Newsportal

More than 100 representatives of the universities in the Ulysseus Alliance gathered in Montenegro in December for the kick-off event of the second funding phase. The University of Münster took part in this event for the first time as a new member. Discussions included research and teaching collaborations, mobility programmes and the so-called Innovation Hubs.

Great moments do not always happen in glamorous situations or scenarios. Often, they occur unexpectedly – which is what happened to Münster University mathematician Eva Viehmann just recently. The mathematician received a phone call that marked the highest point of her scientific career to date: The DFG informed her that she was being awarded the Leibniz Prize.

The Rectorate has decided to introduce a general requirement that any cooperation with embargoed states must be reported. This will take effect from 1 January 2024. Accordingly, the Finance and Controlling Department is to be informed when academics want to enter into a cooperation with any of more than 30 countries on which the EU has imposed an embargo for foreign or security policy reasons.

Collecting fog in Taiwan, an Erasmus+ internship at the University of Münster or an award: there are many things that have moved students and staff at the University of Münster this year. In the annual review in the university newspaper wissen|leben, twelve people talk about their special university moment in 2023.

The “Asking the Pope for Help” project is analyzing the petitions that Jewish people sent to Pope Pius XII and the Church during the Shoah. Besides these petitions, the project is also editing documents in the Vatican archives that relate to the respective “cases”, and will make extensive teaching materials available at a later date. The lecture will use a number of examples to illustrate how the project’s database and web app work, and the DH methods that underpin such a project.

In recognition of her outstanding research work, Prof. Eva Viehmann has been awarded the 2024 Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Prize. The German Research Foundation is honouring the University of Münster mathematician for her achievements in the field of arithmetic geometry. Worth 2,5 million euros, the Leibniz Prize is the most valuable prize awarded in Germany to support research work.

A team headed by business chemist Prof. Stephan von Delft from the University of Münster has concluded that China will be the first country worldwide to become independent of the need to mine the raw materials which are essential for batteries. They have also established that this development could be accelerated in all the regions they looked at – including Europe and the USA.

A team led by biochemist Prof. Andrea Rentmeister presents a new method for comprehensively detecting modifications in mRNA and, at the same time, localising them precisely.

Prof Armido Studer from the Institute of Organic Chemistry at the University of Münster receives the Paracelsus Prize of the Swiss Chemical Society. He is honoured for his work in the field of radical chemistry.

In the "DIONISOS" project, Prof. Wolfgang Zeier aims to reveal unknown relationships between heat and ion transport in solids. Among other things, the work is intended to provide ideas for the development of new battery materials.

Archaeologists from the Asia Minor Research Centre have uncovered the city archives in the ancient city of Doliche in south-eastern Türkiye and recovered more than 2,000 seal impressions used to seal documents. The team led by Prof. Michael Blömer and Prof. Engelbert Winter from the University of Münster made an important discovery that provides information about ancient administrative practice.

Around 19,000 square metres of floor space, room for 500 staff and 4,400 students, and three new builds with up to five storeys: theses are the dimensions of the building project Hüffer Campus, which will include the University of Münster’s Theologies and Religious Studies Campus.The construction has now had its topping-out ceremony, which marks an important milestone.

Every year, many young people come to the University of Münster, from abroad, to begin their studies. How have the students settled down in the city? Four international students talk about their initial impressions of the University.