Wiss-Nama Newsletter

WISS-NAMA is the newsletter of the Science and Technology Department of the German Embassy, New Delhi. The title is a combination of a German and an Indian word: WISS, an abbreviation of the German word 'Wissenschaft' (meaning science), and NAMA, a word used in Sanskrit and Persian contexts, standing for 'compendium' or 'handbook'.

News from Indo-German Cooperation

DWIH organizes conference ‘WaterScapes’ on October 5 and 6, 2017

The German House for Research and Innovation (DWIH) New Delhi organised a 2-day conference titled “Waterscapes” on October 5 and 6 at the India Habitat Centre in New Delhi. The conference was inaugurated by Dr. Jasper Wieck, Deputy Head of Mission of the German Embassy New Delhi. During his inaugural address, Dr Wieck pointed out on water being an important area in the Indo-German bilateral cooperation. Around 200 participants, including students, researchers and other experts from India and Germany, attended the conference.

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Coimbatore Corporation signs MoU with Fraunhofer to set up smart city lab

Fraunhofer Institute for Industrial Engineering (IAO) signed a memorandum of understanding with Coimbatore City Municipal Corporation on Sept 11 to set up the India’s first Smart City Innovation Lab in the city of Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, with a view to scale intelligent growth through sustainable innovation in Coimbatore based on the Morgenstadt Initiative (Cities of Tomorrow) of the Fraunhofer Society. The MoU was signed in presence of Thiru. S.P. Velumani, Minister for Municipal Administration, Rural Development and Implementation of Special Programme, Govt. of Tamil Nadu and Mr. Achim Fabig, Consul General of Germany (in Chennai) at the Chennai Secretariat.

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Highlights from Germany and India

Dr. Soumya Swaminathan appointed as WHO Deputy Director-General

Dr. Soumya Swaminathan, Director-General of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and Secretary to the Department of Health Research, has been appointed the World Health Organisation’s (WHO’s) Deputy Director-General, programmes, in Geneva. Dr. Swaminathan is a renowned pediatrician and clinical scientist. She will replace Dr. Anarfi Asamoa-Baah of Ghana. 

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Upcoming Events and Conferences

Indo-German Symposium on Science Communication – New Delhi and Mohali

Science Communication is an often underestimated, yet crucial part of science. The Indo-German Symposium on science communication organized by the German Embassy New Delhi invites students, scientists and practitioners from India and Germany to explore the possibilities of science communication. Questions like ‘What makes good science communication?’ ‘Why is it important?’ ‘And how is it done?’ will be addressed at the symposium. The Symposium will take place at German Embassy New Delhi and National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER), Mohali on November 7 and 8 respectively. 

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Information & Networking Event: EU-India Call on Water 

“Information & Networking Event: EU-India Call on Water” will take place in New Delhi (Habitat Center) on November 3, 2017. This event is co-organized by the Research and Innovation Section of the Delegation of the European Union to India, (EU), the Department of Science & Technology (DST) and the Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Government of India in association with the TECO project.  The event targets potential applicants to the EU-India Call on Water for joint project proposals. It will offer an exceptional opportunity to build quality partnerships with academics, researchers, industrial stakeholders, SMEs and government actors from Europe and India. The aim of this event is to promote the flagship call on Water, jointly funded by EC-DST-DBT. 

To register

Indo-German Dialogue on Youth Innovation

The German House for Research and Innovation (DWIH) - New Delhi together with Technical University Munich (TUM) and its partner institutes in India will organize an Indo-German Dialogue on Youth Innovation November 13-18, 2017. It will cover the cities of Delhi, Bengaluru and Mumbai which are some of the important centers of innovation in India. It will feature a group of young researchers, leaders and entrepreneurs from India and Germany who will present their award winning and impactful work to their peers. The topics are slated to be multidisciplinary with a larger technical and social context to it. 

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Seminar and Lecture on “Affordable Excellence”: How frugal innovations can turn into an engine for growth in India and abroad

German Embassy New Delhi and German House for Research and Innovation will organize a seminar and a science circle lecture on “Affordable Excellence: How frugal innovations can turn into an engine for growth in India and abroad” at German Embassy on November 28 (seminar) and in German House on November 29 (lecture), respectively. Frugal innovations are increasingly becoming crucial for success in emerging economies and beyond, as current research at Hamburg University of Technology (TUHH), conducted with support from Germany’s Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) shows. This seminar intends to showcase how frugal innovations go beyond mere low-cost solutions and that affordable price is a necessary but not a sufficient condition for success. Experts from Center for Frugal Innovation at TUHH, together with local partners from India, will present best-practice examples from German and Indian companies about implementing a successful frugal innovation strategy.

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International Congress of Cell Biology, Hyderabad, India, 2018

The International Federation of Cell Biology (IFCB), the Asian-Pacific Organization of Cell Biology (APOCB) and the Indian Society of Cell Biology (ISCB) are hosting a joint tripartite meeting in India. The meeting will take place at the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology - a CSIR laboratory in Hyderabad from January 27-31, 2018. The title of this meeting is “The Dynamic Cell: From Molecules and Networks to Form and Function”. All cell biologists from across the world are invited to participate in this congress. 

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DAAD Events

The German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) will be organizing a series of events for Indian students and researchers interested in pursuing studies or research in Germany and webinars for students joining German universities shortly. 

Webinar: Master’s in Germany

October 25, 2017, 15:00 any place convenient to the participant with a good internet connection

Find out everything about Master's in Germany - eligibility, admission procedures, scholarships and more.

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ReDiscover Germany – Higher Education and Beyond!

