Australian-German mobility in times of Covid-1

Covid-19 has certainly brought physical mobility and travel between Australia and Germany to a temporary halt. However, virtual mobility still allows for collaboration and for joint PhD projects to continue - and of course we are ready to travel again once it is possible and safe to do so. We spoke to some students and PhD candidates impacted by Covid-19 about their projects, plans, research and how the pandemic impacted their German-Australian experience.

Nick Chan and Sarah Lentz– international PhD as a team

Nick Chan is in the final year of his Phd between the University of Melbourne and the University of Bayreuth

Nick Chan is in the final year of his Phd between the University of Melbourne and the University of Bayreuth

Sarah Lentz is in the final year of her Phd between the and the University of Bayreuth and University of Melbourne

Sarah Lentz is in the final year of her Phd between the and the University of Bayreuth and University of Melbourne

Nick and Sarah don’t actually work on one project, but as part of the joint PhD program between Universität Bayreuth and the University of Melbourne, both approach the same topic from two different perspectives – playing to their strengths and complementing each other. Whilst Sarah spends the majority of her candidature in Bayreuth and only 12 months in Melbourne, Nick does the opposite. As a matter of fact, him and his wife were supposed to be in Bayreuth at the moment working with his secondary supervisor Prof. Thomas Scheibel, whilst Sarah was meant to be in Melbourne and working in Prof. Greg Qiao’s lab. The connection between the two supervisors was established as part of the Bayreuth-Melbourne Polymer/Colloid Network and both researchers not only have complementary skills, but their labs also allow for different experiments. Nick explains, that he learned a lot in Bayreuth, as his background is in Chemical Engineering, whilst Sarah gained her MSc and expertise at the Fibrelab in Bayreuth focusing on biomaterials.

Nick visited Bayreuth for the first time for the annual Bayreuth International Summerschool, where he also met his future supervisor and got interested in the complementary research approach. He also said, that the short visit helped him make his decision to go to Bayreuth, as he noticed that - contrary to his prior fears – everyone speaks English and the welcome services made it very easy for him to get around. Bayreuth being a small town not made it easy to get familiar with the town itself, but also helped him to focus on his studies during his first PhD visit.

Sarah has already spent nine months in Melbourne and had to leave early to get back to Germany, before flight connections stopped. She says that her and Nick are in constant communication and are also working on an additional project next to their PhDs together. The ‘tandem PhD’ has helped both candidates to navigate cultural differences and bureaucracy, as well as their complementary skillsets have allowed them to support each other throughout their PhD.

Kai Mayer - PhD in Melbourne

Kai Mayer is another candidate in the joint Phd between Bayreuth and Melbourne and had planned on being in Melbourne the moment. He explains how the pandemic has impacted him and how he still continues his joint PhD journey:

Kai Mayer was supposed be working on his PhD in Melbourne right now

Kai Mayer was supposed be working on his PhD in Melbourne right now

“The COVID-19 pandemic has hit exactly during the hot phase of preparing for my first stay in Melbourne as part of the joint PhD between Bayreuth and Melbourne. In this project, novel recombinant spider silk fusion-proteins will be used to selectively promote the adhesion of endothelial cells to surfaces made of these proteins. Combined with the extraordinary mechanical properties and shown potential for drug release of recombinant spider silks, this would pose a revolutionary coating material for vascular stents. At my institution in Bayreuth, the focus is on the production of these new fusion proteins. This step is close to being finished and only the last characterizations of the proteins are pending. Despite all the hurdles the pandemic poses at the moment, close collaboration with my supervisor in Melbourne, Daniel Heath, is still a given. We meet every 6 weeks on zoom to discuss the latest results and to craft plans for the steps to take next. Eventhough, the pandemic prevents us from collaborating in the most efficient way (preferably in the same lab), we can still make sure that we are prepared in the best way possible once restrictions are lifted and a trip to Melbourne is possible again. “

LLM at La Trobe University, Melbourne

Tizian Göbel also wanted to be in Melbourne at the Moment. The law student has been awarded a scholarship by international law firm Milbank to complete his Master of Laws (LLM) at La Trobe University. The course takes one year and was supposed to have started in August 2020.

