Information

Training of a regional research structure

In addition to the members employed at the Ruhr-Universität, the integration of associated members will play an important role in view of the complexity of the topic. In regional terms, there are close professional links in the relevant subject areas, for example with the Fraunhofer Institute for Environmental, Safety and Energy Technology (UMSICHT), the Max Planck Institutes for Chemical Conversion and Coal Research, the DLR Institute for Propulsion Technology, the Research Centre Jülich, the Bochum University of Applied Sciences and, of course, the neighbouring universities in Duisburg/Essen and Dortmund with which the Ruhr University cooperates within the framework of the University Alliance Ruhr. By linking colleagues from these institutions, the Research Department is contributing to a politically clearly articulated goal: The bundling of the specific strengths of all institutions involved in academic research and development, from universities of applied sciences to universities, from Fraunhofer and Helmholtz institutes to Max Planck Institutes, in working on socially relevant issues.

Promotion of young scientists

In keeping with the tradition of the Research Departments and in an effort to achieve the greatest possible research policy impact in the long term, the central concern of the Closed Carbon Cycle Economy Research Department is to promote young researchers at the postdoctoral level. These are admitted as full members and encouraged to conduct independent research as well as to participate in cooperative research projects. With funds from the Research Department, applications from young colleagues are supported in a competitive process. In this way, young scientists are actively introduced to the Research Department's topics.

Despite the strongly interdisciplinary character of the Research Department, doctorates will in most cases remain disciplinary - even a Closed Carbon Cycle Economy first of all needs highly qualified scientific experts from a wide range of disciplines. The Doctoral School Closed Carbon Cycle Economy is under construction to provide doctoral students with the interdisciplinary knowledge they need to drive successful structural change in addition to their excellent professional training. Currently, eight doctoral students and one managing director are working on the content of this doctoral school under the leadership of experienced colleagues* in five faculties. With the start of the second phase of the project funded by the state of NRW, this circle will be extended to 17 doctoral students at seven faculties. In addition, there will be further doctoral students from other projects in the Research Department - the Doctoral School is planned as an open structure.

In the following clip Prof. Span briefly presents the RUB and the RD CCCE: