On 2 November 2006 the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research Foundation) and the Korea Science and Engineering Foundation (KOSEF) will open the International Research Training Group "Self-organised Materials for Optoelectronics." Scientists from the University of Mainz, Seoul National University and Hannam University will collaborate on this initiative, bringing together basic research and practical applications at an internationally high level. Doctoral students will have the opportunity not only to work on their doctorates in an excellent research environment, under the joint supervision of German and Korean scientists, but also to gain experience in both countries. A Memorandum of Understanding between the DFG and KOSEF in September 2005 provided the basis for the establishment of the Research Training Group.
The research team will study new materials, aiming to use basic research findings that are of major significance to optoelectronics for applications such as displays or photovoltaic solar cells. For this purpose, the group will examine self-organising structures that enable the formation and optimisation of ordered structures and thereby promise new functionalities. It is an interdisciplinary group, because quite different subject areas are involved in the process from the synthesis of new materials to the preparation and testing of new prototypes. The main contribution of German science to this formula for success is its internationally recognised expertise in material science and basic research, while the Korean side is recognised worldwide for its ability in the area of practical application.
The "Germany and Korea: Partners in Research and Development" campaign, which was launched by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research and intensively supported by the DFG, provided a framework for the opening of the International Research Training Group. The initiative promotes Germany as a centre of research and aims to showcase the attractiveness of Germany and the German research environment. Building on the success of previous cooperative efforts by the two countries, the campaign is starting with South Korea as a renowned high-technology Asian country. Following the example of the new Research Training Group, further collaborations between German and Korean research institutions and companies are to be established.
Further Information
DFG Contacts
Ruth Narmann, Research Training Groups and Research Careers Focus: International Research Training Groups, Asia Tel.: +49 228 885-2340, ruth.narmann@dfg.de
Dr. Ingrid Krüssmann, International Affairs, Focus: Scientific Cooperation with East Asia Tel.: +49 228 885-2786, ingrid.kruessmann@dfg.de
Relevant Links
The Memorandum of Understanding can be accessed via:
www.dfg.de/forschungsfoerderung/koordinierte_programme/graduiertenkollegs/int_gk/aktuelles/kosef_dfg_05.html.
Further information on International Research Training Groups can be found at:
www.dfg.de/gk/en