Tizian Göbel has been awarded a scholarship for his LLM at La Trobe University

Tizian Göbel has been awarded a scholarship for his LLM at La Trobe University

Actually, I would have wanted to be in Melbourne right now, doing my LLM at La Trobe University in Melbourne. However, Corona has – luckily - only postponed and not cancelled my trip and the current plan is to start there in March. 

I’ve decided to go to Melbourne, because I find the combination of living and studying oversea – the personal challenge in Australia – and the academic aspect of it very attractive. Especially after the difficult time at Uni, I want to do something for myself again and at the same time advance my career prospects. I also find Melbourne, as city of sport very appealing and having it a base for exploring the whole continent and that for a whole year. – A good timeframe, and afterwards I’m probably looking forward to coming home again.

I think one benefit from the LLM is definitely the opportunity to improve my English on a higher level, that will give me the confidence to work internationally. Milbank – the law firm sponsoring my scholarship – also works entirely internationally. I’ve been very lucky to being able to work for them before the LLM starts – one of the benefits of the Corona pandemic. I also think that getting an insight into another law culture is important – and a perspective you can only gain by living overseas for a while. You can’t really learn this sitting at your desk – you have to live and experience it overseas.

Alex Vollebergh - Engineering internship at Bayreuth University

Alex Vollebergh took part in the internship program between Universität Bayreuth and La Trobe University

Alex Vollebergh took part in the internship program between Universität Bayreuth and La Trobe University

Alex was in his final year of an engineering degree at La Trobe University when he decided to do his internship in Germany. He was supposed to spend six months working with the Fraunhofer group in Bayreuth, however, had to return to Melbourne after eight weeks due to Covid-19. When the Prime Minister issued a warning to all Australians to return home, it only took him one week to get home. The internship program between LTU and UBT allows undergraduate students to do an internship as part of their degree and Alex wanted to use this opportunity to gain insights into life and work in another country. In preparation, he even studied German. After only having left Australia twice before – both times for organised study tours through his University – coming to Bayreuth for six by himself was at the same time appealing and intimidating. Alex highlighted how much he appreciated the help of the international office at UBT and his colleagues at the Fraunhofer Institute. They helped him find a room in share house in the city centre and navigate Bayreuth and German bureaucracy – according to him, one of the most challenging parts of his stay. Despite the shortened duration of his stay, Alex enjoyed his time in Bayreuth and said that he learned a lot about different work cultures and ways of doing things. When he returned to Melbourne, he wrote a thesis drawing on knowledge and skills that he’d acquired in Bayreuth.

 

Winter Semester 2020/21 

Winter Semester 2020/21 at the University of Bayreuth will be a "physical presence semester interlaced with an individual share of digital learning". All departments of the University of Bayreuth involved are working hard to make the necessary arrangements. Priority will be given to first-year students who we wish to welcome on site, in as far as the hygiene standards applying in autumn allow. Meanwhile, emphasis will still be on practical courses that require special laboratories or work rooms. Physical presence on the Bayreuth campus should also be afforded to students enrolled in their last semesters before final exams.

The start of lectures for Winter Semester 2020/2021 is to be postponed from October 12 to November 2, 2020.Accordingly, the end of lectures will move from February 5 to February 12, 2021.

Enrolled and especially first-year-students can expect a high-quality programme and specially tailored counselling, support, and assistance services, even under the current circumstances, in their degree programme.The fact that not every student is technically equipped in the same way, and that the various learning contents are suitable for digital teaching in different ways, have been fully taken into account.

