“Optimum conditions”
Prof. Dr. Jürgen Mlynek, President of the Helmholtz Association
Professor Mlynek, what distinguishes Germany as a location for research?
Primarily two things: the well-trained people and the infrastructure. Staff with German PhDs are highly regarded internationally – their great potential gives Germany a real boost as a research location. Furthermore, we have the benefit of an infrastructure that makes life quite easy, state-of-the-art technology platforms and large-scale equipment for cutting-edge research.
Does Germany have anything to offer that other countries don’t have?
A healthy mix of continuity and a willingness to change. An example? An X-ray laser, the only one of its kind in the world, is being built in Hamburg. This requires an enormous lead time, and the equipment will be used for up to 25 years. Such projects, which require a new way of thinking and long-term planning, can be best realized in Germany.
And vice versa: in what areas do things need to improve?
We are clearly behind when it comes to the overall framework. Unfortunately, scientific institutions are still treated like minor government authorities. We need more autonomy, less bureaucracy and more freedom – particularly so that we can act entrepreneurially. Under the Lisbon Agreement, Germany committed itself to raising education spending to 3% of gross domestic product by 2010. We are currently at around 2.5 to 2.6%, so we have a long way to go in this field.
It is sometimes said that what is lacking in Germany is not cutting-edge research, but its practical implementation in applications. How can this be changed?
That’s a difficult subject. Certainly, we need to focus more on asking whether it might be worthwhile to also safeguard the intellectual property rights to a laboratory discovery. We must also encourage more young people to consider self-employment as an alternative to working for a major corporation, moving away from stigmatizing errors and having the courage to take risks.
The internationalization of a science location is an important issue in the globalized world. What progress has Germany made in this regard?
Germany is very international. But we do like to hide our light under a bushel. About 4,000 to 5,000 visiting scientists come from all over the world to do research every year in the Helmholtz Association alone. They come here because they find optimum conditions. It would help in this regard if the immigration authorities cut some of the barriers to entry – especially to attract young people for the engineering disciplines.
You have studied in Germany and Paris, done research in the USA and Switzerland, but you have been back in Germany since 1990. What brought you back?
Anyone who has a good idea can implement it in Germany. I was certain of this at the time and I am convinced it is still the case today. Apart from which, Germany is my home and German is my native language and my culture.
“There is a strong scientific base here”
Prof. Dr. David B. Audretsch, USA, Director of the Max Planck Institute of Economics
You have been Director of the Max Planck Institute of Economics in Jena since 2003. As an American, what made you come to Germany to do research?
I lived in West Berlin during the 1980s and 1990s. At that time, during and shortly after the Fall of the Berlin Wall, there were developments in economic policy which I found fascinating. It is still exciting today, for example when it comes to the way Germany responds to globalization. I find that interesting, and not only as a researcher. I live in Weimar and enjoy being in the east. The people are very friendly and I like the culture and the countryside.
What distinguishes Germany as a location for research and science in your opinion?
I think it is the long-term perspective on which the research and the work are based. People take science seriously in Germany; it also has deep roots and traditions. Furthermore, young scientists are trained very thoroughly and competently. So there is a strong scientific base here.
What should be improved?
The flexibility. This is a matter of organization. With more freedom, people could use their strengths to better advantage – both in research and teaching. My hope is – and I almost see this as a global trend – that researchers will see themselves less as civil servants and more as creative and productive people.
Does Germany have anything that no other country has?
Yes, research institutions like the Max Planck Society, the Fraunhofer Institutes and the Helmholtz Association. Germany is to be envied for them. Internationally, this gives Germany a competitive advantage in science.
“I’m working with the best people in the world”
Prof. Dr. Ignacio Cirac, Spain, Director of the Max Planck Institute for Quantum Optics
Professor Cirac, you have been awarded the prestigious Prince of Asturias Prize and have been Director of the Max Planck Institute for Quantum Optics near Munich since 2001. Why did you decide to come to Germany?
At the Max Planck Institute I can concentrate fully on my research without any worries about funding. On the contrary, the funding is good and sound. Furthermore, I am working with the world’s best researchers in this field. They are my colleagues and work almost next door.
What distinguishes Germany as a research location?
