Newsportal

Those who are new to the University of Münster or have been invited from abroad often have many questions: Where can I find support? How do I make contacts? And how do I quickly find my place in everyday university life? Many departments, networks and services provide orientation for new arrivals so that they can get off to a successful start in Münster.

Dr Frank Brückerhoff-Plückelmann has developed photonic processors that can perform complex AI calculations energy-efficiently at the speed of light. He has also designed a neural network that can self-assess the reliability of its predictions. He provides insights in this interview.

A research team from the University of Münster (Germany), the Fraunhofer Research Institution for Battery Cell Production (Germany) and the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (USA) has used California as a case study to explore whether used electric vehicle batteries should be recycled immediately or given a second life through reuse.

The Falling Walls Science Summit will bring together hundreds of guests from science, politics and society in Berlin in November. As a partner, the University of Münster is organising the Falling Walls Lab Münster, one of only three German preliminary rounds for the international competition. The search is on for the ‘Breakthrough of the Year’.

The University of Münster is involved in two of the most important projects with which the German government and various partners aim to promote cutting-edge research in Germany and improve the performance of the German science system.

Prof Dr Götz Neuneck has received a number of awards for his commitment to nuclear disarmament and arms control, including the Bundesverdienstkreuz (Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany). He spoke to Christina Hoppenbrock about responsibility in science and the role of science diplomacy 100 years after the birth of quantum mechanics.

In recognition of his outstanding achievements, the European Academy of Sciences (EurASc) has appointed Martin Winter as its member.

Prof. Anika Schlenhoff and postdoctoral researcher Dr. Maciej Bazarnik from the Department of Physics have succeeded for the first time in using spin-polarised scanning tunnelling microscopy to image structural and magnetic properties that lie beneath the surface of a layered system of 2D graphene and iron.

Submitting an application for a grant from the European Research Council (ERC) can sometimes present a challenge. Therefore, from November, the University of Münster will be offering an EU Mentoring Network in which a 14-strong team of advisors will be providing support for researchers in making such applications. The deadline for joining the Class of 2026 is September 1.

What remains after six months of the ‘Energy for the future’ dossier? Primarily the impression that, at best, we have examined a few grains of sand in the desert – because the energy transition is a massive undertaking. Where do we stand in Germany and internationally? An assessment that can only be a snapshot in the face of rapid developments.

Ten years ago, the Zivile Seenotrettung, ZSNR (Maritime Search and Rescue Service) was set up as a rection to the end of state rescue measures such as Italy’s Mare Nostrum. In this interview, political scientist Dr. Mareike Gebhardt talks about the research project entitled “Search and Rescue Missions and the Dissensus on Democracy (ZivDem)”.

At the end of the “Energy for the future” dossier, national and international experts provide insights into their research and ideas on climate-neutral energy supply and more sustainable consumption.

The social psychologist Prof Dr Gerald Echterhoff has been appointed Theodor Heuss Professorship at the “New School for Social Research” in New York, starting in September. The New School stands for the long tradition of German-American academic co-operation. Gerald Echterhoff is the first academic from the University of Münster to receive the honour of this visiting professorship.