This year's PIER PhD Reception took place on 3 July in DESY's auditorium and canteen. About 90 doctoral students, their supervisors, friends, relatives, and staff from both DESY and Universität Hamburg attended the event to welcome all new doctoral candidates and to honor the doctoral graduates of the PIER Helmholtz Graduate School (PHGS).

In his welcome address, the MIN faculty’s Vice Dean for Research, Internationalization and Technology Transfer Prof. Wolfgang Hillert highlighted the importance to look beyond the confines of one’s own research and doctoral project. "We have a very special microcosm here on campus and many exciting spin-offs," emphasized Prof. Hillert and showed several examples of researchers who have successfully founded companies based on scientific expertise.

Basic research and its importance for societal innovation

In his welcoming address, Dr. Arik Willner, DESY Director of Administration (interim), agreed with Prof. Hillert: "We have a unique research and innovation infrastructure on the campus here in Hamburg, and a wide range of support options for founders." Dr. Willner also emphasized how important basic research, such as that conducted on the Bahrenfeld campus, is for the development of society as a whole: "Without the findings of basic research, there can be no innovation. We at DESY are always trying to explain this to politicians, whose focus is often exclusively on application-oriented research. Yet it is knowledge-driven basic research that gives rise to innovations in the first place - and which can then be made available to society in the next step. A particularly vivid example is the biotech company Biontech, which used the PETRA III beamlines to develop its coronavirus vaccine: Here we have the very highest social added value paired with extraordinary profit for a company."

The importance of German language skills

After the two welcoming speeches, Prof. Robin Santra, DESY spokesperson of the PHGS, gave a brief overview of the highly international composition of doctoral researchers at the PIER Helmholtz Graduate School: "For a German research center, it is something very special to have over 50% non-German doctoral researchers." In this context, Prof. Santra pointed out how important it is for non-German researchers to acquire German language skills: "Many of them will want to stay in Germany after their doctorate. For this it is very, very helpful to be able to communicate well in German, because without German you won't get very far outside our scientific bubble. So take advantage of the opportunities offered by the PIER Helmholtz Graduate School!"

Research centers don't fall from the sky’ – but how do they come into being and develop?

In the evening’s keynote lecture, Prof. Albrecht Wagner, former chairman of the DESY Board of Directors and former chairman of the University Council of Universität Hamburg gave an overview of the eventful history of DESY - from the modest beginnings in the post-war years of the young Federal Republic of Germany in the 1950s to the current plans for the Science City Bahrenfeld: "This development was not planned and was also not foreseeable - it makes me proud to have been able to accompany this development for several years." Turning to the doctoral researchers, he added: "In case you are wondering what kind of very special place you have been 'dropped' over for your doctorate: We all don't know exactly where the journey will take you, but make the most of it and help shape the future. What could be more exciting than working in such a dynamic and vibrant place that is constantly changing and evolving?"

An elementary component of the PIER PhD Reception was again the farewell to the members who successfully completed their doctorate during the last 12 months. Prof. Daniela Pfannkuche, UHH spokesperson for the PHGS, invited the graduates to the stage and briefly introduced the graduates and their doctoral projects to the audience. For some of the graduates, the oral defense was only a few days and weeks ago - one of the young researchers had even successfully completed his oral defense just a few hours before the doctoral reception. The audience, which also included numerous family members of the graduates, honored them with hearty applause. Congratulations once again to all the PHGS graduates! The PIER PhD Reception was moderated by Stefanie Tepass, Lead Coordinator of the PHGS, who at the end of the event thanked Prof. Hillert (piano) and Jona Will (violin), who accompanied the evening with wonderful Klezmer and Ragtime music.

The evening ended with a relaxed get-together with food and drink in the DESY bistro.

Photograph: DESY/Kevin Winiker