DFG honors four awardees for supporting German-Japanese cooperation

(23.11.21) As we commemorate 160 years of friendship between Germany and Japan the DFG was joined by the Ambassador of Japan in Berlin, Hidenao Yanagi, and Ambassador of Germany in Tokyo, Dr. Clemens von Goetze, to celebrate the Eugen und Ilse Seibold-Price 2020 awardees – Chemist Professor Dr. Shigeyoshi Inoue from TUM, Japanologist Professor Dr. Regine Mathias from Ruhr-Universität Bochum, materials physicist Professor Dr. Hidenori Takagi from the Max Planck Institute for Solid State Research in Stuttgart and jurist Professor Kanako Takayama from the University of Kyoto.

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After a festive award ceremony DFG-Secretary General Dr. Heide Ahrens and Dr. Ingrid Krüßmann, Director of DFG Office Japan as well as Deputy Head of International Affairs, discussed chances and challenges of international cooperation in times of the “new normal”. It became clear that the new opportunities for communication online can intensify international exchange on the one hand, on the other hand the direct access to research infrastructures and in-person exchange are clearly not replaceable. Therefore, the discussions also brought up ideas for future re-installment of in person cooperations.

A recording of the event in English is available on the Youtube channel „DFG bewegt“:

• https://youtu.be/1ddxEFNCz8w

Further Information on the Seibold Prize

• www.dfg.de/en/funded_projects/prizewinners/seibold_prize/