We all live on the same planet, but is the impact of climate change the same for everyone? The lecture series "Klima und Klasse" goes on an interdisciplinary search for traces at the intersection of the climate crisis and social inequality. A world that has changed in the wake of the climate crisis will also pose fundamental challenges to social cohesion. Whether the social security systems can withstand these challenges is uncertain. The lecture series is organized in collaboration with the Centre for Transferable Skills and the Green Office and focuses on the following questions: How strongly are historical and current greenhouse gas emissions related to the distribution of wealth and prosperity, and what responsibility does this entail? What does climate policy have to do with justice and what would the transformation towards a climate-friendly economy and way of life have to look like so that social inequality is not further increased? For more information, visit the German version of this website. from the cobblestone streets of Niederburg to the centuries-old Konstanz Munster the city of Konstanz boasts numerous museums and a charming old town not to mention the impressive cathedral that looms over the city We’ve rounded up the top things to do while you’re here This museum has a quirky history – it was founded by a local pharmacist and town councillor who wanted to preserve medieval artworks and artefacts packed with more than 200,000 objects of local interest ranging from paintings and religious carvings to private letters and everyday items from the 19th and 20th centuries Take a guided tour and discover the sneaky trick the people of Konstanz used to avoid being bombed by the Allies in World War II Anton Konstantinov / Unsplash View Isle of Mainau Tours Embrace the cool, almost Mediterranean, vibe by taking a boat trip over to the blooming Mainau Island The nickname of this little gem is owed to the incredible flora and fauna that cover the vast meadows and gardens While the look of the island changes with every season don’t miss out on the baroque Mainau Castle which was built in the 1700s and hosts cultural exhibitions throughout the year Clemens Van Lay / Unsplash Lose yourself in the labyrinth of cobblestone alleys and admire the medieval timber-framed houses of the picturesque Niederburg neighbourhood Sandwiched between the cathedral and the Rhine river the neighbourhood boasts numerous cosy restaurants and wine caves that have been preserved within the town’s old walls There are also plenty of little independent shops where you can buy souvenirs Czech scholar and martyr Johannes (Jan) Hus was burned at the stake as a heretic in Konstanz in 1415 he didn’t stop singing and praying until he was engulfed in flames and follows his life from his birth in the Czech Republic and his attempts to reform the church to the moment his ashes were thrown into Lake Constance Sign up to our newsletter to save up to $800 on our unique trips See privacy policy Admire the view from Konstanz Cathedral Church climb the 193 steps to the top of the tower of this striking gothic cathedral gold and marble chancel and ornate wood carvings Its history is still very much present within its walls from the romanesque painted wood ceiling to its 15th-century spiral staircase and thousand-year-old crypt The turquoise water of Lake Constance stretches 63km (39mi) towards the border with Switzerland and Austria rent a stand-up paddleboard from SUP Horn to explore the town from a different perspective – the backdrop of the snow-capped Alps is truly mesmerising if you fancy putting your balance to the test Elias Lutz / Unsplash It’s not often you eat lunch inside a 600-year-old building Situated between the neogothic train station and city park the enormous Konzilgebäude was built in 1388 as a warehouse before it became a religious site; it was also the setting of the election of Pope Martin V Now it’s a restaurant serving up traditional German dishes It’s worth a visit just for the views across Lake Constance a city wall with more than 20 watchtowers and gates protected Konstanz from invaders The Schnetztor is one of three remaining fortifications and has marked the southern end of the old town since its construction in the late 14th century the landmark’s half-timbered facade and grey shingled roof serve as a photo prop for touristy holiday snaps Marion Kutter contributed additional reporting to this article See & Do The Best European Cities to Visit in Autumn See & Do The Best European Cities to Visit in Summer See & Do The Best European Cities to Visit in September Guides & Tips The Best European Cities to Visit in November Art 10 Masterpieces You Can Only See in Munich See & Do The Best European Cities to Visit in October Guides & Tips The Best European Cities to Visit in December See & Do Germany's Most Beautiful Abbeys and Monasteries See & Do The Best European Cities to Visit in July See & Do A Guide to River Cruises in Germany: What to Know See & Do The Best Weekend Trips From Heidelberg Design The Most Beautiful Churches in Berlin US: +1 (678) 967 4965 | UK: +44 (0)1630 35000 tripssupport@theculturetrip.com © Copyright 2025 The Culture Trip Ltd The texts on this site have been auto-translated which may result in some linguistic errors the climate movement started by Greta Thunberg The movement calls on politicians to stage responsible environmental and energy reforms and in Konstanz the local initiative has aroused an otherwise sleepy city to great commitment Between the wine-growing German plains and proud Swiss mountain ranges lies the small border town of Konstanz the afternoon calm spreads out as if on a lost tourist who ambitiously tries to balance a melting ice cream cone and a digital camera in the same grip The tranquility of Konstanz differs from many other cities of equal size where politicians and residents struggle with much clearer societal problems and challenges there is one issue that seems to be able to wake the drowsy population from their beauty sleep - namely the climate debate Greta Thunberg's burning words of truth have swept the world and left behind a trail of rapidly growing frustration Why are the world's companies and leading figures not acting why do the world's most powerful actors continue to act as if the world's resources are infinite It is part of the issue that for many has become a driving factor in demanding change As part of the global environmental movement, 'Fridays for Future' can be found in about twenty of the world's countries local initiatives have formed a string of hundreds of frustrated uprisings in the country's local municipalities and county councils Fridays for Future was also formed in Konstanz and the first demonstration was held in February one of the driving forces behind the local group believes that the organization has received broad public support - The region's news agencies and the local newspapers have been very involved in spreading the news and getting people to participate in the demonstrations the mayor of Konstanz - and the parties in the municipal council - have shown a clear willingness to cooperate as part of the organization 'Scientists for Future' also officially gave its support for Fridays for Future in March One of the goals of Fridays for Future is to convince regional and national politicians of the urgency of dealing with the climate threat By urging politicians to sign a "proclamation of the matter" the organization wants to encourage reforms that can meet the goals of the Paris Agreement the organization functions as an instrument that highlights the popular support that the public has devoted to the environmental movement In Germany, the milestones are for green development one hundred percent renewable energy production by 2035 and a completely discontinued coal production by 2030 The question that awakened Konstanz's dormant inhabitants from their slumber is not an isolated event It is probably the realization of the drastic changes that the world is facing that is one of the reasons why Fridays for Future can be called a success story The frustration behind the spread of the movement can be likened to a crossroads Either the crossroads leads to people freezing to ice and becoming unable to act Or the energy is converted into a catalyst for action and agent one of the participants in the demonstration train in Konstanz we want to show our politicians that there is only one way out of the situation we have found ourselves in The only way to a future is to demand change Is there something in the text that is not correct? Contact us at opinion@fuf.se Pauline af Ekenstam studies Peace and Development Studies at Uppsala University She is currently on an exchange in Konstanz She is volunteered as a correspondent at FUF Become a FUF correspondent! FUF correspondents report from all corners of the world On the map you see all the places FUF has had correspondents at The association for development issues (FUF) is a politically and religiously independent non-profit association Our purpose is to inform and create debate about global development and Sweden's role in the world Do you want to apply for an internship through FUF get involved as a volunteer or simply support an association that works with knowledge debate and commitment for a fair and sustainable world AIKO and the International Solar Energy Research Centre in Konstanz Germany (ISC Konstanz) have announced a BifiPV workshop scheduled to take place from November 20-22  in Zhuhai The event will bring together experts invited by the international scientific committee featuring representatives from leading institutions including ISC Konstanz The focus of the workshop will be on the transformative potential of bifacial XBC technology which is not only poised to revolutionize large utility-scale PV installations but is also leading the way as the future trend in photovoltaic development From pioneering research to practical application XBC technology is setting new standards in the industry with its ability to achieve the lowest Levelized Cost of Energy (LCOE) projected to drop below 1 cent per kilowatt-hour (1¢/kWh) when integrated with advanced Horizontal Single-Axis Trackers (HSAT) This breakthrough will significantly lower the cost of solar energy making it more competitive and accessible on a global scale The workshop will feature a series of in-depth sessions and panel discussions covering a wide range of topics critical to the advancement of PV technology Participants will have an exclusive opportunity to tour AIKO’s cutting-edge factory in Zhuhai where they can gain insights into the company’s innovative manufacturing processes a key highlight of the event will be a visit to some representative zero-carbon projects This visit will offer participants a firsthand experience of how advanced photovoltaic technology is driving the transition to a zero-carbon society demonstrating the transformative power of solar energy in creating safe and clean electricity solutions for remote areas co-chair of the workshop and managing director of Solarlab Aiko Europe commented: “We are excited to welcome our guests from around the world to Zhuhai for this pivotal workshop It represents a unique opportunity to be at the vanguard of the photovoltaic industry’s future AIKO and ISC Konstanz are at the forefront of this innovation and we look forward to sharing our insights and fostering collaborative discussions This gathering is a testament to the collaborative spirit that drives our industry forward.” co-chair of the workshop and CTO of ISC Konstanz to join us in Zhuhai to engage in discussions that will shape the future of solar energy is poised to lead the future of solar energy with its unmatched efficiency and durability Its potential spans from residential and commercial installations to large-scale utility projects offering a versatile and reliable solution for diverse energy needs This workshop will highlight the pivotal role of XBC technology in driving innovation and expanding its global application.” With an estimated attendance of 400 participants the workshop promises to be a significant event in the solar industry calendar we have upgraded our product offerings and features to bring you the best experience please check your email inbox for password reset message from PV Tech and follow the instructions Can\'t find the email? Try to sign in again and use the "Forgot Password" button If you have any questions please contact us. The experience gained there will in turn be incorporated into the research project "Living labs as test spaces for innovation and regulation make it possible to test innovative technologies services or approaches under real conditions that are only partially compatible with the existing legal and regulatory framework provide the basis for the evidence-based further development of the legal framework Experimental clauses are often the legal basis." © Achim BirnbaumCircular Construction - The formwork elements form the essential part of the supporting structure and all interior surfaces The outer shell consists exclusively of solid wood neither foils or underlays nor adhesives or paints were used the research accompanying the experimental building also examines the legal framework for the use of reuse components the specific legal framework for the reuse of building components can be further developed and generalizable recommendations for experimental construction can be drawn up Exceptional Architecture - The use of the formwork of the Stuttgart 21 station offers the opportunity to create unique architecture that would not be affordable under normal conditions This is because the three-dimensionally curved wooden surfaces are extremely complex to produce with meter-thick layers of multi- and cross-laminated timber milled into the desired shape using a robot arm that can move in eight axes The present design combines a special selection of formwork elements (of which there are no more identical parts) to create a textile-looking any boat lacquer that formed the formwork surface for concreting (and incidentally preserved the elements) was removed manually using electric planers This process and the subsequent treatment with parquet and random orbital sanders revealed a unique wooden surface that has a Damascus steel-like structure due to the amorphous three-dimensional milling of the parallel layers of cross-laminated timber You'll now receive updates based on what you follow Personalize your stream and start following your favorite authors If you have done all of this and still can't find the email You are using an outdated browser. Please upgrade your browser or activate Google Chrome Frame to improve your experience The result was confirmed by Germany’s Institute for Solar Energy Research Hamelin (ISFH) The cell also achieved an open-circuit voltage of 709.5 mV German research institute ISC Konstanz has claimed a power conversion efficiency of 24.12% for a TOPCon back contact (TBC) solar cell The researchers said their IBC4EU solar cell was designed in accordance with the polyZEBRA concept “It is the highest ever achieved solar cell efficiency produced at ISC Konstanz.” “Considering that the laboratory cell fabrication of standard industrial cells at ISC Konstanz relies entirely on manual wafer handling machines that are used for numerous cell concepts and that screen printing is on only a few tenths of cells in a batch this efficiency is already as targeted,” Linke added “An implementation of the polyZEBRA technology in an automated production line is expected to result in a cell efficiency of over 25% with a lower cost of ownership compared to existing TBC cell concepts with module efficiency eventually exceeding 24%.” The polyZEBRA cell fabrication process uses a unique and low-cost laser-based process to achieve passivating contacts on both polarities and is suitable for mass production the ISC team is optimizing individual process steps to further increase the efficiencies demonstrated in the laboratory and implementing simplified process sequences to further reduce the expected costs of a future production line planned in 2025,” Linke stated “The cell development was funded by the European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation program.” More articles from Emiliano Bellini Please be mindful of our community standards and website in this browser for the next time I comment Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" By submitting this form you agree to pv magazine using your data for the purposes of publishing your comment Your personal data will only be disclosed or otherwise transmitted to third parties for the purposes of spam filtering or if this is necessary for technical maintenance of the website Any other transfer to third parties will not take place unless this is justified on the basis of applicable data protection regulations or if pv magazine is legally obliged to do so You may revoke this consent at any time with effect for the future in which case your personal data will be deleted immediately your data will be deleted if pv magazine has processed your request or the purpose of data storage is fulfilled Further information on data privacy can be found in our Data Protection Policy Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_2" ).setAttribute( "value" This website uses cookies to anonymously count visitor numbers. View our privacy policy. × The cookie settings on this website are set to "allow cookies" to give you the best browsing experience possible If you continue to use this website without changing your cookie settings or you click "Accept" below then you are consenting to this Close Konstanz biologist PD Dr Judy Simon becomes a Heisenberg fellow A public opinion survey conducted in eight Western European countries by university researchers from the working group of policy analysis and political theory provides detailed new information about the public’s viewpoint on education policy Please note that the talk and discussion will be held in German With the participation of researchers from the University of Konstanz an international research team identifies worldwide hotspots for alien plant and animal species for the first time A joint exhibition mounted by students from the University of Konstanz and the Hochschule Konstanz University of Applied Sciences uses virtual reality and 3D reconstruction to create a virtual walkthrough of the fought-over city Geburtstag mit Händels „Messias“ in Mozarts Fassung Konstanz Research School Chemical Biology (KoRS-CB) offers 14 scholarships for doctoral researchers Human health impact and cost estimates attributed to endocrine disrupting chemicals are unfounded say toxicologist Daniel Dietrich and epidemiologist Gregory G Bond in the scientific journal "Archives of Toxicology" Biologists at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute and the University of Konstanz have observed social security strategies among vampire bats Research at the University of Konstanz has identified a molecule that allows the bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa to inhibit its rival Staphylococcus aureus - Possible basis for the development of new antibiotics The EXIST-Women funding programme at the University of Konstanz is aimed at women in science (graduates postdocs) who are interested in setting up a business and becoming self-employed - with or without a concrete idea The EXIST-Women funding line from the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK) offers funding and support for prospective female founders from university and in addition to a 10-month qualification programme with events Participation is also possible while studying or working Female graduates (graduation can be more than 5 years ago) female students (Bachelor's degree or at least half of the coursework completed) and women with vocational training and a connection to the university who are interested in the topic of start-ups and want to take part in a 10-month qualification programme Funding is also available for ideas that are not knowledge or research-based but are geared towards future commercial activity Selected applicants will be invited to a selection interview with the jury on 24 February 2025 and informed a few days later The programme will start on 7 March 2025 with the kick-off event Application and more information via EXIST-Women an der Universität Konstanz from Kilometer1 Contact person: Dr Anja Weidenmüller For the sixth time: Konstanz pioneer in collective behaviour research honoured as one of the most influential researchers of our time Collective-behaviour-pioneer Iain Couzin has for the sixth time been honoured on the prestigious “Global Highly Cited Researchers” list by Clarivate Analytics This recognition highlights the significant global impact of his research on the fields of collective behaviour underscoring the far-reaching influence of his scholarly contributions Iain Couzin is Speaker of the Cluster of Excellence Collective Behaviour Professor of Biodiversity and Collective Behaviour at the University of Konstanz and Director at the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior (MPI-AB) identifies scientists and researchers across the world whose work ranks within the top 1% by citations Inclusion on this list signals that a researcher’s work has been frequently cited by fellow experts marking it as a foundational resource in advancing knowledge and innovation Couzin’s presence on the list in the “Cross-Field” category is especially noteworthy as it acknowledges his contributions across multiple scientific disciplines This recognition underscores Couzin’s dedication to advancing understanding in collective animal behaviour Couzin says: “I am delighted that our work in the Cluster of Excellence is being recognized globally and helping shape the emerging interdisciplinary science of collective behaviour It would not have been possible without the uniquely collaborative and vibrant research environment at the University of Konstanz.” Uncovering the principles of collective behaviour “The University of Konstanz is immensely proud of Professor Couzin's remarkable achievements and his continued recognition as a highly cited researcher His pioneering studies consistently advance global research setting high standards and inspiring scientific exploration across diverse fields,” says Dirk Leuffen vice Rector for Research at the University of Konstanz Iain Couzin's work seeks to uncover the core principles behind how collective behaviour has evolved in nature “Through collaboration with computer scientists we have pioneered technologies – such as ‘holographic’ virtual reality for animals and an ‘Imaging Hangar’ capable of tracking tens of thousands of swarming animals simultaneously” “These tools enable us to investigate the complex workings of animal collectives in unprecedented ways resulting in a new experimentally validated theory for understanding both individual and collective decision-making as well as the emergence of collective motion in nature.” Since choosing eco-conscious mobility options has such a major impact on reducing CO2 emissions at the University of Konstanz it is the focus of the sub-team "Mobility" assessed the current situation and have so far identified three fields of action: raising and expanding awareness for the topic; providing university-wide guidelines promoting online participation in conferences; and finally establishing an internal incentives programme for reducing air travel and thus CO2 emissions In addition to CO2 emissions from air travel the commute to the university contributes to the university's high CO2 emissions a great number of students and staff travel to the university campus the Mobility team surveyed students and staff about their commutes to (and from) campus including the "modal split" and daily presence on campus by university members play an important role for the university's overall emissions as well as for deriving and prioritizing measures that promote a climate-neutral mobility culture at the university In the 2024 Funding Atlas of the German Research Foundation (DFG) the University of Konstanz again achieves outstanding rankings the Funding Atlas of the German Research Foundation presents key performance indicators on publicly funded research in Germany the University of Konstanz leads the field in the acquisition of third-party funding: 2nd nationwide in relationship to the number of professors and even 1st relative to the number of academic staff the university ranked first nationwide in per capita funding acquired by researchers The 2024 DFG Funding Atlas published on 25 November states: “In relationship to the professors and their research profiles the University of Konstanz acquires almost 57 percent more DFG third-party funding than would usually be expected” The DFG Funding Atlas lists the 40 German universities and non-university institutions that acquired the most public third-party funding in the period 2020 to 2022 Researchers usually apply for this type of funding through a competitive process and use the funds to conduct research projects Third-party funding is added to the general university budget is an increasingly important funding source for those conducting top-level research the University of Konstanz was awarded a total of 100 million euros in DFG funding the DFG Funding Atlas includes both absolute funding amounts in which the University of Konstanz ranks 37th as well as per capita amounts in relation to the number of professors as well as the total number of academic staff at the universities The analysis also accounts for universities’ specific subject profiles This makes it easier to assess the performance of a medium-sized university Rector Katharina Holzinger is very happy about this success: “The Funding Atlas’s perspective relative to size and differentiated by subject makes a true comparison possible Ranking among the top universities relative to size is an outstanding result – one I congratulate our entire university on achieving building on our shared effort – and my thanks goes out to all of our university members” Life sciences In addition to top scores for the university as a whole individual academic disciplines in Konstanz also earned top rankings The University of Konstanz placed 1st nationwide for the per capita amount of funding per academic staff member in the life sciences Konstanz placed third in per capita funding per professor Humanities and Social Sciences The University of Konstanz also reached top placements in the humanities and social sciences These fields ranked 3rd based on the per capita funding per professor and 4th based on the per capita funding per academic staff member The DFG Funding Atlas The 10th edition of the Funding Atlas of the German Research Foundation (DFG) presents key performance indicators on publicly funded research in Germany it has been published in three-year cycles The focus – differentiated by subjects and areas of funding – is on analyzing the success of universities and non-university institutions in acquiring third-party funding The Funding Atlas details funding provided by the DFG the German government and the European Union (Horizon Europe) The DFG Funding Atlas 2024 is available for download (in German) at:  www.dfg.de/foerderatlas A new study by the Cluster of Excellence "The Politics of Inequality" at the University of Konstanz examines the impact of right-wing populist election results on the well-being and integration of trainees with an immigrant background The results show that regional support for the German far-right party Alternative for Germany (AfD) plays a decisive role in experiences of discrimination and related health consequences for migrant workers Does the political climate of a region