newsletter 1_2011

Academic Reconstruction in South Eastern Europe University collaboration in Teaching, Study and Research

www.daad.de/stabilitaetspakt

Environmental technologies in science and research Editorial Practice-based: CAS summer schools

The Centre for Applied Spectroscopy (CAS) is analyses of oil-contaminated soil or also techno- successfully strengthening collaboration bet- logical methods in the foodstuffs industry. “The ween scientists and students. test reports are standardised so that they have now found their way into the student curriculum”. Experimental environmental research is regar- Around 160 students from 13 countries and from ded as an important field in South Eastern Europe. 24 different universities have visited the summer Currently, 17 specialist networks sponso- "The Centre for Applied Spectroscopy" (CAS) schools so far. Excellent preconditions, there- red by the DAAD are strengthening and bundles the analytical/chemical capacities of the fore, for being able to pass master’s and doctoral internationalising scientific teaching at Universities of Belgrade, Novi Sad, Skopje, Sofia examinations. South Eastern European universities. The and Maribor in this field. The most important ele- And this remains sufficiently important, espe- greatest challenge remains creating per- ment of the CAS project are the summer schools cially as long as potential young academics and spectives for young academics and resear- which impart sound knowledge to young aca- researchers leave the region during their trai- chers not only from but also within the demics and researchers. “The improved equip- ning. The CAS partners observe a pleasing diffe- region. The field of degree study is already ment through mass spectrometry, UV and IR rent tendency: further participants (for example showing successes. It is now a matter of spectrometry provided from DAAD funds after from Poland, the Czech Republic and Turkey) enabling the best graduates to pursue a the wars led to attractive, practice-related themes take part in the courses, which gives the project scientific career. being offered”, explains Professor Spiteller of the a new international and financial perspective. University of Dortmund. These are, for example, Information: www.summerschool-cas.org Network partners report on this, how they build up master’s and doctoral degrees together and promote their young scientists through targeted German, third Internationally competitive party country and sur-place scholarships. A further realisation: promoting research A project of the University of promotes potentials in the MA, PhD and post-docto- knowledge and research in the specialist field of ral field is becoming ever more relevant for environmentally friendly energy technology. creating perspectives locally. Photo: private

The basis for developing environmentally friendly In addition, we would like to introduce energy technology which can also provide a bet- especially sustainable co-operation for- ter quality of life in South Eastern Europe is being mats: project partners link up scientists laid with experimental and digital methods in air from South Eastern Europe who have conditioning and heating technology. Professor established themselves within the German Friedrich Dinkelacker of the Institute for Technical scientific system with the region again via Combustion at the is wor- Full of energy: students in Macedonia. their network. king closely here with the University of Sofia (Bulgaria) and the universities of Niš (Serbia) and Finally, a promising link-up of regional Skopje (Macedonia). “The current DAAD project students. “In the partner countries we can hold DAAD and GIZ initiatives in the field of introduces students to the topic of research, pro- three courses a year for students and doctoral jurisprudence is starting up. The aim is to motes doctoral students and improves contact students”. Through the varied specialist impul- contribute together to the European inte- to colleagues and also to regional companies ses, local “centres of excellence” have formed at gration of the Western Balkan states. and authorities”, explains the professor. What is the locations involved at which local grant holders important is the setting up of an internationally find outstanding working opportunities. Dr. Anne Rörig competitive research network with more PhD Information: [email protected] Stability Pact for South Eastern Europe

newsletter May 2011 In the Internet: http://www.daad.de/hochschulen/wiederaufbau/stabilitaetspakt-suedosteuropa/05530.de.html 2

Study and research collaborations on equal terms Photos: Haldor Zaake-Hertling (Foto links), Witri Wahyu Lestari Wahyu Witri (Foto links), Photos: Haldor Zaake-Hertling

Ass. Prof. Dr. Vlamdimir Ivanovski from Skopje with doctoral student Martyna Madalska in Leipzig (left); poster presentation in Cluj-Napoca with participants from Skopje, Network catalysers Tetovo and Leipzig. for South Eastern Europe

For around six years, the Master and Postgraduate Programme in Materials Science and Catalysis – “MatCatNet” for short – has been promoting study and research conditions for young academics and researches in chemistry.

It began with a meeting of the former ambas- integrated into the network in 2011. Research progress in European industrial nations. “Industry sador of the Republic of Macedonia, Professor work on modern catalytic processes has great is very interested in innovative processes”, adds Goran Rafajlovski, with scientists at the University significance in the pharmaceutical and chemical Dr. Alexandra Hildebrand, who competently of Leipzig. It already laid the basis for a trans- industries. In practice, new, more active and selec- supports Professor Hey-Hawkins as scientific national network in 2004 – Professor Evamarie tive catalysers serve to improve environmental co-ordinator. Hey-Hawkins of the Leipzig Faculty for Chemistry conditions, for example by means of exhaust and For this reason, companies have invested large and Mineralogy initiated collaborations with col- waste water cleaning processes. Amongst other amounts of money in recent years – such as the leagues from the Institute of Chemistry at Ss. things, young scientists from Leipzig, Skopje and British market leader Johnson Matthey, who Cyril and Methodius University in Skopje as well Cluj-Napoca are researching immobilised ferroce- manufactures car catalysers and has built a plant as the “Babes‚ -Bolyai” University Cluj-Napoca in nyl phosphine derivates. in Macedonia. “Such investments entail a large Romania. The result: MatCatNet, a network pro- requirement for qualified researchers”, says ject, which the DAAD has been promoting since “The promotion of research in fields of cataly- Dr. Hildebrand. Furthermore, young scientists 2005. The State University of Tetovo in Macedonia sis which correspond to the state of the art is very become familiar with the theoretical methods of joined in 2008, and three further faculties of the important for South Eastern European countries,” applied industrial research and can better qualify universities of “Goce Delcˇ ev” Štip (Macedonia), says Evamarie Hey-Hawkins. After all, it is impor- themselves for corresponding posts on the job Niš (Serbia) as well as Prishtina (Kosovo) were tant to keep up with scientific and technological market.

In demand: young scientists in MatCatNet Photos: private

“We can work together inter- “The research and the “The network is the decisive thing “We can further our training nationally as well as in more course have a positive effect to create a solid basis with post-graduate measures modern and better equipped on your career, world view for profound research.” within sandwich programmes.” laboratories.” and self-confidence.” Tomcˇe Runcˇ evski, Hristina Zdravkovska, Natalja Atanasovska, Ivana Jevtovikj, Ss. Cyril a