There is a tradition of research in Germany which I can even feel in society. There is an article about technology or research in almost every magazine. Museums also deal with scientific issues. On the other hand, you receive a lot of support as a researcher and there are things like the Initiative for Excellence, invitations to network from the DFG and Humboldt fellowships. There are also many possibilities for funding, so that this is a good place to realize your ideas. I can confirm this for Bavaria at any rate.
What should be improved?
Young scientists often do not work independently until quite late on. I therefore think junior professorships would be a good step – towards greater self-reliance.
What do other countries not offer?
In Germany, PhD graduates are often more likely to be employed by major companies than their European counterparts in Spain or Italy. I would recommend any graduate to go abroad and broaden their horizons.
“You have to examine precisely what the rankings measure”
Dr. Sonja Berghoff, Project Director at the Centre for Higher Education Development (CHE)
German universities are not at the top of international rankings. Why not?
You have to examine precisely what the rankings measure. In my view, one reason is that the survey methods give preference to the natural sciences, while German universities traditionally have a very broad subject base. The Shanghai ranking is based on the number of publications in international journals. German publications therefore do not translate into high figures. Another reason is that only university research is assessed. The achievements of non-university research institutions in Germany are not taken into account.
In late 2007, CHE published its first rankings of Europe’s 4,000 universities. How did German universities perform and what was measured?
German universities did very well here; they have no need to fear international comparison. We are only just beginning and regard it not only as a ranking, but also as information for universities and students. Here you can see who is researching where and in what fields in Europe. We initially concentrated on the natural sciences and analyzed the publications, looked for much-cited researchers and assessed the commitment of European networks. We are now trying to expand the ranking to further subjects.
You also assessed German universities with CHE university rankings. Who comes out the best?
I’m afraid I can’t name individual universities. I can only say so much: we noted a high level of correlation between our rankings, the Initiative for Excellence and the DFG promotion rankings. It is usually the same places that top the lists. Find out more at: www.che-ranking.de
“Freedom in research encourages innovation“
Dr. Kazuaki Tarumi, Japan, Head of Department at Merck KGaA
You are Head of the Department of Liquid Crystal Research at Merck and winner of the German Future Prize. Why did you decide to come to Germany?
One of the main factors when I came to Germany with a DAAD scholarship was that Germany was a leading light in theoretical physics, and specifically in chaos research. It’s also easier in Germany than in Japan to switch from a university to a company after a long period of basic research.
What distinguishes Germany as a research location in your opinion?
What I like is the fact that people want to fundamentally understand the objects of research and then discuss many principles. You can only achieve real innovations if you have such freedom in basic research. Here, scientists don’t have to limit themselves to modifying existing research findings.
What should be improved?
There are sometimes problems with implementation: research findings have to be applied sometime and sent out into the world as a product. To this end – despite all desirable discussion – people must agree on a result and then move ahead together.
What do you find particularly exciting for a career in Germany?
I think it’s good that companies are also willing to employ nerds – like me – from university. In Japan, you usually have to join a company immediately after graduating if you want to pursue a career. In Germany, experts and their results are accepted, no matter where the person happens to be in his career.
“The Initiative for Excellence aroused my interest”
Antonio Pelegrina, Spain, Erasmus student at the LMU Munich
Mr. Pelegrina, you chose an Erasmus course abroad. Why Germany?
I wanted to learn a new language that I hadn’t known before and would help me move forward. I also wanted to go to a university with a good reputation.
What did you know beforehand about studying and researching in Germany?
Germany was completely new for me. But I had heard about the Initiative for Excellence with which Germany has been giving universities additional funding since 2006 and particularly supporting certain top German universities. That aroused my interest in doing a degree in Germany.
And what made you decide to go to Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität in Munich (LMU)?
The LMU is one of the nine top universities in Germany. It’s well-known and highly regarded internationally – also in my subject of physics. My professors in Spain told me about the good research conditions and advised me to study abroad at the LMU. Apart from which, Munich is a beautiful city, very international and has a great range of cultural and recreational activities.
Was there anything that particularly surprised you at your German university?
In Spain, students don’t give seminar papers like they normally do at German universities. It was a new thing for me to give a lecture in front of the other students and the professor. But at the same time these presentations are also a very instructive experience which will certainly be important for my subsequent career.