Orientation weeks for first semester and international students:

We will offer our first semester students introductory events especially tailored to their needs in the week before the start of the lecture period on 2.11.2020, i.e. in the period from 26.10. to 30.10.2020 (calendar week 44).Our orientation week for international students will take place in face-to-face form (including some digital components) from 14 to 23 October, 2020. International students will receive information on registration and the course of events in good time via Welcome Services.

For any further information or questions regarding visa arrangements for Germany or Australia please don’t hesitate to contact us!

The Global Burden of COVID-19: Lessons Learned from the First Six Months of the Epidemic

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Topic: The Global Burden of COVID-19: Lessons Learned from the First Six Months of the Epidemic

Speaker: Professor Dr. Eduardo J. Simoes (University of Missouri, USA)

Date/time: Monday, 6 July 2020, 7:30 p.m. (Central European Time)

Live via ZOOM by following the link below (talk will be recorded):

https://uni-bayreuth.zoom.us/j/97674787503?pwd=MGNPcU5jd01vcEZaY25NSkw3dERndz09

About the Talk

Professor Simoes's talk will address the origin of SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19 and how the disease is transmitted, diagnosed, and treated. In addition to traditional prevention and control strategies employed by the public health system, he will address arguments and facts relating to other measures such as lockdowns or vertical and social distancing, while presenting some simulations of their effects. Looking back on the past six months of dealing with the pandemic and its consequences, it remains to be seen what lesson we can learn, and how we can succeed in stopping the global spread of infection.

About the Speaker

Professor Dr. Eduardo J. Simoes is Chairman of the Department of Health Management & Informatics at the University of Missouri's School of Medicine. He was born in Brazil and received his medical degree from the Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Pernambuco in 1981. He earned additional degrees in tropical medicine, hygiene, and public health in England (1987) and the United States (1991). From 1983 to 1989, Dr. Simoes was a medical officer, health planner, and advisor to the Secretary of Health in Recife, Brazil, where he practiced medicine as a general practitioner. At the Missouri State Department of Health, Dr. Simoes served as a medical epidemiologist for chronic diseases from 1995 to 2000 and was State Epidemiologist and Chief of the Office of Epidemiology from 2000 to 2003. He is currently licensed for general medical practice in the State of Pernambuco and Brazil Federal Council of Medicine. Dr. Simoes has taught courses in medical epidemiology, public health surveillance, programme management, and planning and policy development since 1987. Over the past 30 years, he has provided public health consultations to organizations such as the World Bank, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Ministry of Health of Brazil, and other institutions in Brazil and the US. Dr. Simoes has published over 130 peer-reviewed scientific publications and has been a reviewer for a number of international medical and public health journals.

Bayreuth International Online Courses 2020

Starting in July, we are launching the Bayreuth International Online Courses (BIOC)!

 

We will offer five interdisciplinary seminars, held by both German and international lecturers:

Our Courses offer high-quality education to students and professionals as well as an intercultural learning experience anywhere in the world.

For more detailed information on the Summer School programme or on the application procedure, please feel free to visit our website or contact us directly!

INTERNATIONAL MASTER’S PROGRAMME “FOOD QUALITY AND SAFETY” (M.SC.)

The food industry is a highly complex environment. Besides the overwhelming variety of ingredients they contain, our food products are produced, traded, and processed globally. Quality assurance and quality enhancement must come to terms with this complexity, as must the legal framework, and new technical innovations. Unique in Germany, the "Food Quality and Safety" master's degree course at the University of Bayreuth (Bavaria) addresses some of the greatest challenges of the 21st century: the sustainable production and distribution of healthy food of the highest possible quality, feeding a steadily growing world population, and optimizing existing supply chains while developing new ones. Complex problems require interdisciplinary solutions. This is where the scientific, legal, and economic skills you will acquire, thanks to this programme's interdisciplinary scope, will come to the fore.

In this two-year master's programme you will be introduced to problems, work on concrete case studies, and be included in current research projects. You will acquire skills in the following areas: Biology, Human Biology, Food Chemistry, Data Science, Bioinformatics, Statistics, Food Law, Trade Law, Safety and Risk Management Law, Quality Management, Food Supply Chain Management, and Science Communication. The language of instruction is English.

