American Friends of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation

What does it take to sustain intellectual freedom and scientific cooperation across borders in times of political uncertainty? Yesterday we had a thought-provoking conversation with Johanna Kriegel, Policy Advisor to Hubertus Heil, Member of Deutscher Bundestag and the Committee on Foreign Affairs. Our exchange explored how transatlantic philanthropy and research cooperation can and should adapt amid shifting political and social landscapes. Johanna’s insights highlighted the growing importance of intellectual freedom, science diplomacy, and efficient use of limited resources—values shared within the Humboldt network. We also discussed the need to broaden participation in academic exchanges at all levels: reaching beyond major cities and traditional academic pathways and engaging smaller educational institutions as well as those that serve minorities. At a time when public trust in research is being tested, she reminded us how essential it is to make the case for international collaboration and to demonstrate the value of science to society—from local communities to federal decision-makers. We’re grateful for her vision and look forward to continuing the conversation in Berlin and beyond. 🌍🇩🇪 🇺🇸 #ScienceDiplomacy #TransatlanticRelations #ResearchCollaboration #DiversityInResearch

How resilient is democracy across the Atlantic today? 🇩🇪 🇺🇸 Join us for a virtual #HumboldtDialogue on Tuesday, October 28 at 2:30 p.m. (EDT) as leading scholars and policy experts examine the challenges confronting democratic institutions in the United States and Germany. 🗣️ Featuring: - Julia Elad-Strenger, Professor of Social and Conflict Psychology, Bundeswehr University Munich / Bar-Ilan University - Kathryn Stoner, Director, Stanford Center on Democracy, Development and the Rule of Law, Stanford University - Michael Werz, Senior Fellow, Council on Foreign Relations & Senior Adviser, Munich Security Conference 🎙️ Moderated by Sumit Ganguly, Senior Fellow, Hoover Institution, Stanford University, and American Friends Board Member This timely conversation will explore the forces shaping democratic resilience—from social polarization to institutional adaptation—and offer transatlantic insights into how democracies endure. 🔗 Register via link in comments. #HumboldtDialogue #Democracy #TransatlanticRelations #PoliticalScience #ScienceDiplomacy

📢 Today in a week! Join us for our next virtual #TransatlanticTandemTalk on Wednesday, October 29. 🙌 🌍 How can we safeguard global #foodsecurity in the face of climate changes and natural disasters? 🌩️ 🌱 What are pathways to building resilient and #sustainable food systems? 🥕 💡 How can we balance environmental sustainability with social resilience in our agricultural systems? 🌾 📱 What role do innovative digital technologies play in shaping the future of food production? 🚜 💻 These questions and more will be tackled in an online conversation and Q&A with Prof. Dr. Peter Dannenberg from the University of Cologne and Prof. Dr. Angela Bedard-Haughn from the University of Saskatchewan. Join us to learn how they compare approaches across continents, spotlight potential synergies and tensions between resilience and sustainability objectives, and explore how research-informed innovation can inspire agri-food systems that are able to navigate today’s world’s challenges. 🗺️ 📅 October 29, 2025 🕛 12 - 1 PM (EDT) / 5 - 6 PM (CET) 🎤 Moderator: Steven E Sokol from the American Council on Germany 🇩🇪 📌 More information and RSVP through the link in the comments. 🔗 Ciara Kavanagh Natalie Wright Zak Bleicher Amanda Jones Tyler Strom Koraly Bertrand Aley Kent Jocelyn Boiteau, PhD, RDN Adrian Wilton Tracy Lerman Jyothi Sri Penmetcha Lucy DiSanto Stefanie (Stef) Hirsch Kristen Svorka Bronwyn Starr Genevieve Theodorakis Vicki Assevero J.D., LLM Lasse Bruun Javier Alcantara Plazola Mikaylee Grohol Gig Graham Valentina Córdoba Balcells Rose Turner Andrew May Miranda Potmesil Danielle Brodsky, MPP Saswati Bora Kathleen DiPerna Hend El-Buri Georgina Barnhill Iulia Roman Shayna Krasnoff Nate Odendahl Allison Sturm #GlobalFoodSecurity #Sustainability #AgriFoodInnovation #ClimateChange #Resilience #FoodSystems #FoodSecurity #Agriculture #EnvironmentalImpact #SmartTechInAg #AgriTech #UniversityOfCologne #UoC #UniversityOfSaskatchewan #InternationalAffairs

🇩🇪🌍 The first Global Minds have arrived in Germany! The Alexander von Humboldt Foundation recently welcomed 74 top researchers from 25 countries—including several from the United States. This group comprises the first fellows and awardees of the Global Minds Initiative Germany. With support from the Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung (BMFTR), these scientists will join leading research groups across the country under the auspices of Humboldt Research Fellowships and Awards. “The initial feedback we have received from the new sponsorship recipients shows what we should continue to promote and defend: Germany’s attractiveness as a location for research and open, international collaboration,” said AvH President Robert Schlögl. Among the first cohort are US-based scholars such as Donna Whitney (University of Minnesota), who will conduct geoscience research at the University of Potsdam, and Joris Mercelis (The Johns Hopkins University), now at University of Düsseldorf. The Global Minds Initiative Germany offers researchers a wide range of opportunities to conduct innovative research and underscores Germany’s growing role as a hub for global scientific collaboration. As the official US partner of the Humboldt Foundation, American Friends of AvH congratulates these new fellows and awardees and welcomes them to the vibrant community of 6,000+ US Humboldtians advancing research without borders. 🔗 Learn more at the link in the comments. #HumboldtFoundation #GlobalMindsInitiative #ResearchInGermany #AcademicFreedom #ScienceDiplomacy

