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 "Background" |
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"Background"
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"Background"
The department of colloid chemistry was founded on 1 January 1992 on the roots of the former Academy of Sciences institute of the GDR, the "Institut für Polymerenchemie Erich Correns". This foundation was a direct consequence of the evaluation procedure of the former activities; there was consensus among the scientific authorities that the field of "Colloids and Interfaces" might explore an exciting future in the viewpoint of fundamental as well as applied research. It was also realized that the promising activities of the East German scientists, merged with new expertise and experimental methods, could bring a tremendous progress in field.
For the first two years, Professor Burkart Philipp was the head of the department. In October 1993, the department was handed over to Professor Markus Antonietti, who is director and Scientific Member of the Max Planck Society. The Institute is now at the end of a transition period from an academy institute to a modern, European style centre of research. Strongholds of the former institute were conserved by taking over a number East German scientists with their leading expertise, for instance in the field of polyelectrolytes and heterophase polymerization. The staff was filled up with a number of young West German researchers who complete the profile of the department. The number of employees coming from the west and the east is about equal, with a strong tendency to recruit more scientists from all EC countries. A first step in the latter direction is a very strong program for visiting scientists including a number of Max Planck supported post-doc positions and support for the sabbatical leave of foreign senior scientists. The equilibrium group size - including technicians and graduate students - amounts to about 60 persons.
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© 2012, Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces, Potsdam |
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