Newsportal

German, European and international lunar experts will be converging on the University of Münster from June 22 to 27 for the European Lunar Symposium (ELS). In an interview, Prof Harald Hiesinger from the Institute of Planetology talks about the conference, a special guest and lunar research, which is as highly topical as ever.

The Institute of Criminal Sciences invites interested parties to a public lecture entitled ‘Intersectionality at the International Criminal Court’. The speaker is Nazhat Shameem Khan, Deputy Prosecutor at the International Criminal Court in The Hague, Netherlands. The event at Münster Castle will take place on 5 June (Thursday) at 6 pm.

To analyse global competition in future battery technologies for electric vehicles, a research team from the Universities of Münster and Cambridge and the Fraunhofer FFB compared patents and innovation strategies from China, Japan, South Korea, Europe and the United States.

The decisions on the Clusters of Excellence have been announced: the “Mathematics Münster” research alliance will continue to be financed from 1 January 2026. The “Religion and Politics” Cluster, however, will not be receiving any further funding.

A team led by Prof Armido Studer from the Institute of Organic Chemistry has developed an efficient skeletal editing method for frequently used heteroaromatic structures. The technique could serve as a means to chemically modify biologically active compounds.

Social comparisons have proven effective in changing one’s behaviour, also with regard to adopting a more environmentally conscious lifestyle. This is one of the key findings of an international meta-study conducted by a team in the clinical Psychology, Psychotherapy, and Health Psychology research group.

All public sector bodies are required to make their websites and mobile applications accessible. In a recent study, a team led by communication scientist Professor Volker Gehrau from the University of Münster found that many academics are barely aware of these requirements, which are also relevant for online surveys, and only implement them to a limited extent.

Digitalisation is an all-encompassing process of change that offers both opportunities and risks. For almost two years, Münster-based educationalist Professor Sebastian Wachs has been researching how digitalisation affects children and young people in particular. Both professionally and personally, the scholar is always concerned with promoting well-being.

Viktoria Rokhinson would like to be a teacher – and perhaps become a politician, because the issue of education is especially important to her. But student Viktoria also has many other interests over and above this and is involved in a great many activities. She wrote her bachelor’s thesis, for example, on a biological theme: the potential uses of marine algae.

The scientists working on the BIOSTORE project aim to use recyclable biological and organic-based materials and additives in the production of batteries. The idea is to replace fossil materials and improve environmental compatibility. The four following guest commentaries provide insights into the project.

In April, “The Great Gatsby” – a classic of modern American literature – celebrated the 100th anniversary of its publication, providing an opportunity for a critical literary and cultural look at the topicality of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s masterpiece. What does the word “great” still mean today in the USA? Prof. Silvia Schultermandl examines the question in this guest commentary.

A recent study provides evidence that some results of behavioural experiments with insects cannot be fully reproduced. So far, possible reproducibility problems have been little discussed in this context.

Under the motto ‘Science for social cohesion’, the University of Münster is calling for a ‘March for Science’ on 9 May. The Rectorate invites all interested parties to take part.