Joint press release of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, the German Academic Exchange Service and the German Research Foundation

Germany seeks top scientists and researchers in San Francisco

Annual meeting of the German Academic International Network (GAIN) in San Francisco

Bonn. 25.08.2015. Core themes of the 15th annual GAIN conference include the prospects of the German academic and research landscape as well as individual career paths and professional opportunities. This unique meeting offers young German academics and researchers in North America the opportunity to interact and establish contact with high-level representatives from academe, politics, and the private sector. More than 300 scientists and researchers are expected to attend this year’s meeting, which takes place August 28-30 in San Francisco. It is the largest event of its kind outside of Europe.

“The USA is by far the most important destination for mobile German research scientists. The GAIN Network plays a crucial role as a central platform for the German scientific community in North America to inform itself about career opportunities in Germany. I am excited that not just Universities, but also more and more businesses are using the annual GAIN meeting to offer attractive careers to top candidates,” says DAAD President, Dr. Margret Wintermantel.

“Germany, just like the USA, is producing more excellent young researchers and scientists than available positions at universities and research institutions. The GAIN Meeting is the ideal forum to discuss not only scientific careers, but also alternative academic careers, such as in industry or start-ups,” says General Secretary of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, Dr. Enno Aufderheide. “Our goal is to utilize the enormous potential of our early-career researchers and to make pathways to a career more flexible and transparent,” adds Aufderheide.
“Wir are coming to San Francisco with good news. Much has been set in motion within the German scientific system, and the discussion about better and more reliable career prospects for early-career researchers, as well as about the continuation and further development of the university Excellence Initiative, is well underway. Anyone considering a future in research and science in Germany will benefit from this conference,” says German Research Foundation (DFG) General Secretary Dorothee Dzwonnek.
Aside from pathways to becoming a professor or research group leader, one of the central themes of the 2015 GAIN Conference is the development of careers outside academe. Panelists and discussants will share their experience and expertise on careers in industry, management, and administration, as well as other exciting opportunities for early career researchers.
Through a series of workshops, roundtable- and panel discussions, and networking events, participants are invited to engage not only with each other, but also with political and academic delegates from Germany. State Secretary at the Federal Ministry of Education and Research, Cornelia Quennet-Thielen and Dr. Sabine Kunst, Minister of Science, Research, and Culture of the German State of Brandenburg, will be in attendance among other senior representatives, including members of the Federal Bundestag. The conference will also host several presidents and rectors of leading German universities such as Dr. Horst Hippler, President of the German Rectors’ Conference, and Dr. Jörg Hacker, president of the National Academy of the Sciences Leopoldina and member of the UN Secretary-General’s Scientific Advisory Board, who will give the keynote address.
More than 70 exhibitors are expected at the accompanying Career Fair, where the young scholars have the chance to network with universities, research foundations, and businesses, as well as to learn about current career prospects and fellowship programs. The Career Fair is organized by GAIN in collaboration with the German Rectors’ Conference and the German Scholars Organization.

About the Organization:

The German Academic International Network (GAIN) was founded as a joint initiative of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, the German Academic Exchange Service, and the German Research Foundation. Associated members are the German Cancer Aid (Deutsche Krebshilfe), German National Academic Foundation (Studienstiftung des deutschen Volkes), the German Rectors' Conference, the Fraunhofer Society, the Helmholtz Association of German Research Centers, the Leibniz Association, and the Max Planck Society.
With close to 5,500 members, GAIN has become the central transatlantic network for German researchers and scientists. With various events and publications, GAIN aims to improve the flow of information across the Atlantic. The network actively helps scientists in their efforts to return to Germany and to find attractive and competitive positions. It also supports them in establishing collaborative professional networks between Germany and North America.

Contact:

Dr. Gerrit Rößler, Program Director,
DAAD New York Office, Tel. (+1) 212 758 3223, extension 217,
871 United Nations Plaza
New York, NY 10017
roessler@daad.org