influence the well-being and mental health of trainees with an immigrant background? Does social polarization influence (discrimination) experiences in the workplace? These are questions addressed by a new study of the "Integration@work" project carried out at the Cluster of Excellence "The Politics of Inequality" the researchers involved from the Universities of Konstanz and Mannheim as well as the Leibniz Institute for Educational Trajectories examined the experiences of migrant trainees: "Our results show that political attitudes in a company's region can have a significant impact on the perception of discrimination and the mental health of migrant employees" project leader and co-author of the study from the University of Konstanz the researchers conducted a longitudinal study with around 1,000 trainees asking them about their experiences in the first 13 weeks of training and then comparing this with election data at the regional level in Germany The results show: In regions with high levels of support for right-wing populist parties migrants perceive an increasingly derogatory attitude from their colleagues over time This affects their health and well-being: "We found that trainees in these regions increasingly reported emotional exhaustion and job dissatisfaction after three months in training" says occupational psychologist and postdoctoral researcher Benjamin Korman "This is not the case in areas with little support for far-right parties" The results of the study are particularly relevant with regard to the role of (migrant) trainees in counteracting the shortage of skilled workers in Germany a right-wing populist climate jeopardizes the successful professional and social integration of migrants into the labour market," says Max Reinwald This should give both companies and political decision-makers food for thought Thejasvi Beleyur and Jonas Kuckling from the Cluster of Excellence "Collective Behaviour" at the University of Konstanz receive funding from the Carl-Zeiss-Stiftung in the amount of 1.5 million euros each Biologist Thejasvi Beleyur and computer scientist Jonas Kuckling from the University of Konstanz have successfully acquired funding from the foundation Carl-Zeiss-Stiftung (CZS). The CZS Nexus funding programme will provide them with 1.5 million euros each they can use to set up interdisciplinary junior research groups starting in autumn 2024 The two researchers work at the Cluster of Excellence Collective Behaviour at the University of Konstanz Learning from nature Thejasvi Beleyur's research project titled "Swarms in censored realities: how biological and technological collectives move in the dark" will address the question of how echolocating bats and robots His research group will combine concepts and methods from the research fields of collective behaviour The group will investigate how bats manage to move in groups despite their echolocation signals interfering with each other and apply these principles in robot swarm experiments the team will also develop algorithms to process the complex data sets generated during the experiments which only occasionally collide with their conspecifics in a huge swarm even in complete darkness we will study the problem of mutually interfering signals using an echolocating robot platform We want to understand how collective behaviour can emerge even if only very limited information is available" Learning by imitation In his research project "Explainable Swarm Programming through Imitation Learning" Jonas Kuckling will focus on how imitation learning can be used to program robot swarms in order to deepen our understanding of natural collective behaviour The aim of his work is to enable robots to learn new interactions just through observation and imitation in the future even the smallest behaviour has had to be elaborately programmed I am making an initial contribution to how we can control the huge groups of robots we will see in the future" could then be added to existing groups without having to be explicitly programmed in advance for every eventuality About the Nexus funding programme from the Carl-Zeiss-Stiftung (CZS) With the CZS Nexus programme the Carl-Zeiss-Stiftung supports postdoctoral researchers in setting up interdisciplinary research groups The funding amounts to up to 1.5 million euros per junior research group over a period of five to six years Research projects have to be located at the interface between two or more disciplines in the fields of science Research teams from the Universities of Konstanz and Potsdam are analyzing how proteins work together to enable our cells to both stick and move The marker protein paxillin is at the centre of their interest The results of their study could contribute to the further development of medical agents that are already being used to treat inflammatory bowel diseases or prevent heart attacks Paxillin as a link to the intracellular support system Specialized membrane proteins – integrins – ensure cohesion in the tissue They serve as anchoring points for the cells Every cell has many of these anchoring points which give the cell support like little feet Integrins have to cooperate with proteins in the cell to be able to also connect to the intracellular support system Since paxillin is present in all cells as a link between integrins and the cytoskeleton it also serves as a marker to visualize the dot-like and line-like anchoring points Contrary to what the terms cytoskeleton and focal adhesion suggest these anchoring points are by no means static they are constantly dissolved and reattached elsewhere such as when connective tissue cells have to close a wound in our skin The scientists' new data show that paxillin binds directly to the intracellular part of integrin Analysis of the 3D structure reveals important piece of the puzzle The researchers were able to narrow down the exact interaction site in both paxillin and integrin and determine the previously unknown 3D structure of this part of paxillin "We found a crucial piece of the puzzle for understanding the interaction of these two proteins when the exact integrin binding site was delineated in the context of paxillin’s 3D structure: in Paxillin which is very likely to hold on to the integrin like a clamp but can also be easily released again," explains chemist Möller the flexibility of this paxillin segment appears to support the cells' motility as a whole by gripping and releasing the integrin" Application to medical ingredients The dynamic protein structures were analyzed using nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR) by Heiko Möller's research group in Potsdam "This provided the basis for us in Konstanz to produce specific variants of paxillin and integrins and test in living cells how they affect the formation and composition of focal adhesions We can now formulate new hypotheses as to how these are formed and remodelled," says Hauck active substances that manipulate integrins and their ability to adhere are already in use to prevent heart attacks or treat inflammatory bowel diseases The scientists hope that the results of the study will contribute to the future development of new active substances to specifically target cellular adhesion points The German Research Foundation (DFG) and the German Council of Science and Humanities (WR) have administered the Excellence Initiative since 2006 until October 2019 The goal was to promote top-level research and to strengthen Germany as an internationally competitive research location is to continue to develop and enhance Germany as an international research location and to strengthen its international competitiveness successful projects initiated during the Excellence Initiative are to be provided a long-term perspective thus further strengthening its position as a top-level research institution With its overall concept “University of Konstanz – creative.together” and with its two new Clusters of Excellence “Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour” and “The Politics of Inequality: Perceptions, Participation and Policies“ it is successful in both funding lines (Clusters of Excellence and Universities of Excellence) of the Excellence Strategy The two clusters were approved on 27 September 2018 and have been funded since 1 January 2019 an application based on the concept “University of Konstanz - creative.together” was submitted and subsequently approved by the Excellence Commission on 19 July 2019 Peter Baum's research team (University of Konstanz) was awarded the Helmholtz Prize for Fundamental Research for the development of an innovative attosecond microscopy technique – award ceremony on 28 August 2024 in Hamburg which are being awarded for precision measurements in fundamental research and in applied metrology prove what kind of groundbreaking success stories can be achieved with light and electrons Using a newly developed microscopy technique the physics research group of Peter Baum from the University of Konstanz managed to capture the extremely fast movements of atoms and electrons as if they were in a film The researchers involved will receive the Helmholtz Prize in the field of fundamental research for this development the prize will be awarded to an interdisciplinary team doing research into physics and medicine at Leibniz University Hannover (group headed by Prof Bernhard Roth) and the University Medical Centre Rostock (Prof Both prizes are endowed with 20,000 euros each and will be awarded in Hamburg on 28 August 2024 as part of the XXIV IMEKO World Congress during which the most recent developments "in the world of measurements" will be presented and discussed Starting the film: Attosecond electron microscopy Today’s technological ambitions are reaching deep into the microworld in terms of developing novel materials that need to have specific optical features Other examples are the design of novel circuit methods for ultrafast electronics in information processing or the manipulation of electrons in quantum cryptography and quantum computing All of these fields of application have one thing in common: They are part of a microworld in which the processes take place within unbelievably small time intervals Typical time scales here are on the order of attoseconds (10-18 s) The group of physicists led by Peter Baum has now found a novel way of accessing this "microworld of fast processes" by coupling laser light in an electron microscope at the same time which causes a sequence of ultrashort electron pulses.  In this way they have managed to combine the atomic-scale spatial resolution of an electron beam with the attosecond timing of a laser wave This basically allows us to directly watch the fundamental dynamics in complex structures of the microworld as a film in space and time This attosecond electron microscopy advances to completely new measurement ranges and is so flexible at the same time that it can be used to examine a wide variety of samples measurements are not limited to academic materials but almost all interesting natural or technical materials can be examined in this way Companies from Japan and the USA have already shown an interest in using this development commercially The first two patents have been already granted I would like to thank the Helmholtz Fund very much for this special award The funding enables us to continue experimenting with light and electrons and atoms in order to learn more and more about the interactions between these two important elementary particles," says Professor Peter Baum Additional information about the microscopy technique is available in the original publication The prize The Helmholtz Prize is awarded every two years for outstanding scientific and technological research in the field of precision measurement in physics fundamental research and applied metrology is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting progress in metrology Press release about the 2024 Helmholtz Prize recipients The award winners: 2024 Helmholtz Prize: Precision Measurements in Fundamental Research 2024 Helmholtz Prize: Precision Measurements in Applied Metrology Again as a digital edition (https://zuko-annualreport.uni-konstanz.de/2024) accompanied by an ingenious leaflet and – if you wish – you can also order a printed pdf version by sending an email to zukunftskolleg-pr@uni-konstanz.de this 2024 edition presents selected projects of our fellows partnerships that were formed and new members we have welcomed in the past year – and much more In a joint project between the University of Constance funded by the Lake Constance Four-Country Region Science Network a solar-powered bicycle trailer is being developed to bring universities together with other people from society How can we engage in dialogue with people who are less likely to find out about science and universities on their own and come into contact with them the PH Thurgau and the University of Konstanz are jointly developing a solution in the form of a solar-powered bicycle trailer As university programmes often only reach a small section of society this project aims to bring the programmes to the citizens by using a mobile seminar and exhibition space The prototype has already been built and tested in a smaller version test and finally finalise the trailer in its final form We are excited and are already looking forward to the finished bicycle trailer The exhibition of the Nature Positive University of Konstanz photo competition has opened at the Lake Constance Nature Museum which shows impressive nature photographs and can be visited until November 3 The highlight is the award ceremony on November 6 in the university library accompanied by specialist lectures and a panel discussion the exhibition of the Nature Positive University of Konstanz photo competition opened at the Lake Constance Nature Museum university staff and professional photographers flocked together to admire the impressive works of the