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News 16 January 2020

Addressing Future Challenges – Georg Schütte Takes up Position as Secretary General

Dr. Georg Schütte became Secretary General of the Volkswagen Foundation on January 1, 2020. He took over from Dr. Wilhelm Krull, who retired oat the end of December, 2019. Schütte previously held the position of State Secretary at the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), and now he has some ambitious plans for the Volkswagen Foundation going forward.

Cover Impulse 2020
Publication of the Foundation 15 January 2020

Impulse 2020: "Künstliche Intelligenz" (in German)

Interview 13 November 2019

"A natural disaster is like a virus"

Epidemiologist Debarati Guha-Sapir gives insights, how data analysis can help to adapt to extreme weather events and even prevent deaths.

Story 13 November 2019

Deciphering Extreme Weather Events

Climate change manifests itself in increasingly severe floods, droughts and storms. How data science could help to understand extreme weather conditions  – and prepare humankind for what’s to come – was discussed at a Herrenhausen Conference on "Extreme Events" in Hanover.

Story 17 October 2019

Coveted Raw Material: Data for Cutting-Edge Research

Technology giants zealously guard their data records – a policy with strict laws that slows down data transfer. So how does research on AI in Germany organize its basic supply of data?

In the foreground you can see parched earth with a green tree growing on it, and in the background you can see a skyline surmounted by clouds through which individual rays of the sun flash.
Event Report 09 October 2019

Documentation: Herrenhausen Conference "Extreme Events – Building Climate Resilient Societies"

More than 130 multidisciplinary scientists and practitioners from 30 countries and UN organizations came together for a Herrenhausen Conference in Hannover from October 9 to 11, 2019, to elucidate the relations between climate extremes, societal resilience, and sustainable development goals.

Stories

Satellitenansicht der Innertropischen Konvergenzzone
Story 09 June 2026

Climate Research Using Old Ship’s Logs: the Wind Leaves no Trace on the Sea

Did a volcanic eruption in 1783 shift the tropical rain belt? Old ship’s logs could provide the answer – and also shed light on the future climate for millions of people living around the equator.

Mehrere Personen sitzen zusammen, eine Frau erzählt etwas, ein Mann tippt dabei an einem Laptop. Im Hintergrund sind Bananenpflanzen und ein Dschungel-Wald zu sehen.
Story 27 May 2026

A Pharmacy From the Rainforest: Remedies for the Mind

Fabien Schultz is searching for natural materials that can be used to treat mental health conditions. To this end, he is working with indigenous communities in Uganda and Tanzania – and with monkeys.

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