International Junior Scientists Workshop

In 2008, the Swiss Nanoscience Institute (SNI, former NCCR Nano) and the Center for NanoScience (CeNS) Munich invited young researchers from around the world to discuss issues of global importance at an international Meeting of junior nanoscientists on global challenges.

As a key technology of this century, nanotechnology will play a leading role in the development of solutions for the global challenges. The upcoming threatening problems, which in turn pose rewarding research opportunities, will engross the current generation of young scientists. Their interdisciplinary education will allow them to tackle these challenges ahead.

The NCCR Nanoscale Science in Basel and the Center for NanoScience (CeNS) in Munich have started a joint effort to address this urgent issue by inviting 40 junior scientists to the island of San Servolo in the Laguna of Venice on April 21-24 for an intense workshop entitled Global challenges and how nanotechnology can help. The group was composed of advanced PhD students and postdoctoral researchers coming from China, India, Iran, Japan, Pakistan, Russia, Africa, South America, USA and Europe. The first goal of this meeting was to foster the awareness for the global challenges by an analysis of the current major problems by this group of junior scientists. Since every change will require internationally consorted efforts, the initiation of a network amongst these scientists, which will sculpture our scientific and technological future, seems to be essential. The formation of such a network of junior scientists was therefore a major goal of this workshop. In a final round the junior researchers identified key problems where nanotechnology can provide solutions. Our hope is that powerful networks composed of these junior scientists will form to tackle the most urgent projects in the near future.

• Prof. Hermann Gaub, Center for NanoScience (Munich)
• Prof. Christoph Gerber, Swiss Nanoscience Institute (Basel)

40 PhD students and PostDocs working in the field of nanotechnology. The selected participants come from: China, Japan, India, Iran, Pakistan, Europe, Afrika, South America and the USA.

1. Identify global challenges
   From gofers perspective of the lab to eagles view of the world!
2. Identify, where nano-science can contribute to solutions
   Convergence with other technologies with the goal to develop sustainable low-key technologies.
3. Formation of a world-wide junior nano-scientist network
   Direct personal contact will make joint projects possible, which otherwise might be stuck in the mud-holes of bureaucracy.