A warm welcome: Summer students start at the HZB
Die Sommerstudierenden erkunden Berlin. © privat
Besuch des Naturkundemuseums Berlin. © privat
On 1 July 2024, 18 summer students from 15 nations started their work at HZB. Until 23 August, they will be supervised in various research teams and take on their own small project. For many students, this is their first contact with research.
"We are delighted that there were so many applications for places this year. The summer students are highly motivated to gain new experiences at HZB and in Berlin," says Marieke Hoog Antink. Together with Cécile Dufloux, Jennifer Kusch and Ana Anselmo, she is member of the organisation team. After a brief welcome and an introduction to research at the HZB, the summer students moved on to the departments on the very first day. There they have eight weeks to work independently on a project. They then will present their results to the other students and HZB staff at the end of the programme.
An attractive framing programme is offered as well: they will visit the Einstein Park in Potsdam, followed by a tour of the Adlershof science campus, during which they will visit the Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt and BESSY II. At the Wannsee campus, the programme includes eye tumour therapy. The students will also attend a workshop on entrepreneurship offered by the HZB Technology Transfer department.
The summer students will blog about their experiences at work and during their spare time. Antonia Rötger from the Communications Department is offering an introduction to science communication.
We wish you a good time at HZB!
Links
- Understanding physics – with your own handsDirk Lohmann has been head of the school laboratory at HZB's Wannsee site since summer 2024. In this interview, he explains what matters most to him: encouraging young people to explore natural phenomena with their own hands.
- Green hydrogen: MXene boosts the effectiveness of catalystsMXenes are adept at hosting catalytically active particles. This property can be exploited to create more potent catalyst materials that significantly accelerate and enhance the oxygen evolution reaction, which is one of the bottlenecks in the production of green hydrogen via electrolysis using solar or wind power. A detailed study by an international team led by HZB chemist Michelle Browne shows the potential of these new materials for future large-scale applications. The study is published in Advanced Functional Materials.
- 103 schoolgirls on Girls'Day at HZBOn April 3, 2025, the annual Girls' Day took place, giving schoolgirls an insight into various careers in science and technology. We welcomed a total of 103 schoolgirls at our Adlershof and Wannsee sites and offered them a day full of exciting experiments - more participants than ever before!