In a festive ceremony today, the Federal Minister of Education and Research, Ms. Anja Karliczek, awarded the GFZ the first-ever Prize for Education and Science Diplomacy. The award recognizes scientific collaborations that build trusting and sustainable partnerships across national borders and whose findings can be an important basis for political decisions. The prize is endowed with €75,000.

On the occasion of the award ceremony, Minister Karliczek emphasized the importance of international cooperation, especially in climate and sustainability research: "Corona, climate change, the preservation of biodiversity - the challenges of our time are international challenges. In the end, we can only take them on together."

With its communication concept, the GFZ relies on a broad spectrum of analog and digital formats, which have both informational and mediatory character and offer different participation opportunities. The unifying element and focus of all lines of action is joint climate and sustainability research. The spectrum ranges from a kick-off event at the German Embassy in Moscow, bilateral web seminars, a photo exhibition and the "Journalist in Residence" program to a summer school for young scientists in the Altai Mountains.

"With our communication concept we also want to reach young people, because they are the foundation of future relations of our countries and this is where mutual trust and understanding can grow," said Prof. Dr. Niels Hovius, Scientific Director and Chairman of the Board (interim) on the occasion of the award ceremony.

In the implementation of the individual communication measures, the GFZ relies on its long-standing cooperation with Russian and German institutions. In addition to other Helmholtz Centres and universities, numerous Russian research institutions, the Helmholtz Office in Moscow, the German House of Science and Innovation DWIH in Moscow, and various social institutions in Germany and Russia have pledged their active support.

"With the communication measures, we will raise awareness of German-Russian research activities in politics and society and thus contribute to the scientific diplomacy of our countries," says Dr. Ludwig Stroink, initiator and manager of the project. "In addition, we will be able to flank the "Roadmap for German-Russian Cooperation in Education, Science, Research and Innovation" in a constructive way along with considerable media impact due to a campaign that touches many institutions," Stroink adds.  

In addition to the GFZ project, the concepts of the Leibniz Information Center for Economics and the Justus Liebig University Giessen for cooperation with Great Britain and Colombia were also honored.   

• Link to the application video

Contact:
Dr. Ludwig Stroink
Head
International and Project Office
Phone.: +49 331 288-1070
E-mail: ludwig.stroink@gfz-potsdam.de