I’ve chosen to work at the University of Oldenburg because I am delighted to work with my host, Prof. Esther Ruigendijk, and her team and colleagues at this University and the Cluster of Excellence Hearing4All. They belong to the international top in the field of auditory and cognitive neuroscience and psycholinguistic research and use innovative neural techniques that will definitely add to my expertise in brain plasticity and auditory processing.

I’m currently working on a critical question in human behaviour, namely how long-term language experience affects an individual’s ability to process speech information in real-life listening environments. Real-world listening environments can be noisy and can obscure important speech information. These difficulties in understanding speech under background noise are even more pronounced in bilingual populations than in monolingual ones, especially when the former are processing speech in their second language. At the University of Oldenburg, we will investigate how prior language experience, including multilingualism, shapes brain function and modifies speech listening abilities.

What I particularly like about my stay here is that I can render new academic achievements in highly respected labs while at the same time I can enjoy a new chapter in my life with my family. I also enjoy the nice atmosphere of Oldenburg and Bremen and the chance to renew my German I learnt back home.

I have chosen to work at the University of Oldenburg because Professor Dr Benedikt Hensel and I are leading the cooperation between the Universities of Oldenburg and Haifa in the field of Jewish history, biblical studies and theology. In this capacity, Professor Hensel invited me to be Carl von Ossietzky Guest Lecturer for this winter semester. He and I share a vision for the future of the study of ancient Judaism in all its aspects – based on academic standards and technological innovation. We have ambitious plans for this partnership, with several ground-breaking projects underway. These include both innovations in the field of epigraphy – the study of inscriptions – for the research of the history of Judaism in the Achaemenid period (550 – 330 BC) as well as fundamental solutions for the application of Digital Humanities concepts in general.

I am currently working on a course that Professor Hensel and I are teaching simultaneously here in Oldenburg and in Haifa. It is called “Seen from the East: Judaism under the Iranian ‘Age of Empires’” and we are offering it for the first time. We are currently preparing for the second part of this course in the coming semester. In addition, I am finishing a book on my restoration of a remarkable scroll from the Dead Sea area, found among the documents retained by the Jews of Qumran. It preserves a previously unknown legend from the Achaemenid court.

What I particularly like about my stay here is that the leadership here at the University of Oldenburg is very responsive in embracing innovation and collaboration. Furthermore, the students show a keen interest in the latest advancements in research and are happy to share their own insights. This first stay here is only the first step in a promising and fruitful partnership.

I’ve chosen to work at the University of Oldenburg mainly because of Prof. Dr Gunther Wittstock. He is a highly respected scientist and one of the scientific leaders in the area of electrochemistry. For the Humboldt application, he suggested a research area, which also led to a longstanding collaboration with the Fraunhofer-Institut für Fertigungstechnik und Angewandte Materialforschung (IFAM) in Bremen. Also, I am glad that I am associated with the university named after one of the finest journalists in history.

I’m currently working on energy storage devices. Batteries are ubiquitous in any kind of consumer electronic devices. Despite huge advances, some challenges remain in this essential field of research. For example, today most wearable electronic devices use rigid batteries while flexible energy devices are not commonly used yet. These devices have two flexible electrical conductors, that is materials converting chemical energy into electrical energy, and an electrolyte solution. We work on all these aspects of energy devices, such as electrodes and electrolytes. In some of these projects, we also collaborate with Dr. Julian Schwenzel from the IFAM.

What I particularly like about my stay here is the research environment. I have been associated with some of the finest institutions such as the Indian Institute of Technology in Bombay (India), the University of Massachusetts in Amherst (USA), and the National Chemical Laboratory in Pune (India). The research facilities of these institutions are comparable to that of the University of Oldenburg. The strengths and objectives of those institutes might be different from those of the Institute of Chemistry here in Oldenburg, but the support system at this university is unparalleled. My stay here has afforded me a unique research environment, and I really like it.

I’ve chosen to work at the University of Oldenburg because during my previous postdoctoral research at the University of Münster in 2019, I got the opportunity to carry out my field work activities in the North Sea including Wilhelmshaven and that’s how I came to know about the Institute of Chemistry and Biology of the Sea (ICBM). I was amazed by the beautiful location of the research institute, its multidisciplinary focuses, high-tech laboratories, and world class researchers such as Prof. Peter Schupp who is now my host supervisor. 