Requirements for the admission to the study programme are:

  • a university degree with a final grade of 2.5 ("gut") or better in the bachelor programmes Biology or Biochemistry, or a comparable degree in the field of Life Sciences;

  • the successful completion of an aptitude test;

  • a language certificate ENGLISH level C1 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR);

  • a language certificate GERMAN level A1 of the CEFR (can be obtained during the first year of the programme).

The study programme takes place at the newly founded Faculty of Life Sciences: Food, Nutrition and Health in Kulmbach (around 25 km away from the main campus of the University of Bayreuth). Kulmbach is home not only to some globally recognized companies in the food industry, but also to the Max Rubner Institute, the Bavarian Control Authority for Food Safety and Veterinary Medicine, the State Technical College for Food Technology, as well as the Kulmbach Clinical Centre. In this dynamic environment, currently this new interdisciplinary and international campus is established, which brings together different perspectives of natural sciences, economics, law, social and behavioural sciences in a unique way. Be part of it and apply for the master's programme! We are looking forward to welcoming you in Kulmbach.

  • Wednesday, June 17, 2020

  • 12:30 PM  1:30 PM

You want to know more about the new master’s programme "Food Quality and Safety"?

We would like to cordially invite you to join our next live-session on Wednesday, June 17th 2020, 12.30 p.m.!

Study programme director and founding dean Professor Stephan Clemens will give an introductory presentation and then will be happy to answer your questions.

Please use the link below to join the zoom-meeting: 

https://uni-bayreuth.zoom.us/j/99338756755?pwd=OTM3VUkyaVJwWlloemMxV01YM28vQT09

 

Bayreuth Humboldt Centre - Call for Applications

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Since its establishment, the University of Bayreuth has been striving to build strong connections in research as well as in its multilateral networks, connections that serve as a powerful catalyst for sustainable internationalisation and scientific creativity. The University of Bayreuth Centre of International Excellence “Alexander von Humboldt” (short: Bayreuth Humboldt Centre) was founded in 2019 to establish and further strengthen and deepen these ties by inviting outstanding international guest researchers to the University for research visits. The Bayreuth Humboldt Centre supports short and longer visits to the University as well as strategic scientific workshops at the University of Bayreuth that are conducted by Bayreuth researchers with international cooperation partners. The Bayreuth Humboldt Centre is funded by the German Research Foundation.

Calls for Application are currently open for the Short-Term Grant Program, as well as for the Strategic Scientific Workshop Program.  

Collaborations with Australian African Studies

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A big step towards collaborations between the African Studies Cluster of Excellence ‘Africa Multiple’ and Australian Africa Studies has been made with a visit in Perth and participation at the African Studies Conference in Melbourne. Thank you for hosting us in Perth, and for the mention in the newsletter!

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On 12-14th March, The Gateway Office was also invited to participate at the inaugural conference of the African Studies Group in Melbourne on the topic of ‘Borders, Identities and Belonging in a Cosmopolitan Society: Perspectives from African Migrants in the Diaspora’. The conference brought together many post-graduate students and researchers from various disciplines to discuss contemporary issues surrounding African and the African diaspora.

UBT-UoM Joint PhD agreement renewed

During a visit at the University of Melbourne, the joint PhD agreement was renewed. Dr Arnim Heinemann represented the University of Bayreuth and Pro Vice-Chancellor (Graduate & International Research) Prof. Justin Zobel signed the agreement on behalf of the University of Melbourne. The renewal of the agreement is a clear sign of the existing strong collaboration between the two institutions and clear indication of things to come.

Currently eight fully-funded PhD positions are available as part of the collaboration and allow candidates to not only spend time at each University and to establish themselves as an international scholar, but also to graduate with a joint testamur and be part of an international academic cohort and be supported by expert researchers in both countries.

For more information on the eight scholarships available