development of sustainable battery technologies. The joint research infrastructure will also be open to industry for pioneering projects in this field.