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Concept
KOSMOS Summer Universities are set up on the initiative of HU researchers and bring together scientists and scholars from HU, selected partner universities and non-university research institutions. The programme generally lasts two weeks, during which the participants research and teach together. In the context of each Summer University, an international researcher is invited to spend a year at HU as a HU International Scholar. Scholars work in a team with their HU colleagues to prepare the KOSMOS University and pursue research goals on related themes. While they are at HU, Scholars also develop contacts to the academic world in Berlin, gain intercultural teaching experience and strengthen HU’s efforts to boost internationalisation at home.
Photo: Heike Zappe
Another goal of the KOSMOS Summer University is to promote young researchers by involving advanced bachelor’s/master’s students and PhD candidates from HU and the participating partner universities. The young researchers work in their own project groups, but also have the opportunity to take part in selected KOSMOS events where they can meet top-level researchers. They also attend seminars and go on excursions during which they can get to know Berlin as a city and academic location. They gain insight into the work of non-university research institutions and companies working closely with academia, and receive information on internships in research and industry.
The first KOSMOS Summer University took place in September 2011 in cooperation with Japan’s Chiba University and the National University of Singapore. It was held on Campus Adlershof and focused on topics from physics. The 2012 KOSMOS Summer University will look at cultural history and theory together with the University of Buenos Aires and a group of Latin American universities. The high-profile area of systems biology will be the focus for the 2013 event, which will be run in partnership with the Charité and the Max Delbrück Center. In the future, two KOSMOS Summer Universities will be held each year and address varying topics from HU’s high-profile areas. With their strong research focus and active involvement of young researchers, KOSMOS Summer Universities are a magnet for top-level international research.