Mumbai: October 27, 2017 9:00hrs, The Gallerie, Goethe-Institut/Max Mueller Bhavan, K. Dubash Marg, Kala Ghoda, Fort

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InfoSession – Study & Research in Germany

New Delhi, October 27, 2017, 15:00 hrs, German House, 2 Nyaya Marg, Chanakyapuri, New Delhi 110021

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Workshop – Research Opportunities in Germany and Research Networking

Hyderabad: October 28, 2017 9:00 hrs, Hyderabad

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Study and Research in Germany

Pune: October 26, 2017, 16:00hrs, DAAD Pune, C/o Indo-German Chamber of Commerce, 710 Nucleus Mall, 1 Church Road, Opp. Police Commissioner's Office, Pune 411001

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Calls for Proposals: Funding opportunities and Scholarships

WWF and Deutsches Klima-Konsortium (DKK) offer free online course

WWF Germany and the research association DKK (Deutsche Klima-Konsortium) have edited climate science in a concise and intriguing way and set up an online series of lectures on "Climate Change, Risks and Challenges". The Climate Course, funded by the Federal Foreign Office, is a further development of the German course “Klimawandel und seine Folgen”. More than 10,000 people have already participated in this course. The Climate Course will be launched in October 2017. Registration is currently open.

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EU Call for Propasals - ERASMUS+ Programme 

Numerous Call for Proposals have been announced under the Erasmus+ Programme, the European Union programme for education, training, youth and sport as well as on the 2016 and 2017 Erasmus+ annual work programmes. The Erasmus+ programme covers the period 2014 to 2020. Any public or private body active in the fields of education, training, youth and sport may apply for funding within this programme. In addition, groups of young people who are active in youth work, but not necessarily in the context of a youth organisation, may apply to learn mobility of young people and youth workers as well as for strategic partnerships in the field of youth. Under the ERASMUS+ programme there are a definite number of calls for proposals having different deadlines till October 2017. 

Application deadline: October 2017

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International Disaster and Risk Management – IKARIM

The German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) has announced the IKARIM - Call for Proposals within the “Research for civil security 2012-2017” framework programme. The IKARIM grant aims to transfer know-how and to form international partnerships for disaster risk management. The focus is on innovative, application-oriented cooperation projects that contribute to population protection, disaster prevention and the protection of critical infrastructures as well as the development of early warning systems in selected African and Asian countries. Experts of Germany and the respective country will cooperate within the collaborative projects. 

Application deadline: December 15, 2017

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PhD Program at the IMPRS for Astrophysics at University of Munich

International Max-Planck Research School (IMPRS) is offering 25 PhD positions for research topics in various fields of astrophysics. At IMPRS they form one of the largest centers of astrophysical research in the world, covering every subject from planets, stars, and galaxies to cosmology. Access to the world's largest telescopes and a stimulating scientific environment provide the students with the ideal conditions for their PhD research.

Application deadline: November 15, 2017

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PhD positions in Solar System Science

The Max Planck Research School for Solar System Science (MPS) at the University of Göttingen invites applications for PhD positions in Solar System Science. It offers a research-oriented doctoral programme covering the physical aspects of Solar System science. It is jointly run by MPS and University of Gottingen. Research at the MPS covers three main areas, namely, ‘Sun and Heliosphere’, ‘Solar and Stellar Interiors’ and ‘planets and Comets’. The students collaborate with leading scientists in these fields. The call is open to students from all countries and offers an international three-year PhD program.

Application deadline: November 15, 2017

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Lindau Nobel Laureates Meeting 2018

The 68th Lindau Nobel Laureates Meeting 2018, dedicated to Physiology & Medicine and related disciplines including all aspects of medicine or biology, biochemistry, cell biology and similar areas as well as any area of clinical medicine., is going to held be from June 24-29, 2018. A group of Indian students and young researchers is sent every year to Lindau, Germany, by the Indian Department of Science and Technology and the Lindau Council to discuss major issues of importance to their fields with Nobel Laureates and also with other students from around the world. Participants should be below 35 years of age. Master students, doctoral and post-doctoral researchers can apply. Selected researchers will get an opportunity to stay in Germany for two weeks. The second week will include a trip to select German institutes of repute and is sponsored and organized by the German Research Foundation (DFG).

Application Deadline: November 30, 2017

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Know the Indo-German science landscape: Indian Institute of Technology Madras

Indian Institute of Technology Madras

(©Indian Institute of Technology Madras)

To acquaint our readers with the scientific scenario in India and Germany and to highlight the Indo-German cooperation in the field of science and technology, we would like to introduce one German or Indian Science institution in every edition, as a feature in our newsletter.

Indian Institute of Technology Madras

Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras is one of the foremost institutes of national importance in higher technological education, basic and applied research. In 1956, the German Government offered technical assistance for establishing an institute of higher education in engineering in India. The first Indo-German agreement in Bonn for the establishment of IIT Madras was signed in 1959 after which many agreements were signed between India and Germany for the betterment of the institute. The institute has 16 academic departments and a few advanced research centres in various disciplines of engineering and pure sciences, with nearly 100 laboratories.  The aim of the institute is to foster, promote and sustain scientific research in all aspects – pure, applied and educational and also to ensure adequate supply of research scientists of higher quality. Admissions to all undergraduate programmes are made through Joint Entrance Examination (JEE), whereas for postgraduate programmes are done through Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE).

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Did You Know?

Fleas can jump 130 times higher than their own height. In human terms this is equal to a 6 ft. person jumping 780 ft. into the air.

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