I’m currently working working in collaboration with the Leibniz Centre for Tropical Marine Research (ZMT) in Bremen on the natural product chemistry and biological properties of the tropical jellyfish Cassiopea andromeda with potential application towards developing novel nutraceuticals, that is products beneficial for human health. We first screen the chemical components and bioactive properties of these jellyfish-derived extracts and compounds to find out whether they are toxic against human cancer cells and also have antioxidant effects.  We culture the jellyfish at different temperatures and light conditions and observe how the molecules are involved in the metabolism change. Our study will open a fertile area of research to pursue the search for novel bioactive agents from jellyfish. Furthermore, it will also provide baseline scientific information on best and innovative practices for aquaculture and sustainable production of jellyfish biomass.

What I particularly like about my stay in Wilhelmshaven is the sea. Although it is quite different to Mauritius, somehow the smell of the sea and beaches remind me of home. Living in the guest house of the station is such a bliss especially in summer when I wake up to the beautiful view of the ocean and sometimes, I also get to see seals and whales near the shore, things I do not get to see in Mauritius! Last but not the least, coming from different parts of the world, researchers working at ICBM are outgoing, friendly, and helpful. It is also a good opportunity to learn and share our respective cultures and traditions which further adds to a great experience in Germany.

I’ve chosen to work at the University of Oldenburg because of my host, Prof. Dr. Susanne Binas-Preisendörfer, whose work overlaps with my own research interests in music and media. The geographical location of the University of Oldenburg is also ideal for my current research project, which focuses on historical documents stored at the Bremen State Archive.

I’m currently working on a social history of aurality in southeastern Ghana, investigating the significance of sound and listening in the context of missionization and colonization. One of the major European missions that was active in West Africa in the 19th century was the Norddeutsche Missionsgesellschaft, also known as Bremen Mission. From 1884 to 1916, southeastern Ghana was part of the German colony Togo. Germany and Ghana have therefore a shared historical legacy, which is particularly interesting for me as a German who lives and works in Ghana.

What I particularly like about my stay here is the support for international researchers and the welcoming atmosphere in Oldenburg. I also greatly enjoy the food here and the German weather, which is a welcome change from Ghana's tropical heat.

I’ve chosen to work at the University of Oldenburg because of my supervisor Christian Schneider. When I was a PhD student at Peking University, my research projects were in close relation with his papers, so I read many of his literatures. I found his research was advanced and novel, and I thought it would be great if I had an opportunity to join his group.

I’m currently working on light emission of exciton-polaritons at room temperature. We try to realize room-temperature Bose condensate and lasing on basis of atomically thin semiconductors, which could be an advanced process in this field, especially for the practical device operation, as low-temperature is a requisite usually.

What I particularly like about my stay here is the motivated and free academic atmosphere, as well as the excellent research conditions. Also, Oldenburg and the Uni are peaceful and harmonious. I believe it’s a nice place for study and research.

I’ve chosen to work at the University of Oldenburg because I would like to widen my horizon and broaden my expertise and research network. I obtained a DAAD scholarship and visited the University of Oldenburg in 2016. The university has several high-tech facilities and accomplished scientists. I have been cooperating remotely with Prof. Dr Michael Wark since then. But now it was time to collaborate face-to-face.

I’m currently working on electrochemical water splitting using metal organic frameworks (MOFs). There is great attention on hydrogen gas as a potential energy source. At present, hydrogen is mainly produced from fossil resources through a steam reforming process. This accelerates fossil fuel depletion and CO₂ emission. In view of environmental issues, splitting of water into oxygen and hydrogen gas during water electrolysis is a clean alternative to generate hydrogen with high purity. We are going to design and prepare some so-called metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) as electrocatalysts or supports of electrocatalysts to obtain better performance. Most of my activity will be in Prof. Dr. Michael Wark`s lab at the Institute of Chemistry.

What I particularly like about my stay here is that Oldenburg is a very pretty and peaceful city with very helpful people. It has a good university with high-tech facilities, a beautiful campus and a warm welcoming to internationals. Truly, for a scientist who is interested to work in a scientific and calm atmosphere, University of Oldenburg is one of the best options. The previous exceptional experiences in social and academic life in Oldenburg encouraged me to apply for a longer research stay, twelve months, here. Germany always makes me think of discipline, rules, hard-work, international atmosphere and beautiful nature!