Max Planck School of Photonics

With an impressive career in science and innovation, Holger Hanselka is a name that is inextricably linked to the German research landscape. As the former President of the renowned Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), one of the nine teaching universities of the Max Planck Schools, the mechanical engineer headed one of Germany's leading universities for many years. In 2023 he became President of the Fraunhofer Society in a role that is also crucial for the Max Planck Schools: heading one of the many key partners of the program. Certainly enough reasons to interview Holger Hanselka for our website! more

The atmosphere was vibrant at the former industrial site in Berlin: Almost 200 participants came together on October 16 to celebrate the annual Max Planck Schools Day with this year's leading theme "The Role of (Fundamental) Science Amidst a Global (Climate) Crisis". Once again, the day provided fascinating insights into the research of the three Schools, exciting discussions and, above all, the opportunity to get to know each other and get together. In keeping with the motto of the Max Planck Schools Day "3 Schools, 1 Community", the new cohort in particular was welcomed to the program. more

A conversation with Peter-André Alt and Heiko Knopf: Initially intended as a dialog interview between two “alumni” of the Max Planck Schools, the conversation between the deputy federal chairman of BÜNDNIS 90/DIE GRÜNEN, Heiko Knopf, and the chairman of the management board of the Wübben Foundation for Science, Peter-André Alt, quickly developed into a lively discourse with a stirring dynamic of its own. The variety of topics ranged from Thomas Mann and the social responsibility of science to the role of a Post-It that proved very helpful for Heiko Knopf’s successful PhD thesis. more

Festive welcome: After two years of virtual get-togethers, the Max Planck Schools Day took place again at the Harnack-Haus in Berlin on September 05. With this year's leading theme "Interdisciplinarity - Chances and Challenges for Research and a Career in Science", roughly 170 participants across all three Schools gathered on site to get to know each other, to exchange ideas and to celebrate the start of the new academic year together. In addition, the fourth student cohort at the three Max Planck Schools – Cognition, Matter to Life, and Photonics – was warmly welcomed. more

Carsten Rockstuhl is Professor at the Institute of Theoretical Solid State Physics and Head of Department at the KIT Institute of Nanotechnology and Fellow of the Max Planck School of Photonics (MPSP). In our partner insight interview, he talks about his career, what is special about the work as a Fellow of the Max Planck School of Photonics, and what distinguishes KIT, founded in 2009, as a central partner of the Max Planck Schools. more