HZB has signed the “Charta der Vielfalt” (Diversity Charter)
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HZB is an employer that comprehensively strengthens and cares for the diversity of its employees. HZB publicly acknowledges this by signing the Diversity Charter. The charter is run by an association that works to anchor diversity in the working world.
By signing, HZB commits to the following goal:
"At HZB, we promote and value the diversity of our employees. Diversity creates new opportunities for cooperation and creativity for science. Tapping into these potentials and making them sustainable elements of the work culture is our goal."
Here you get to the HZB entry of the Diversity Charter.
The Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin (HZB) was the first non-university research institution to undergo the Stifterverband's diversity audit "Shaping Diversity." The certification attests to the HZB's opportunity-oriented concepts and measures for diverse groups of people.
Diversity Charter
4500 companies and institutions have signed the Diversity Charter to date and are committed to an appreciative and prejudice-free working environment. The association thus represents 14.6 million employees in Germany. Here you find the "Diversity Charter in wording" document.
German Diversity Day 2022
Diversity Day will be held for the 10th time in Germany on May 31. HZB will also participate and show its colours! More about this in the near future.
- Peat as a sustainable precursor for fuel cell catalyst materialsIron-nitrogen-carbon catalysts have the potential to replace the more expensive platinum catalysts currently used in fuel cells. This is shown by a study conducted by researchers from the Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin (HZB), Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB) and universities in Tartu and Tallinn, Estonia. At BESSY II, the team observed the formation of complex microstructures within various samples. They then analysed which structural parameters were particularly important for fostering the preferred electrochemical reactions. The raw material for such catalysts is well decomposed peat.
- Susanne Nies appointed to EU advisory group on Green DealDr. Susanne Nies heads the Green Deal Ukraina project at HZB, which aims to support the development of a sustainable energy system in Ukraine. The energy expert has now also been appointed to the European Commission's scientific advisory group to comment on regulatory burdens in connection with the net-zero target (DG GROW).
- Long-term stability for perovskite solar cells: a big step forwardPerovskite solar cells are inexpensive to produce and generate a high amount of electric power per surface area. However, they are not yet stable enough, losing efficiency more rapidly than the silicon market standard. Now, an international team led by Prof. Dr. Antonio Abate has dramatically increased their stability by applying a novel coating to the interface between the surface of the perovskite and the top contact layer. This has even boosted efficiency to almost 27%, which represents the state-of-the-art. After 1,200 hours of continuous operation under standard illumination, no decrease in efficiency was observed. The study involved research teams from China, Italy, Switzerland and Germany and has been published in Nature Photonics.