International research talents wanted: Here are the first fellows of the Global Minds Initiative Germany! 🎉💚 The new programme of the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space enables researchers from abroad to work on innovative research projects, further strengthening Germany as a place of international collaboration and scientific progress.  One of the first fellows of the programme is biomedical engineer Dr Sevgi Gokce Kafali. Why did she decide to apply for a fellowship in Germany? “Germany is one of the leading countries in magnetic resonance imaging research, offering solid industry-university partnerships and technical infrastructure. It provides an open and supportive research environment that encourages independent thinking and interdisciplinary collaboration. This independence is essential for innovative and impactful scientific work, especially in a rapidly evolving field such as artificial intelligence in medicine. During my fellowship, I hope to strengthen my expertise in medical imaging while developing leadership and project management skills.” Dr Kafalı (Turkey) is coming from the University of California, Los Angeles, USA, to the Technische Universität München on a Humboldt Research Fellowship. She is conducting research at the department of Daniel Rueckert, Humboldt Professor for AI in Medicine and Healthcare.  Interested to know why the fellows and award winners of the Global Minds Initiative chose Germany as a research location? Stay tuned for more here on LinkedIn. ----------------------------------- The “Global Minds Initiative Germany” aims to offer career prospects in Germany and to intensify international research cooperation. Initiated by the Bundesministerium für Forschung, Technologie und Raumfahrt, the programme builds on the prestigious funding opportunities offered by the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation and the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - German Research Foundation as well as the opportunities for students and doctoral candidates provided by the DAAD Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst.

Wir heißen die ersten Geförderten des „1000-Köpfe-Plus-Programms“ willkommen! 💚   Karriereperspektiven in Deutschland bieten und internationale Forschungszusammenarbeit stärken – das neue Programm des Bundesministerium für Forschung, Technologie und Raumfahrt ermöglicht es der Humboldt-Stiftung, mehr Forschungsstipendien und -preise zu vergeben. In den kommenden Monaten werden weitere Forschende im Rahmen von „1000-Köpfe-Plus“ ausgewählt. Ab 2026 sind voraussichtlich zusätzliche Formate und Programmlinien geplant.   Bundesforschungsministerin Dorothee Bär betont: „Das 1.000-Köpfe-Plus-Programm haben wir im Sommer gestartet und ich freue mich sehr, dass wir nun bereits die ersten Geförderten in Deutschland begrüßen können. Sie sind ein großer Gewinn für unser Wissenschaftssystem: Mit ihren Erfahrungen, ihrer Expertise und ihren Forschungsvorhaben werden sie den Forschungsstandort Deutschland bereichern und dazu beitragen, unsere internationale Wettbewerbsfähigkeit weiter zu stärken.“    Auch Stiftungspräsident Robert Schlögl freut sich über die positive Resonanz: “Die ersten Rückmeldungen der neuen Geförderten zeigen, was es bei uns weiter zu fördern und zu verteidigen gilt: die Wissenschaftsfreiheit, die Attraktivität des Forschungsstandorts und die weltoffene, internationale Zusammenarbeit.”    Was erhoffen sich die Wissenschaftler*innen von ihrem Forschungsaufenthalt in Deutschland? Und was macht den Forschungsstandort so attraktiv? Lesen Sie mehr in unserer Pressemitteilung (Link im Kommentar) und in den kommenden Tagen auf LinkedIn!    -------------------------------  Das vom Bundesministerium für Forschung, Technologie und Raumfahrt ins Leben gerufene Programm baut auf den renommierten Förderangeboten der Alexander von Humboldt-Stiftung und der Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - German Research Foundation sowie den Möglichkeiten für Studierende und Doktoranden des DAAD Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst auf. 

📢 Calling all PhD candidates and postdocs interested in research opportunities in Germany! Join us for the (virtual) Germany Grad Fair 2025 on Friday, October 24, 4:00–5:30 PM (EDT) — your gateway to funding programs and academic pathways at top German institutions. 🇩🇪 While the fair is designed primarily for those considering Master’s programs, DFG and American Friends of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation will present funding opportunities specifically for PhD researchers and postdocs, and DAAD will share key scholarship information for graduate studies. 🎓 Why attend? - Explore fully or partially funded programs at top-ranked German universities - Learn about application procedures and the German research landscape - Connect directly with university and funding representatives - Get your questions answered live via Zoom — from anywhere! 📅 Date: Friday, October 24, 2025 🕓 Time: 4:00–5:30 PM (ET) 💻 Location: Online via Zoom 🔗 Register & learn more in the comments. UAS7 - German Universities of Applied Sciences DAAD German Academic Exchange Service (USA) DFG North America German Consulate General New York Campus OWL New York Patrizia Nobbe Laura Hohmann Katja Maria S. Eva Bosbach Birgit Anderson Michael Paulus #GermanyGradFair #ResearchInGermany #PhD #Postdoc #DAAD #DFG #HumboldtFoundation #FundingOpportunities #AcademicCareers #InternationalResearch #StudyInGermany