Newsroom

News 06 September 2019

Interdisciplinarity - Buzzword or Indispensable Concept?

An international symposium at the Humboldt Forum in Berlin on October 3 and 4, 2019 discusses the importance of interdisciplinary cooperation and new perspectives.

News 03 September 2019

Freigeist Fellowships: Around 10 Million Euro for Extraordinary Researchers

They set themselves apart from the mainstream and deliberately tackle high-risk research questions: Nine young researchers have now convinced the Volkswagen Foundation's international panel of experts and board of trustees with their unconventional projects. Their 'Freigeist' Fellowship gives them maximum freedom and a clear time perspective for their research. 

News 19 August 2019

"Our Future Depends on the Next Generation of Scientists."

Interview with Dr. Christian Peters, co-organizer of the conference "Forces and Forms of Doctoral Education Worldwide" in Hanover, Germany on September 5 to 6, 2019

Interview 14 August 2019

Why Robotics Needs Responsibility

Ethical aspects are rarely considered when it comes to the design and the programming of a robot. This is where Aimee van Wynsberghe, co-founder and co-director of the Foundation for Responsible Robotics, is stepping in.

News 28 June 2019

Dr. Georg Schütte is the new Secretary General of the Volkswagen Foundation

At its summer meeting, the Board of Trustees of the Volkswagen Foundation elected Dr. Georg Schütte (born 1962) as the new Secretary General. He takes up his post on January 1, 2020, and succeeds Dr. Wilhelm Krull (born 1952)

News 24 June 2019

Deep in the Black Forest: A World-Class Research Institute

The Oberwolfach Research Institute for Mathematics is one of the world's most important meeting places for mathematicians and has been funded by the Volkswagen Foundation for decades. The institution is now celebrating its 75th anniversary.

Eine Frau, die aufmerksam zuhört
Story 06 March 2025

So that everyone can have their say: Citizens' assembly on AI research

Rhetoric expert Anika Kaiser researches how people can make themselves heard on the major issues of our time – artificial intelligence (AI) being a case in point. She is the right person to take care that this grassroots democratic process does not remain too detached from reality: in her first life, she trained as a painter.

Frauen mit Kopftüchern sitzen an Tischen und haben Steinblöcke mit Inschriften vor sich liegen, die sie betrachten.
Story 26 February 2025

Archaeology as reconstruction: Ancient Near Eastern Studies in Mosul

He came to Mosul with the task of excavating ancient Nineveh. In the meantime, however, the mission of the ancient orientalist Stefan Maul goes far beyond this: he is rebuilding the study of antiquity in Iraq. And he is teaching the people what the Islamists robbed them of: pride in their cultural heritage.