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News 29 November 2018

Tbilisi-Göttingen, and Back – A New Binational Doctoral Program

In its initiative focussing Central Asia and the Caucasus the Foundation especially supports the capacity development in research and higher education in the region. In Tbilisi, Georgia, 11 postgraduates now benefit from a novel, clearly structured doctoral program.

News 25 September 2018

News Update: Mass E-Mailing for Events

On September 24, 2018, a cyber attack on the event-portal of the Volkswagen Foundation triggered several mass e-mailings. Personal user data remained protected.

News 06 September 2018

Freigeist Fellowships: 8 Million Euro for Eight Out-standing Research Personalities

Key criterion for becoming a Freigeist Fellow of the Volkswagen Foundation is the readiness to depart from mainstream research and dedicate oneself to ground-breaking and therefore risk-laden research. Eight early-career researchers recently convinced the Foundation's international review panel with their unconventional project proposals, which they will now implement at universities in different parts of Germany.

News 17 August 2018

Innovation Prize for Two Africa Cooperations 

The Federal Ministry of Education and Research awards grantees of the Foundation the German-African Innovation Promotion Prize / The Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing continues its commitment to Africa with the ISEE Conference

Story 15 August 2018

Like Winning the Lottery

About a chemist from Syria, who fled his country in search of peace – and found a little piece of home at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology: A true story with an almost perfect happy ending.

Story 09 August 2018

The Dark Sides of Open Science

Have calls for transparency in science gone too far? German science expert Stefan Hornbostel argues that some transparency is good for science – but too much can backfire, reducing the efficiency and quality of research and eroding public trust.

Stories

Portrait einer Frau in einem weitläufigen Flur
Story 08 October 2025

Christina Roggatz: Science that makes waves

Marine scientist Dr Christina Roggatz from the University of Bremen is leading her own team for the first time – and through her work wants to arrive at a better understanding of climate change. Here she gives us an insight into her everyday life as leader of a junior research group.

Portrait eines Mannes
Story 09 July 2025

How does working with AI impact on research?

As a tool of science, artificial intelligence entails numerous risks, opportunities, and ambivalences. These need to be identified and classified. However, there is no revolution in sight, according to Jens Schröter.