iMDC03 zum Download (pdf)

International Affairs
with scientists from the Humboldt
Universität zu Berlin. That will be our
contribution.” He went on to say: “The
Technion is very strong in bioengineering,
biotechnology and nanotechnology,
and there are many interfaces with
physics and chemistry. The HUJI in
Jerusalem complements all that with
its focus on epigenetics and quantitative
biology.”
Helmholtz funding
SignGene will be funded for a period of
six years with 1.8 million euros from
the Initiative and Networking Fund of
the Helmholtz Association. Seventeen
research groups from Berlin and fifteen
from Israel will participate in this
new research school, which will have
a capacity for about 25 PhD students
(per 3 year training cycle).
Each student will have a supervisor
from both Germany and Israel and will
work for at least half a year in the
partner country. Since in Israel the
doctoral students are often already
married and have children, this
exchange can be arranged in a flexible
manner. Depending on the project,
several work stays are possible in Berlin
or Israel.
The first PhD students could already
begin in late 2012. “We already have
one application from a student from
the Technion. She applied directly after
the Haifa symposium at the beginning
of this year,” Scheidereit said. “The
Haifa symposium was a think tank the
MDC participated in with professors,
junior group leaders and doctoral
students. Important suggestions for
the design of our concept came from
the doctoral students and junior group
leaders of both countries.”
Lecture at Technion
with Professor Walter Birchmeier
@ Technion
“Her expertise in international research
schools, her sincere manner and her
commitment to the SignGene proposal
have been invaluable,” said Professor
Scheidereit.
The next steps for SignGene will be
to build the website, recruit a coordinator
and post the call for applications in
close collaboration with the Graduate
Office.
The initiators of SignGene would like
for it to be perceived as an interactive
project, in which each person interested
in the project can present his or her
ideas. “SignGene is not an exclusive
club,” Scheidereit said. “Rather, it
should provide the basis for future
collaboration between the participating
institutions.”
“SignGene is not an
exclusive club”
Meetings like the Haifa symposium
or the two German-Israeli symposia
in October 2010 and in April 2012
at the MDC not only advanced scientific
exchange, they also provided an
opportunity to work on the SignGene
concept. From the beginning Dr. Oksana
Seumenicht, MDC international relations
officer, has been a driving force.
39
imdc03 2012 39