Rector Prof. Reese at GAIN26 in San Francisco
Rector Prof. Reese at GAIN26 in San Francisco
From left: Prof. Dr. Angelika Epple (Rector of Bielefeld University), Prof. Dr. Stefanie Reese (Rector of Siegen University), Ina Brandes (Minister of Culture and Science for the State of North Rhine-Westphalia) and Prof. Dr. Birgitta Wolff (Rector of the University of Wuppertal).
How can Germany attract international scientific talent? What opportunities does North Rhine-Westphalia offer as a hub for science—and what can Germany learn from successful innovation ecosystems in the U.S.? These questions were the focus of GAIN26 in San Francisco. The University of Siegen was also represented: Rector Prof. Dr. Stefanie Reese, together with the Prorector for Students and Junior Faculty, Diversity and International Affairs, Prof. Dr. Petra Vogel, as well as other university leaders from North Rhine-Westphalia, participated in the annual conference of the German Academic International Network (GAIN). The participation of NRW Minister of Science Ina Brandes also sent a strong signal in support of the region’s higher education sector.
GAIN is the largest networking event for German academic careers outside of Europe. From August 21 to 23, international postdocs and early-career researchers gathered in San Francisco with universities, research institutions, funding organizations, and representatives from academia and politics. The goal was to attract international talent to career paths in Germany and to strengthen networking between researchers and German research institutions.
For the University of Siegen, GAIN26 also provided an opportunity to contribute its perspectives to the discussions of the University Alliance UA11+. The alliance of medium-sized universities with strong research and technology transfer capabilities is jointly committed to the further development of Germany as a center of science and used GAIN, among other things, for international networking and the development of joint initiatives. In addition to discussions about academic career paths, the focus in San Francisco was also on how research, innovation, and technology transfer can be linked even more closely. In particular, examining the Bay Area’s innovation ecosystem provided important insights.
“I find the tremendous speed at which ideas are turned into innovations and concrete business models particularly impressive. Equally inspiring is the natural ease with which networks are established and utilized. We can learn a great deal from this for Germany as a hub for science and innovation. And, of course, for our UA11+ as well,” says Rector Prof. Dr. Stefanie Reese, sharing her impressions from San Francisco.
Ina Brandes, Minister of Science for the State of North Rhine-Westphalia, also used GAIN26 to promote career and research opportunities in North Rhine-Westphalia in collaboration with the universities. A total of twelve rectors and presidents from universities in North Rhine-Westphalia attended the conference. Among other things, the state presented its return program for top talent and its innovation professorships.
Following the GAIN conference in San Francisco, Rector Prof. Reese, at the invitation of Minister Ina Brandes, visited Stanford University and Silicon Valley together with rectors from other universities in North Rhine-Westphalia. The program featured inspiring insights into Stanford’s entrepreneurial culture—from the StartX startup accelerator to strategies for turning university research into successful spin-offs.
University Rector Prof. Dr. Stefanie Reese (2nd from right) together with Minister Ina Brandes and rectors of other universities in North Rhine-Westphalia during their visit to Stanford University.