finalists Martina Kroth from the Bodensee-Naturmuseum warmly welcomed the guests and gave the floor to Prof who provided exciting insights into the project The exhibition will be open until November 3 2024 and offers visitors the opportunity to nominate their favorite photos from the finalists A variety of educational museum events are also planned to bring the topics of biodiversity evolution and ecological footprint to life which is sponsored under the umbrella of forum.konstanz invited people of all ages and backgrounds - whether experienced photographers or hobbyists with smartphones nature lovers or city writers - to capture the beauty of nature around the University of Konstanz in four categories An impressive total of 240 photos were submitted from which an expert jury - consisting of experienced nature photographers student representatives of the Green Office and the student council of the Department of Biology - selected 59 for the exhibition The award ceremony for the best photographs will be held on November 6 2024 as part of a festive vernissage in the university library The exhibition will continue there until November 29 2024 and is part of Public Sustainability Week A highlight of the vernissage will be the keynote lecture by Prof Markus Fischer from the University of Bern followed by an exciting panel discussion with local nature conservation organizations and authorities Confirmed participants include Eberhard Klein from NABU and Martin Wichmann from BUND As a founding member of Nature Positive Universities the University of Konstanz is committed to promoting nature both on campus and in the community The competition aims not only to raise awareness of ecological issues but also to shine a spotlight on the impressive beauty of nature in the immediate vicinity of the university For anyone interested in finding out more about the competition and the exhibition the project website offers exciting insights: Nature Positive photo competition 2024 With its institutional strategy to foster equal opportunity the University of Konstanz repeats its success in the "Professorinnenprogramm" a German programme to advance female professors A maximum of two million euros is now available to fund up to three professorships to be filled by women Women are still underrepresented in academic careers a German initiative to expand the number of female professors the federal and state governments provide a total of 320 million euros in funding over a period of eight years the University of Konstanz's institutional strategy to foster equal opportunity was successful in the programme and the university can now submit up to three applications for funding for the initial appointment of women to permanent W2 or W3 professorships the programme supports the universities in advancing their equal opportunity measures so that gender parity can be achieved for all qualification levels The federal funds are additionally topped up by the Baden-Württemberg Ministry of Science "Around a third of our professorships are currently held by women it also shows that there is still a lot to do before we reach gender parity we want to have a proportion of 40 percent female professors Talking about qualification positions and junior professorships we have already made huge progress with a proportion of women between 45 and 50 percent" Vice Rector for Diversity and Academic Staff Development at the University of Konstanz "The additional funds enable us to finance important measures and establish new opportunities we will add a module focusing on visibility and preparedness to our Konstanzia programme for female researchers" About the Professorinnenprogramm 2030 The aim of the programme is to advance gender equality at universities and promote female academics in top positions It also expands the visibility of female role models working in research and science The fourth programme phase has a total funding volume of 320 million euros 56 universities nationwide were selected for funding and can use the funds to finance up to three professorships held by women The Zukunftskolleg of the University of Konstanz is introducing a new research prize: the Zukunftskolleg Research Award commends excellent academic achievements by young researchers and helps them to further develop their academic profile nominations for scientific work on “The Evolution of Behaviour” are invited The Zukunftskolleg Research Award is named after the Zukunftskolleg – an Institute for Advanced Studies – which was established at the University of Konstanz in 2007 The Zukunftskolleg’s target group is young researchers at the stage of their career between completing a doctoral degree and prior to a first permanent post academic networks and transdisciplinary communication create an environment that supports the individual fellows in the most vulnerable phase of their academic careers the Zukunftskolleg is going a step further in its support for early career researchers and an individual prize will be awarded to an exceptional researcher Endowed with generous research support and travel costs the award will enable its recipients to augment existing research projects explore new questions and/or forge further links in their academic networks the Zukunftskolleg Research Award will invite nominations from all subject areas at the University of Konstanz Topic for 2022: “The Evolution of Behaviour” Evolution is the driving force for the beauty of life on Earth: bacteria fungi and animals with their astonishing diversity have never ceased to fascinate humankind is both the result of evolutionary adaptation and a driver of long-term change the University of Konstanz has had a strong tradition of pioneering research in evolutionary biology and the first professor here in this field already took the approach that evolution and behaviour must be considered in parallel Behaviour is not a solely individual characteristic; it is also moulded by group dynamics In collaboration with the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behaviour the University of Konstanz hosts the cluster of excellence “Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour” which attracts the best minds in (neuro)biology The Zukunftskolleg Research Award acknowledges an individual who is actively exploring new horizons in these exciting times: How does evolution shape behaviour How do collectives react to evolutionary pressure How can animal communities change the environment through their behaviour and thus modify the selection pressure for themselves and other species Entitled to nominate awardees All members and cooperation partners of the Zukunftskolleg and the University of Konstanz are entitled to nominate awardees as are the elected members of the Review Boards of the German Research Foundation national and international universities as well as universities of applied sciences with equivalent status the Union of German Academies of Sciences and Humanities the German research centres of the Helmholtz Association The Zukunftskolleg Research Award is not restricted to specific subject areas It acknowledges early career researchers who hold a doctoral degree and have accomplished outstanding academic achievements in their specialist field This includes networked thinking and research and approaches for mastering the challenges of tomorrow The Zukunftskolleg Research Award comprises a three-month research stay in Konstanz in the framework of which the prize winner receives research funding of €3,000 reimbursement of travel costs as well as an accommodation allowance About the Zukunftskolleg The Zukunftskolleg is an Institute for Advanced Studies of the University of Konstanz and unique nationwide It supports early career researchers between their doctoral degree and a professorship offering them an interdisciplinary work environment with first-class research conditions and the greatest possible freedom The Zukunftskolleg is funded within the Excellence Strategy of Germany’s federal and state governments and by the foundation “Hector Stiftung II” The members of the Zukunftskolleg oppose the plans to discontinue the direct train connection from Konstanz/Singen to Stuttgart (the so-called Gäubahn) We wholeheartedly support the protest by citizens’ initiatives train-passenger and environmental organizations and many municipalities against the shut-down of the direct link of the Gäubahn to Stuttgart main station Any solution to cover the duration during which the link to the underground station at Stuttgart is constructed must be at least as fast and direct as it is now it is hard to fathom that existing sustainable modes of travel are to be cut for an entire region with no viable alternative other than less climate friendly travel options for the foreseeable future The Zukunftskolleg of the University of Konstanz embraces the goal of the University of Konstanz of significantly reducing the amount of air travel by the university’s researchers and thus their CO2 emissions international research exchange should be performed via virtual alternatives we see a particular need for in-person travel for early career researchers (such as the fellows of the Zukunftskolleg) on their way to academic independence as personal exchange is required to forge professional networks via attending conferences or visiting other research groups In this critical phase of establishing academic independence early career researchers need the personal exchange to establish their networks that are the basis for any future virtual exchange It is also important to remember the private life of the employees at the University of Konstanz a very high level of personal mobility is required which results in most German and international researchers live far away from their families and relatives they also have private travel requirements which they would like to perform as sustainable as possible For both private and business travel within Germany and to its neighbouring countries trains provide an ideal climate friendly alternative to flying or driving This is also recognised by the State of Baden Württemberg’s 10 points plan for their climate goals which specifically pledges to improve the frequency and reliability of public transport in Baden-Württemberg and increase the number of direct connections between cities In the light of the urgent need to improve the sustainability of travel we urge all actors to find a viable alternative that will retain a direct train link from Southern Baden-Württemberg to the long-distance train network in Stuttgart from 2025 onwards https://wir-wollen-zum-hauptbahnhof.de/die-offizielle-planung-und-unsere-kritik/ With a new facility funded by the Gips-Schüle Foundation, researchers at the University of Konstanz's Limnological Institute can now study the development of biodiversity of bodies of water, such as Lake Constance. How is the biodiversity of aquatic communities changing? What factors are involved in this this process? And what changes can be made to prevent further biodiversity loss? The research project Aquatic Biodiversity Exploratories (ABOVE) at the University of Konstanz's Limnological Institute aims to answer these questions. Recently installed infrastructure allows scientists to observe biodiversity under different conditions and in long-term experiments. A key feature of the system is an automated image acquisition that will be used to identify the biotic communities. "We are very pleased to support this promising research project, which combines ecological research with modern AI technology," says Stefan Hofmann from the board of the Gips-Schüle Foundation. The project has been funded by the Gips-Schüle Foundation since 2023. Funding amounting to 230,000 euros will be provided in 2024. Named Richmond after Konstanz' sister town of Richmond upon Thames in the UK the ferry was built to a Bureau Veritas-classed design by German engineering firm Technolog Services Construction began at the Hamburg facilities of shipbuilder Pella Sietas and was taken over by owner Stadtwerke Konstanz in March 2022 and subsequently completed The new steel-hulled vessel measures 82.5 by 13.4 metres and has space for 700 passengers and up 64 cars The design of the vessel itself has been optimised to reduce drag and therefore keep energy consumption as low as possible even with everyday use The newbuild otherwise boasts a similar appearance to the earlier Stadtwerke Konstanz Ro-Pax ferries Lodi and Tabor with onboard space for a small snack bar adjacent to the main passenger lounge high-speed eight-cylinder engines that each produce 746 kW to drive Voith-Schneider propellers to ensure compliance with emissions and noise regulations in place on Lake Constance which can be configured in the future to also run on bio-LNG as a lower-emission alternative make Richmond one of the first inland passenger vessels in Europe to be fitted with gas propulsion the two LNG tanks are housed in separate compartments and an eight-metre-tall ventilation mast is fitted to be used in the event of leaks It will soon begin serving the Konstanz-Meersburg daily routes alongside the four earlier diesel-powered ferries in the Stadtwerke Konstanz fleet Click here to read other news stories, features, opinion articles, and vessel reviews as part of this month's Passenger Vessel Week. Each week, Roads & Kingdoms and Slate publish a new dispatch from around the globe. For more foreign correspondence mixed with food, war, travel, and photography, visit its online magazine or follow @roadskingdoms on Twitter You don’t shop on Saturday if you live in Konstanz a 1,400-year-old city of 83,000 people where the Rhine meets the Bodensee That’s when carloads of Swiss shoppers queue up to get waved into Germany Thousands of others enter less ceremoniously on foot or bike They are largely headed to one destination: the five-story (plus seven levels of parking) Lago Center the massive mall includes a nine-screen megaplex and all the dining options you could want The Swiss visitors pick clean the racks of cut-rate continental couture at the H&M They leave bare the shelves at the low-end Aldi supermarket And they make Konstanz’s multiple branches of the DM toiletries chain absolute hell their shopping carts overflowing with organic toothpaste The border between the twinned cities of Konstanz in Germany and Kreuzlingen in Switzerland was established during the outbreak of World War I the border has historically been a formality rather than a real barrier for citizens of Germany and Switzerland It faded into irrelevance yet again in 2008 when Switzerland joined Europe’s nominally passport-free Schengen Area that freedom of movement has been embraced by Swiss shoppers looking for a bargain Switzerland is not a member of the European Union and uses the Swiss franc rather than the euro Switzerland boasts the continent’s highest average consumer prices and the effects of a near-parity exchange rate mean that Germany generally has cheaper prices for groceries A shopping basket full of products that would cost 167 francs ($165 in U.S dollars) domestically would cost about €104 (U.S according to Switzerland’s own federal statistics office The same shoddily made H&M hoodie costs 39.95 francs in Kreuzlingen but just €24.99 at the chain’s two branches a half-mile away in Konstanz It was hardly surprising in 2015 when Swiss–German public radio listeners voted Einkaufstourist Though Schengen allows for theoretically seamless movement the currency border has created a visible rupture In addition to the major retailers in and near the mall German businesses have found niches with cheap pan-Asian cuisine smoker-friendly pubs for value-minded drinkers boxes that allow Swiss to order German products online and collect them steps from the border without paying international shipping fees optimistically rebranded its Hauptstraße (Main Street) the “Boulevard,” but without shoppers who can afford to shop there has struggled to find long-term tenants for such an ambitiously upscale address Kreuzlingen came into existence in the 12th century by decree of a Catholic bishop from Konstanz who ordered a monastery built on the farmland neighboring the old Roman city he oversaw neighborly relationship from the beginning it was the Germans who idled in border lines to tank up on cheap Swiss fuel at the 15 gas stations built largely to entice them over—and indulged in fancy food products to bring home “It was always more expensive here,” Jost Rüegg There were certain things that Germans bought here because they were better the two cities’ commercial relationship has become almost completely one-sided Over the course of a decade marked by credit and currency crises the euro has lost 37 percent of its value against the franc And Switzerland’s shopping tourists get more in Germany than a favorable exchange rate and lower prices: They can also take advantage of a value-added tax rebate can claim VAT back on most purchases at the end of their shopping trips—meaning that their day at the mall costs considerably less than it would even for residents of Germany “I find it fully incorrect of Germany that they give the value-added tax for every product back at a rate of 19 percent,” says Rüegg a Kreuzlingen native who will turn 70 this year that is a fifth of the price.” He advocates against the VAT scheme as part of an organization called KAMS “We have written to politicians in Bern and told them: ‘Talk with the Germans so that they do away with this value-added tax rebate,’ ” he says “That is what’s wrong—not the euro rate or the franc rate The value-added tax rebate must be eliminated and the state can intervene here and should intervene; it supports consumption Konstanz’s discounts have become a devil’s bargain for Kreuzlingen which is nowadays best described as pricey It’s a city where the already limited options for entertainment—a pizza or a pint—cost 50 percent more than they do across the line in Konstanz two hours southwest and Switzerland’s de facto federal administrative capital traverse the Bodensee border town en route to Konstanz’s chain shops “The weak euro—or too-strong franc—has only increased the problems that businesses face in Kreuzlingen,” says third-term Mayor Andreas Netzle “Our stores had already long felt the effects of the lower prices in neighboring Konstanz and the value-added tax rebate What we could not predict was the massive shopping tourism that goes directly through our city en route to Germany without our own businesses being able to profit from it at all.” Repackaging Germany’s borderlands as a day-trip destination for Switzerland’s shopping tourists has had negative effects on Konstanz too—both aesthetic and on the municipal morale From the Rhine to a few hundred feet before the border quaint and cobblestoned Konstanz is exactly the Europe of tourists’ imagination If you stick to the narrow pedestrian streets that wind outward from the square surrounding Konstanz’s cathedral which was built in phases beginning in the 7th century (and unlike its counterparts in Munich and Dresden nipping into cave-like wine taverns where the locals complain about streets clogged with cars with Swiss license plates perhaps buzzed on the southern Rhine’s regional wines the extent to which German and international chains have overrun the otherwise-enchanting Gothic center becomes soberingly clear H&M’s freestanding downtown branch sits just a quarter-mile from the two floors it occupies in the Lago shopping center Nanu-Nana’s Lago shop is just 1,200 feet from its other downtown digs The Osiander bookstore chain offers the same selection at two outlets around the corner from each other it does have a handful of independent bookshops in its city center.) However the DM one-stop toiletries chain has made the most aggressive claim to old town Konstanz The chain currently has a large shop in the Lago Center and another a two-minute walk away DM now plans to open a fifth store on Konstanz’s main square just 400 feet from its existing downtown shop and in a move deeply unpopular with locals it has displaced a beloved nearly 80-year-old independent art house cinema to do so “This isn’t for Konstanzers,” says Elisabeth Grübel a 30-year resident who joined protests against the repurposing of the cinema The Konstanzers don’t need these branches—and we are getting even more tourists.” Grübel says she’s not especially eager to head to the Lago for any reason: “So long as there are smaller shops in the old city Grübel will often head in the other direction she’ll pack a lunch and a thermos full of tea and take the train right through Kreuzlingen to the nature that is Switzerland’s most affordable draw She cross-country skis the forests surrounding Kreuzlingen when there’s snow and hikes them when there’s not she’ll splurge on a coffee in town and find someone from Konstanz doing the pouring earning entry-level francs to spend like the Swiss back home In addition to the opportunities for bucolic jaunts and barista jobs there may be more and more reasons for Germans to spend time in Kreuzlingen again “Money wins in Konstanz,” says Benni Kreiblich “there’s no value placed on quality and culture.” Kreiblich and a group of friends decided to make a go of filling what they considered one of Konstanz’s gaping cultural voids—and they did it in Kreuzlingen action in town can be found at the Horst Klub which Kreiblich and his friends describe as “the only ’60s-styled DIY hangout in town.” and it serves as a sort of clubhouse for the towns’ nonconformists offering skate workshops to local kids on indoor ramps by day and cheap beer and wild rock          ’n’ roll for wayward adults after dark most members commute the mile from the border on skateboards they don’t want something like this at all,” Kreiblich says and there’s not a lot for younger people,” he adds but when someone creates something in Kreuzlingen they don’t make it so difficult like Konstanz does and as long nobody complains they don’t breathe down your neck.” Basically Perhaps “it’s just easier in Kreuzlingen” would make a good municipal motto for a city seeking to retain its existing businesses and replace the ones that have been forced to close while its neighbor seems intent on attracting more and more branches of international chains to its increasingly less-charming center Kreuzlingen announced an “urgent measure” to create a temporary use agency to place businesses and nonprofits in the proliferation of vacant storefronts—call it an empty-windows strategy to combating an ebbing civic pride and the town hopes to tout its success stories by the fall “The situation on the Boulevard is difficult though there are once again new tenants in the shops that have gone empty,” Mayor Netzle says the retail mix is not very attractive—there are too many real estate agents Netzle laments that “even for consumers in relatively well-heeled Switzerland the price is the deciding criterion.” Still pricey city in a country with a too-high-performing currency has its pluses even when competing with the German retail mecca across an open border and an anticompetitive VAT scheme on top of that “we sense that people are deciding that the shopping experience has greatly suffered in overfull Konstanz.” And he points out in contrast to Konstanz’s cart-clogged cash registers ISC Konstanz researchers say their new n-type tunnel back contact (TBC) solar cell features polycrystalline silicon TOPCon contacts on both polarities The results still need to be confirmed by an independent third party German research institute ISC Konstanz has claimed a power conversion efficiency of 24% for a TBC solar cell The researchers said their new IBC4EU solar cell was designed in accordance with the polyZEBRA concept “The polyZEBRA concept is an n-type tunnel back contact (TBC) solar cell featuring polycrystalline silicon TOPCon contacts on both polarities,” ISC Konstanz researcher Jonathan Linke told pv magazine “The entire process is compatible with industrially established tools in particular the patterning of the IBC structure is done by laser processes and the metallization by screen-printing The process is compatible with copper screen printing.” the mean efficiency of the cell in a batch of 16 cells was 23.7% efficiency These results have so far not been confirmed by an independent third-party entity The previous maximum efficiency of the device was 23.4% “Our goal is to reach soon an efficiency of 25% and an open-circuit voltage of 735 mV,” said Radovan Kopecek, the co-founder and director of ISC Konstanz. “We are working with FuturaSun on industrialization.” In a recent interview with pv magazine Kopecek said that interdigitated back contact (IBC) cell tech could account for half of the global market for solar modules by 2030 He says IBC will start to dominate once TopCON and HJT get stuck at certain efficiency limits and he believes that TOPCon will be the first to fall This triumphal arch was constructed in 1991 on what was once a very significant passageway to Switzerland by the sculptor Peter Lenk Lenk also sculpted Imperia at the Constance Harbor The arcs and fountain showcase around 30 bizarre sculptures and reliefs Most of them show different types of people most of them are holding a steering wheel or sitting on a motorcycle or in a car The most notable sculptures include what seems to be a group of barely dressed people in a bath A purr-fectly spirited bronze celebration of local street felines through history An unusual artwork dedicated to a unique man that entertained people visiting Cambridge while raising money for charity Georgia's answer to Easter Island immortalizes the nation's great poets Graham Ibbesons's moving tribute to the victims of England's worst mining disaster This sculpture forces visitors to confront their relationship with space A limestone sculpture of a praying man resides over the site where 23 Chinese cockle pickers died A sculpture of a blood drop designed to honor those that have donated the precious liquid An impressive ensemble of sculptures that survived the Soviet regime We bring brands to life and partner with leading owners of Intellectual Property content to create unforgettable visitor experiences indoor attractions including brands such as SEA LIFE and Madame Tussauds SEA LIFE Konstanz will open its doors again there is still a lot to do and before the animals can return 600,000 liters of water and countless helping hands have worked in the large aquarium on Lake Constance in recent months Now the home stretch has been reached and on Thursday the centerpiece This is a prerequisite for the animals to be able to return They have spent the closing time in other SEA LIFE locations or at friendly aquariums and zoos Now they are gradually coming back until the visitors can come back in about four weeks The journey through the underwater world starts at Lake Constance and leads through the various waters to the depths of the Red Sea the popular Gentoo penguins continue to form many innovations and highlights have moved in Rüdinger is still mysterious about the motto of the new exhibition But there was already a first preview when filling the ocean basin: it has become colorful and mythical  Children in particular  can get up close and personal  with the underwater world at the new discovery pool   and colour their own sea creatures in the new "Fantasy Fish"  area and project them onto a screen - absolute fun Now it takes almost 20 hours until the ocean basin is filled again and the team continues to work at full speed The water is then  heated to 2.4-26 °C and salted  with salt to about 3.5 per thousand The amount of water in this basin is equivalent to over 3000 bathtubs But the changes can not only be seen  in the  visitor area and the design of the pools Hinter the scenes in the backstage areas around the quarantine station  the laboratory and the technical facilities there are improvements The aquarium technology has been completely renewed Even if the changes behind the scenes are not visible to young and old underwater fans everyone will soon be able to see for themselves the most visible changes in SEA LIFE As of today, the ticket shop is open again under www.sealife.de/konstanz admission is only guaranteed with an online ticket after the reopening UCI Professor of Film and Media Studies Peter Krapp has been awarded a senior fellowship at the Zukunftskolleg Institute of Advanced Studies at the University of Konstanz Krapp is an expert on secret communications and cybernetics; cultural memory and media history; and aesthetic communication The Zukunftskolleg (“collegium of the future”) provides fellows with opportunities to exchange ideas and information with colleagues from different disciplines and cultural backgrounds Krapp will give a public talk on museums of computing and the history and future of digital culture Together with colleagues from Konstanz and other European universities Krapp will also organize a workshop on cybersecurity in online gaming that explores how massively multiplayer online games and virtual worlds may be potential havens for activities that require a national security response “While systematic exploration and exploitation of virtual worlds by intelligence and security branches of various governments has received some journalistic coverage the salient issues of secrecy and surveillance in virtual worlds are rarely being addressed in academia,” Krapp said Copyright © 2023 UC Regents. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy Gruia Badescu (University of Konstanz) in conversation with Author Robert Bevan (London) Robert Bevan examines the weaponization and manipulation of the past in culture wars around the globe.This talk will address uses of monuments and cities as material evidence of human history and how our understanding of this heritage impacts our lives Bio Robert Bevan is an author and journalist writing on architecture He is the author of Monumental Lies: Culture Wars and the Truth about the Past (Verso) a book of the year for the Financial Times and the Art Newspaper The Destruction of Memory: Architecture at War was described as “ground-breaking” by the New York Review of Books Zoom-Link Meeting-ID: 915 3170 7702 Welcome to packagingeurope.com. This site uses cookies. Read our policy Scientists at the University of Konstanz have claimed to develop a ‘self-healing’ mineral plastic that can be formed and reformed in water now enhanced with bio-based building blocks for degradability in the natural environment as it can be developed at room temperature in water without the need for toxic solvents It is also said to be non-flammable and firmer than commonly utilised alternatives the plastic can apparently be shaped to fit the needs of individual products with its texture compared to that of chewing gum It can be restored to this state and reshaped at any time by adding water which is thought to make it a circular material Although a research team led by Konstanz chemist Helmut Cölfen originally developed a similar plastic back in 2016 this initial material was difficult to biodegrade Cölfen and postdoctoral fellow Ilesha Avasthi have headed further research for an alternative basic building block to maintain the mechanical and sustainability-minded features of the previous design while achieving microbiological degradability we used polyacrylic acid to produce our mineral plastic,” Cölfen explains this acid has the same backbone as polyethylene which is known to cause major problems in the environment because it is hardly biodegradable “Our new mineral plastic has the same positive properties as the previous one but has the decisive advantage that its basic building block – polyglutamic acid – can be produced with the help of microorganisms and is completely biodegradable.” Polyglutamic acid is a natural biopolymer that is said to be available in large quantities Various naturally occurring microorganisms can biodegrade the substance and these can be used in biotechnological production processes to produce polyglutamic acid in large quantities – thus replacing petroleum-based ingredients like polyacrylic acid David Schleheck and postdoctoral fellow Harry Lerner from the Department of Biology to test the biodegradability of the whole plastic rather than its individual components Degradation experiments reportedly proved that microorganisms found in forest soils completely degraded the plastic after 32 days “Helmut Cölfen has created a new type of mineral plastic in his laboratory and our task now was to make it disappear again with the help of microorganisms,” commented Schleheck Researchers at the University of Washington have also produced bioplastics that claim to break down at the same rate as a banana peel in a home compost bin in the event that these plastics escape recycling streams they will not leak microplastics into the environment Similarly, biomass cultivated from poplar, elm, birch, and other organic materials has been utilised by the European BeonNAT project to produce bioplastics for bioactive cosmetics The Lidl approach to packaging sustainability How did Brazil achieve its 100% aluminium can recycling rate – and can it be replicated in the EU? Experts have their say on the EU’s Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive revisions A deep dive into the most important packaging sustainability trends and solution Site powered by Webvision Cloud The International Solar Energy Research Center Konstanz e.V (ISC Konstanz) has signed a technology transfer agreement with PV module assembly equipment supplier based in Finland for R&D centre’s advanced ‘BiSoN’ (Bifacial Solar cell On N-type) and ZEBRA (diffused n-type IBC) solar cell technology Valoe noted that it had acquired a solar cell production line from Megacell S.r.l. and a producer of bifacial n-PERT solar cells in Italy based on the ISC Konstanz technology CTO at ISC Konstanz and Managing Director of Advanced Cell Concepts: “We are very pleased to continue assisting you in developing ZEBRA further Together with Valoe´s back contact module technology such a module using ZEBRA is very powerful at low costs as one of the first companies in the world developed a mass scale module manufacturing technology which makes the implementation of back contact solar cells into the module extremely simple Valoe’s technology makes it possible to use thinner solar cells The PV market is now ready for such modules build on IBC cell technology for many new applications.” Valoe also noted that it planned to transfer part of the production line to PV manufacturer Soli Tek Cells’ production facility in Lithuania to undertake volume production of IBC solar cells for customers of Valoe ZEBRA based IBC cells have reach conversion efficiencies of more than 23% and module efficiencies would be supported Valoe’s unique back contact module technology that can also handle ultra-thin N-type mono wafers If you have any questions please contact us Together with Roskilde University (Denmark) Université Paris 8 Vincennes-Saint-Denis (France) the New Bulgarian University (Bulgaria) and the University of the Aegean (Greece) the University of Konstanz was successful in the second round of the Erasmus+ European Universities Initiative the partners' European Reform University Alliance (ERUA) along with 23 other university networks in Europe will receive funding from the European Commission for an initial period of three years The European Reform University Alliance consists of five young European reform universities that will form a transnational university network with the same shared values and goals in research teaching and continual institutional development "One of the goals of the European Universities Initiative is to create a blueprint for an ideal European university" Vice Rector for International Affairs and Equal Opportunities at the University of Konstanz with the narrative of permanent institutional renewal shared by all five project partners can make a decisive contribution to reaching this goal" While the ERUA members will engage in individual collaborations reflection on reform processes will also play a particularly important role in the area of research will be on teaching: Its members will ensure better student mobility by offering study programmes that are flexible and can be completed around Europe They will exchange innovative teaching and learning forms and intensify initiatives involving staff exchange Capacity-building projects and transfer initiatives that impact society will give the participating universities new impulses to establish their positions in science and society The European Universities Initiative (EUI) is one of the European Union's (EU) flagship initiatives for the European education area The initiative aims to strengthen strategic partnerships between universities across the EU and create 41 "European Universities" by 2024 are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert system Copyright © 2025 by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) a leader in the study of collective animal behaviour is the recipient of the 2019 Lagrange - CRT Foundation Prize the first and most important international recognition dedicated to the study of complex systems across all disciplines Couzin is Director of the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior in Konstanz as well as Chair of Biodiversity and Collective Behaviour and Co-Director of the Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour at the University of Konstanz The Lagrange - CRT Foundation Prize is promoted by the CRT Foundation of Turin with the scientific coordination of the ISI Foundation The prize and medal will be awarded to Couzin at a ceremony in Turin on October 17th Couzin is renowned for his pioneering work on collective sensing and developing and employing some of the most advanced technologies in behavioural science he and his group have consistently provided new and deep insights that shed light on the fundamental principles that underlie collective action in nature tremendous impact on a wide range of fields including behaviour In recognition of his research he has previously been recipient of the Searle Scholar Award in 2008; top 5 most cited papers of the decade in animal behaviour research 1999-2010; the Mohammed Dahleh Award in 2009; Popular Science's "Brilliant 10" Award in 2010; National Geographic Emerging Explorer Award in 2012; the Scientific Medal of the Zoological Society of London in 2013; and a Clarivate Analytics (Web of Science) Global Highly Cited Researcher in 2018 Couzin was awarded the Lagrange - CRT Foundation Prize for his outstanding and interdisciplinary contributions to the study of collective behaviour Couzin joins an illustrious list of awardees including Yakov Grigorievich Sinai (Mathematician "It is a tremendous honour to receive the Lagrange - CRT Foundation Prize and to be in the company of the incredible complex systems scientists who have previously been given this award," says Couzin "A complex systems approach to science naturally fosters solutions that transcend disciplinary boundaries and harness technological innovations and the prize is a testament to the collective work of the amazing young scientists with whom I have had the enormous privilege to work with in my lab over the years The Lagrange - CRT Foundation Prize is named after Joseph-Louis Lagrange (b 1736 - 1813) who was regarded by many of his contemporaries as the greatest living mathematician He made major contributions to number theory and to analytic and celestial mechanics including being one of the inventors of the calculus of variations He also created the first partial differential equations; invented a new field of mechanics Lagrangian mechanics; created the concept of a potential (e.g the gravitational field is an example of a potential); discovered Lagrangian orbits (which allow spacecraft to be "parked"); created Lagrange multipliers for mathematical optimization; and played a key role in the creation of the metric system for weights and measures Lagrange was largely self-taught and did not have a university degree "The Lagrange Prize awarded to Iain Couzin is an honour for an exceptional researcher from the University of Konstanz as well as for the entire Collective Behaviour field Couzin is one of the speakers for the Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour one of our Clusters of Excellence," says Professor Kerstin Krieglstein "He has played a major role in establishing a top international research centre in Konstanz that focuses on the complex collective behaviours of animals and people like group dynamics and economic decision-making Couzin graduated from the University of St before beginning his studies of collective behaviour during his PhD at the University of Bath before pursuing postdoctoral work at the University of Leeds UK where he was a Royal Society University Research Fellow and Junior Research Fellow in the Sciences at Balliol College Couzin was then an Assistant Professor and then Full Professor at Princeton University before moving to Konstanz Couzin said he was "especially honoured" to be awarded the Lagrange - CRT Foundation Prize "When I began my studies of collective behaviour" he said "the predominant mathematical approach was not to consider individuals found mathematical ways that allowed us to consider individuals as the focus of interest termed 'Lagrangian' or 'individual-based' became the focus of my thesis work and remains absolutely central to how we study collective behaviour today" 2019 Lagrange - CRT Foundation Prize for Prof Director of the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior in Konstanz as well as Chair of Biodiversity and Collective Behaviour and Co-Director of the Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour at the University of Konstanz You can download a photo here: https://cms.uni-konstanz.de/fileadmin/pi/fileserver/Aktuelles_ExIni/2019/Iain_Couzin_HiRes%20%28Gabriel%20Miller%29.jpg the University of Konstanz and the city of Konstanz will host events focusing on climate change: a Science Slam Scientific facts about climate change: From 25 – 29 November 2019 a national week of climate change events organized by „Scientists4Future“ and „Students4Future“ takes place researchers from both the University of Konstanz and the HTWG Konstanz – University of Applied Sciences share their broad range of perspectives on climate change during the "Public Climate School" biology and computer science are involved as well as cultural theory The talks are accompanied by additional information and activities provided by partners in the Konstanz region the City of Konstanz was the first in Germany to declare a state of climate emergency This was an important first step to intensify climate protection efforts Hosting the “Public Climate School” is another way for Konstanz to continue to promote sustainability over the longer term The Basque singer Ruper Ordorika will give a concert in Konstanz The event is part of “Plurilinguisme en Europe occidentale: La France et l´Espagne” a 10-day international conference focusing on multilingualism in Europe the University of Konstanz will sponsor a series of courses and conferences aimed at discussing current issues surrounding multilingualism and language contact The event will also focus on the linguistic and cultural consequences of individual and social multilingualism through regional and minority languages literatures and cultures in France and Spain This interdisciplinary project is aimed at young researchers in linguistics and literature Emphasis will be placed on languages such as Basque the Basque musician will offer a concert to give congress participants deeper insight into Basque language and music Kreuzlingen and Konstanz feel "like one big city" couples on either side of the border are stranded (Credit: Noele Illien)As countries restrict travel to help slow the spread of coronavirus some separated couples are meeting each other at their nations’ closed borders has also resulted in some couples suddenly finding themselves in long-distance relationships Some couples suddenly find themselves in long-distance relationships despite living close byOne couple navigating this new relationship territory is Andrea Rohde and her partner of more than a decade Rohde calls the city of Konstanz in southern Germany home while Brassel lives just a few kilometres away in the Swiss village of Tägerwilen but since the border between Germany and Switzerland closed on 16 March Rohde and Brassel have found a way to still see one another they each head to the German-Swiss border that divides the cities of Konstanz and Kreuzlingen to catch up in person through the newly installed border fences Rohde says Skyping her partner doesn’t compare to being able to have him in front of her More than 100 couples headed to the Kreuzlingen-Konstanz border to come as close to one another as presently possibleThe in-person meetings also allow Rohde to have some contact with the couple’s dog The seven-year-old Parson Russell Terrier usually splits his time between his owners’ homes more than 100 couples split between Switzerland and Germany headed to the Kreuzlingen-Konstanz border to come as close to one another as presently possible The rising temperatures are likely to draw even more lovers in the coming days and weeks Before the current coronavirus-related travel restrictions people had been able to move freely between Kreuzlingen and Konstanz since 2009 He explained that the cities have essentially merged into one another with many residents moving between the two on a daily basis “that happens to have an international border running through it.”  The cities’ intertwined nature helps explain why so many have been separated by the current situation and have been heading to the closed border. At first, a waist-high fence was installed, resulting in loved ones embracing and kissing while standing in different countries a second fence running parallel to the first has been put up to keep a safe distance between those meeting • In Germany, the world's most romantic postbox • The travel ache you can’t translate • The Swiss language that few know The opportunity for a face-to-face romantic encounter hasn’t just been attracting locals to the Kreuzlingen-Konstanz border who drove for more than an hour to sit 2m from Micha Roth who lives in Konstanz The two had connected online and were making plans to meet offline when the travel restrictions were announced Dematteis said that meeting up at the border was the only way to see whether their chemistry was as strong in person as it was over the phone After spending their first date talking through the fences for six hours the duo decided to officially pursue a relationship despite not having made it within 2m of one another Dematteis described the whole situation as “absurd” but said it has resulted in them getting to know one another on a deeper level “It’s not just about the physical attraction,” she said I never thought I would be so in love at 89While no-one knows when the border will reopen Dematteis said that she and Roth can hardly wait to see one another without fences we will be the first to seize the opportunity,” she said Another couple sharing their sentiments from a different border is 89-year-old Karsten Tüchsen Hansen from Germany and 85-year-old Inga Rasmussen from Denmark the widowed pair have spent almost every day together with Rasmussen usually staying the night at Hansen’s home 15km away in in Süderlügum They made the tough decision to quarantine apart Since the border between Germany and Denmark closed on 14 March, the couple has continued to see each other daily Rasmussen drives to the border from her town of Gallehus and Hansen usually rides his bike from Süderlügum The two meet at the barricades dividing them and their respective countries near the town of Aventoft with chairs coffee and occassionally schnapps to sit and have a drink Only on Sundays do they meet a little earlier He describes the time they spend together as the highlight of his day and while he misses taking his partner in his arms he said that health had to be the priority at the moment The cross-country lovers plan on taking a holiday once everything is back to normal with a boat trip along the River Danube currently being the leading contender they will support each other through this difficult time and continue to enjoy their special bond “I never thought I would be so in love at 89,” Hansen said Neighbourly love is an uplifting and emotionally engaging BBC Travel series that shows how acts of generosity can have profound effects in destinations around the world Join more than three million BBC Travel fans by liking us on Facebook, or follow us on Twitter and Instagram If you liked this story, sign up for the weekly bbc.com features newsletter called "The Essential List". 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Why? the Kimball/White Lake/Platte-Geddes wrestling coaches felt both Kasen Konstanz and Iden Myers could win the state championship in their classes That vision is now just a few days from potentially becoming a reality The two experienced wrestlers will lead a contingent of six Wildkats into the Class B state championship meet at the Premier Center Myers is slotted into the third seed at 144 As each season offers an unique experience and competition both wrestlers have relied on past experiences to help them get to this point “I’ve just been trying to be more offensive and trying to separate myself from other wrestlers,” said Konstanz a former state champion in 2021 as a freshman “The hope is to create matches that aren’t as tight as in the past.” has moved up in weight class his junior year After a fourth-place result in the state championships he stepped up his game from training sessions with teammate Lucas Lenz “He’s gotten me a lot better,” Myers said about Lenz so if your move works on a 165-pounder who’s No The hard work they’ve put in this season has translated into results Myers has taken home seven event victories and finished in second at the Mid-Dakota Monster tournament on Jan Konstanz has six titles on the year and a pair of second-place finishes also at the Mid-Dakota Monster and the KWLPG Invitational on Dec propelled KWLPG to a 12-1 record during dual season qualifying for the state dual championships The Wildkats also posted a runner-up finish at the Region 3B tournament on Feb “They have all had success in the past and are willing to learn in order to expand their skill sets,” head coach Thomas Konechne said about his experienced wrestlers “Any athlete with talent who is also hard-working and coachable is capable of being a state champion and these guys have shown that for years.” Konechne also credits the improvement of the underclassmen on the team for propelling the team’s success which comes from the leaders of the group setting the example seeing others on the Wildkats have success pushes him to continue to improve and Lucas get in the finals and they’re winning it,” Myers said so that makes you kind of push extra hard in the room and try to beat them at every little thing I want to have my shot at the title just like they’ll have theirs.” With the competition at its peak for the state championships the goal for KWLPG is to score points early to establish a rhythm which will hopefully lead to the wrestlers winning every position and match situation It’s also a reminder to not think too far ahead “I got to take one match at a time and not overlook anybody,” Myers said “It’s going to be a battle but I definitely think I can do well.” Through all the postponements and changes over the course of the season the Wildkats have enjoyed the success and the growth of the program as well as the camaraderie between each other A state championship would be the perfect way for Konstanz to go out “This is my last year no matter what,” he said “I want to end my high school career with a state championship Germany.  Organized by the Etxepare Basque Institute and the Basque Lectureship at the university the symposium “Basque Culture and Political Conflict,” will take place today and tomorrow at the University of Konstanz.  The goal of the conference is to offer a forum for reflection on the Basque conflict which will deal with aspects such as memory and narrative discourse which has created the Basque literature on this subject The University of Konstanz is a very appropriate venue to carry out this discussion since there are prestigious researchers on the representation of terrorist groups in literature there The symposium is also the first activity organized by the Basque Language and Culture Lectureship at the university and it is worth noting that the idea for the conference came from those at the University of Konstanz themselves.  Among the participants there are historians such as Juan Aranzadi Francisco Letamendia and Gonzalo Alvarez Chillida; as well as linguists such as Jose Ramon Uriarte Mari Jose Ezeizabarrena and itziar Idiazabal Also participating will be Basque journalist Imanol Murua and writers Arantxa Urretabizkaia Harkaitz Cano and Iban Zaldua.  One of the proposed conference theories is precisely that literature and contemporary fiction are privileged places to display Ruper Ordorika will also give a concert this afternoon at the University as part of the conference events Conference program here: http://ling.uni-konstanz.de/pages/home/Kaiser/files/Programa.pdf the citizens of Konstanz can use the VOTO voting advice application to compare their preferences on a variety of general and locally relevant issues with the issue positions of the parties competing in the municipal elections in Konstanz on 9 June Following the the voting advice application (VAA) participants can take part in a voluntary short and anonymous survey The VAA for Konstanz is available at the following link: https://app.voto.vote/kowa24-konstanz and is available to all citizens free of charge Elisa Deiss-Helbig will be happy to provide further information on the project and how to use the VAA Contact: Elisa Deiss-Helbig, email: kommunalwahl2024-kn@uni-konstanz.de Thomas Swieca takes over the position of General Manager at the Steigenberger Inselhotel Konstanz on 15 October Thomas Swieca will succeed Peter Martin as General Manager of the Steigenberger Inselhotel Konstanz with effect from 15 October Swieca is a father of two who joins us from the Radisson Hotel Group where he last acted as Cluster General Manager in Vilnius His career also includes management stints at the Radisson Blu Daugava Hotel in Riga the Radisson Collection Old Mill in Belgrade the Radisson Blu Hotel and Resort in Cesme and the Radisson Blu Media Harbour Hotel in Duesseldorf The Konstanz research priority "Inequality and Conflict" concentrates on the political social and economic causes and effects of inequality and conflicts from an interdisciplinary perspective This topic brings together researchers from the fields of sociology Their work focusses on empirical research areas in education and the labour market as well as political processes in democratic and undemocratic countries which provides scholarships for students and doctoral researchers at risk Research on inequality and conflict is carried out in close dialogue with representatives from civil society and non-governmental organizations the new survey from the Konstanz study on remote work shows: The trend is not back to the office – but towards flexible working models Companies that push for office attendance risk exhaustion and dissatisfaction among their employees – without any verifiable gain in productivity Analysis