News Release

Doctoral students' dreams come true

Young chemists to spend two months doing research in Japan

Grant and Award Announcement

Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft

From 25 March 2005, ten doctoral and postdoctoral chemistry students will be leaving to commence research visits in Japan, lasting between six and eight weeks. The trips were initiated and will be funded by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research Foundation) and the German Chemical Society (GDCh). To mark the Year of Germany in Japan, the students will also be attending the annual meeting of the Chemical Society of Japan (CSJ), which a number of famous German chemists have been invited to attend.

The patrons of "Germany in Japan 2005/2006" are German President Horst Köhler and Japanese Crown Prince Naruhito. The German Foreign Office is responsible for the overall coordination, and the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research is responsible for projects in the areas of science, education, research and technology. The presentation of current topics in German science aims to raise the awareness of Germany as a leading location for high technology and advanced research as well as to provide information on potential partners for scientific research cooperation and technological development.

The CSJ and the GDCh will be making a significant contribution at the CSJ's annual meeting, which will take place in Yokohama from 26-29 March, both for chemistry and related disciplines. Eleven famous German scientists, among them Professor Klaus Müllen, Mainz, Dr. Lutz F. Tietze, Göttingen, Dr. Herbert Mayr, Munich and Dr. Robert Schlögl, Berlin, will give presentations on their current research work to an expected audience of around 8,000.

The ten German doctoral and postdoctoral chemists selected by the DFG and the GDCh will also be participating in this conference, which is one of the most important events of its kind in Japan. There they will present their research findings and will also have their first opportunity to become personally acquainted with Japanese chemists.

As part of their research visit to a Japanese research institute of their choice, the fellows will also take part in the opening ceremony and celebrations for the Year of Germany in Japan, taking place from 9-11 April. The young scientists are being prepared for their visit to Japan with the help of a special seminar in Germany.

With this programme, the DFG and the GDCh hope to strengthen and promote cooperation between Germany and Japan and give young German scientists the opportunity to gain experiences and establish contacts in the Japanese chemical research community at an early stage in their careers.

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For further information, please contact: Dr. Gernot Gad, DFG Head Office, Kennedyallee 40, D-53175 Bonn, Germany, Tel.: 49 (0) 228/885-2494, email: gernot.gad@dfg.de.


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