Postdocs at HZB: Crucial for research, innovation and diversity
At HZB, 117 postdocs from 29 countries are employed. They play a crucial role in driving the main research activities, fostering creativity and innovation. To honor them, the Postdoc Appreciation Week was first organised in the USA in 2009 and has in the meantime become a regular event in Germany as well in the third week of September every year.
The Postdoc Appreciation Week will take place from 16 to 20 September 2024 and is an important occasion to recognise and celebrate postdocs for their significant contributions to research and academic life.
Bernd Rech, Scientific Director of HZB, emphasizes: "Our postdocs make a crucial contribution to scientific progress at HZB. They are not only involved in research but also contribute to the development of scientific infrastructures, take responsibility for supervising doctoral researchers, and support their career development. The Postdoc Appreciation Week is an excellent opportunity to highlight how indispensable our postdocs are to HZB, with their diversity and creativity."
During the Postdoc Appreciation Week, HZB postdocs have the opportunity to participate in various online trainings and events organized by institutions across Germany. More information about and registration sites for these events can be found here.
- Perovskite triple-junction solar cells: Even more efficient with GO/SAM bilayersPerovskite semiconductors efficiently convert sunlight into electrical energy; they are also inexpensive and extremely lightweight. A team at HZB has developed a triple-junction solar cell comprising different perovskite semiconductors, with a novel bilayer of graphene oxide (GO) and a self-assembled monolayer (SAM) as the hole conductor. This bilayer significantly increases both efficiency and long-term stability. The efficiency of the novel perovskite triple-junction solar cell is 27.3% and shows hardly any decline even after more than 770 hours of operation. The study has been published in the renowned journal Joule.
- Green Deal Ukraїna at the Ukraine Recovery ConferenceEnd of June, the Ukraine Recovery Conference (UCR2026) took place in Gdańsk, Poland. Unlike previous editions, URC2026 introduced a dedicated Energy Platform, jointly organised by the Ministry of Energy of Ukraine and the Ministry of Climate and Environment of Poland, which brought together energy-related discussions, announcements, and side events in one place, increasing the visibility and coordination of key energy topics. Green Deal Ukraїna, an initiative coordinated by HZB, organised three events on the sidelines of URC on research and energy topics as part of the conference.
- VOLT – Art in the shell of the HZB from 19 to 21 June 2026An extraordinary setting: from 19 to 21 June, artists and students from the Berlin University of the Arts will be exhibiting in the shell of the services building on the HZB campus in Berlin-Adlershof. The public is warmly invited to attend the three-day exhibition.