of eight million political speeches reveals: never before have members of the US Congress based their rhetoric more strongly on personal convictions – and less on facts Researchers from the Cluster of Excellence "The Politics of Inequality" at the University of Konstanz observed a decline in the use of evidence-based rhetoric by US politicians from both political parties since the 1970s Wie blicken Studierende in Deutschland anderthalb Jahre nach dem Terrorangriff der Hamas auf den Nahostkonflikt Eine aktuelle Befragung der AG Hochschulforschung an der Universität Konstanz – gefördert vom Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung (BMBF) – zeigt: Eine breite Mehrheit verurteilt den Terror der Hamas lehnt militärische Gewalt ab und setzt auf friedliche Protestformen Antisemitische Haltungen sind unter Studierenden dabei weiterhin auf niedrigem Niveau New findings from the Inequality Barometer – a study by the Cluster of Excellence “The Politics of Inequality” at the University of Konstanz rector of the University of Konstanz from 1976 to 1991 Horst Sund passed away on 9 August 2021 at the age of 94 He was rector of the University of Konstanz from 1976 to 1991 "The University of Konstanz grieves for Horst Sund We regret the loss of one of the most important rectors in our university’s history The University of Konstanz owes a great deal of what we are today to Horst Sund He made an enduring impact – as a researcher We are truly grateful for Horst Sund and his extraordinary lifelong achievement” says Professor Dr Katharina Holzinger current rector of the University of Konstanz Horst Sund was given the title of an honorary citizen of the University of Konstanz The impetus for developing the Department of Biology The chemist Horst Sund joined the University of Konstanz one year after its inception in 1967 as professor of biochemistry and one of the university’s first three professors in the natural sciences He was attracted to the opportunity to create something new and shaped the Department of Biology in key ways Sund earned his habilitation in biochemistry at the University of Freiburg in 1964 and subsequently laid the foundation for the biochemical focus of his department in Konstanz Not least through his own research on the relationships between the chemical structure and biological activity of proteins the Department of Biology in Konstanz kept pace with international developments National and international recognition for his work followed only a few years later “I knew that the conditions in Konstanz were ideal” Everyone’s rector When Sund became rector of the University of Konstanz in 1976 the ten-year-old university was in the middle of a yearlong crisis that was the result of a conflict over the university’s constitution While managing this crisis Horst Sund proved himself to be an equally decisive and empathetic leader who understood how to bring the entire university back together At his farewell celebration when his tenure as rector ended in 1991 Sund was aptly named “everyone’s rector” by fellow biologist Professor Dirk Pette The title honoured how he included staff and ensured the greatest possible transparency in decision-making processes across the university Sund provided decisive support to the three academic areas of the natural sciences all three achieved top positions in national and international rankings including those completed by the German Research Foundation (DFG) and the Humboldt Foundation Support for research and teaching While Horst Sund was rector the university acquired funding for and established five collaborative research centres (CRC) and five research centres University teaching also benefited from the corresponding new research priorities In keeping with the goal to provide research-based teaching new graduate study programmes were created with corresponding curricula the first-ever structured doctoral programme funded by the DFG was launched at the University of Konstanz during Sund's tenure Described “as an untiring traveller and lobbyist for the expansion and continual development of the University of Konstanz” by Dirk Pette at his farewell ceremony Horst Sund also used his art of persuasion to attain political support for the university the university was able to complete major construction projects like the physics building the library and the sports facilities during Horst Sund’s tenure and despite budgetary pressures 19 international university partnerships The University of Konstanz’s international presence was decisively advanced by Horst Sund’s efforts The University of Konstanz’s first cooperation agreements with international universities were concluded during his tenure Among the 19 partnerships he initiated are those with the universities in Tel Aviv (Israel) Horst Sund was awarded honorary professorships at all three universities in Shanghai Sund was described by the then president of the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) as the “Marco Polo of international academic relations” “Special emissary of the Lake Constance region” Though he was born in Hamburg Sund also stands for the deep ties the University of Konstanz holds to the surrounding region Sund was also named the “special emissary of the Lake Constance region for culture and contacts” by then mayor of Konstanz On this occasion and in honour of his contribution to integrating the university into life in Konstanz Horst Sund was awarded the ring of honour from the city of Konstanz His contacts to important institutions in the region extended from the local German Chambers of Industry and Commerce to the neighbouring Swiss cantons of Thurgau and Schaffhausen Horst Sund was active in the regional council “Bodenseerat” in a variety of ways As a cofounder of the University of Konstanz Alumni Association (VEUK e.V.) Sund found new ways to connect with former members as well as friends of the university He chaired the association from 1997 to 2000 and became its honorary chair in 2003 many regional Fasnacht (carnival) organizations have made Horst Sund an honorary member over the years Influential positions In addition to his work at the University of Konstanz Horst Sund was also active in multiple influential political positions and commissions related to higher education he was a member of the West German Rectors’ Conference he chaired the State Rectors’ Conference of Baden-Württemberg Horst Sund chaired the Baden-Württembergische China-Gesellschaft from 1984 to 2009 and was  named its honorary chair in 2009 he acted as the representative of the Federal Foreign Office and the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) for establishing the Chinesisch-Deutschen Hochschulkolleg (CDHK) at Tongji University in Shanghai he became the institution’s honorary director for life His engagement in research and science policy was honoured with a long list of awards In 1991 he received the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany honorary professorships from all three universities in Shanghai,the Fudan He was named honorary senator of the Jiao Tong University and was presented the People’s Republic of China Friendship Award as well as the City of Shanghai’s Magnolia Prize Horst Sund was also honorary member of the Institute for Geography and Limnology at the Academia Sinica in Nanjing "I certainly speak for many current and former members and affiliates of our university when I say: We will dearly miss Horst Sund his lasting commitment as well as his ever cheerful presence." July 30 (UPI) -- German authorities said one person was killed and three others were injured in an early Sunday nightclub shooting in the city of Konstanz The gunman killed one person and injured three others One police officer was wounded in the shootout but officials said his wounds were non-life-threatening "Many guests had left the building panic stricken or were hiding when the shots were fired," police and prosecutors said Special commando forces and a police helicopter were deployed following the attack but investigators later concluded the man likely acted alone The suspect was described as a 34-year-old man originally from Iraq Police said the man had been living in Germany for a long time and was not an asylum-seeker Bezikofer did not offer further details on the suspected motives Physicists at the University of Konstanz generate one of the shortest signals ever produced by humans: Using paired laser pulses they succeeded in compressing a series of electron pulses to a numerically analyzed duration of only 0.000000000000000005 seconds Processes in nature that occur in molecules or solids sometimes run on a time scale of quadrillionths (femtoseconds) or quintillionths (attoseconds) of a second scientists from the University of Konstanz are using a new experimental set-up to achieve signals of attosecond duration which opens up new perspectives in the field of ultrafast phenomena Not even light waves can achieve such a time resolution because a single oscillation takes much too long for that as they enable significantly higher time resolution the Konstanz researchers use pairs of femtosecond light flashes from a laser to generate their extremely short electron pulses in a free-space beam The results are reported in the journal Nature Physics light waves can also superimpose to create standing or travelling wave crests and troughs The physicists chose the incidence angles and frequencies so that the co-propagating electrons which fly through vacuum at half the speed of light overlap with optical wave crests and troughs of exactly the same speed What is known as ponderomotive force then pushes the electrons in the direction of the next wave trough a series of electron pulses is generated which are extremely short in time – especially in the middle of the pulse train the temporal duration of the electron pulses is only about five attoseconds the researchers measure the electrons' velocity distribution that remains after compression "Instead of a very uniform velocity of the output pulses you see a very broad distribution that results from the strong deceleration or acceleration of some electrons in the course of compression" "But not only that: The distribution is not smooth it consists of thousands of velocity steps since only a whole number of light particle pairs can interact with electrons at a time".  Significance for research Quantum mechanically this is a temporal superposition (interference) of the electrons with themselves after experiencing the same acceleration at different times This effect is relevant for quantum mechanical experiments – for example What is also remarkable: Plane electromagnetic waves like a light beam normally cannot cause permanent velocity changes of electrons in vacuum because the total energy and the total momentum of the massive electron and a zero rest mass light particle (photon) cannot be conserved having two photons simultaneously in a wave travelling slower than the speed of light solves this problem (Kapitza-Dirac effect) physics professor and head of the Light and Matter Group at the University of Konstanz these results are still clearly basic research but he emphasizes the great potential for future research: "If a material is hit by two of our short pulses at a variable time interval the first pulse can trigger a change and the second pulse can be used for observation – similar to the flash of a camera." In his view the great advantage is that no material is involved in the experimental principle and everything happens in free space Lasers of any power could in principle be used in the future for ever stronger compression "Our new two-photon compression allows us to move into new dimensions of time and perhaps even film nuclear reactions" Read the article: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41567-023-02092-6 The DNT5 conference will start on Sunday, April 7, 2024 in the historical Council building (Konzil) in Konstanz To offer you an insight into the history of this location the Council building was built from 1388 to 1391 by the city of Konstanz as a trading base with Italy and functioned initially as a warehouse the largest congress of the Middle Ages (the 16th Ecomenian Council for the election of a Pope) took place and ended the Great Schism of Western Christianity The reason Constance was chosen for that special event was its internationality wealth and the fact that it was already functioning as a bishop's seat the city had enough hostels and suitable buildings and rooms the Council building was renovated and transformed into a conference and festive building with sophisticated technology The research priority “Molecular Principles of Life” closely connects the departments of Chemistry and Biology and also involves the university’s Department of Computer and Information Sciences The central goal is to explore how biological processes are controlled at the molecular and atomic levels: Which properties of biological macromolecules determine their function How do epigenetic mechanisms regulate gene expression and influence the development and function of cells and organisms And what mechanisms underlie ageing processes the emergence and progression of disease or biological phenomena such as the “regulated cell death” researchers at the University of Konstanz use state-of-the-art methods and approaches that enable the detailed analysis of the complex interplay between the basic building blocks of cells the scientists investigate how biological systems adapt to changing conditions at both the molecular and network levels explore the reaction of biological systems to natural and synthetic molecules and develop new hybrid systems with tailored properties has laboratory space for transdisciplinary research involving working groups from the fields of chemistry and biology Key research institutions Collaborative Research Centre/Transregio 353 "Regulation of cell death decisions"