Prof. Anke Kaysser-Pyzalla recommended for President of Technische Universität Carolo-Wilhelmina zu Braunschweig

The Academic Senate of the Technische Universität Carolo-Wilhelmina zu Braunschweig has recommended Prof. Anke Kaysser-Pyzalla to the Ministry of Science and Culture for the State of Lower Saxony, Germany, as TU Braunschweig’s choice for its next President. The election took place December 14, 2016 in a joint session with the University Advisory Council. The Ministry will now take the recommendation under consideration. Ms. Kaysser-Pyzalla has been Scientific Director of the Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin since October 2008. During this time, she has placed the HZB in an excellent position within the German and international research landscape and noticeably elevated the visibility of its research capabilities.

In a communiqué from the TU Braunschweig, the succession is expected to occur following the decision and appointment of the new President by the Ministry on April 1, 2017. Professor Jürgen Hesselbach, President of TU Braunschweig, and Professor Lothar Hagebölling, Chairperson of the University Advisory Council, congratulated the designated successor on her election.

TU President Prof. Hesselbach was pleased about the election of a successor: “I am quite pleased that the Academic Senate and University Advisory Council have found such a proven and high-profile personality for head of Carolo-Wilhelmina. TU Braunschweig is attractive for executive personnel such as Ms. Prof. Kaysser-Pyzalla. It enjoys a very good reputation and can fare well in the competition for the best minds. I am very optimistic about the future. The fresh external perspective will do the university good.”

Prof. Anke Kaysser-Pyzalla was appointed Scientific Director of the HZB on October 1, 2008. She has contributed importantly to the success and accomplishments of the Hahn-Meitner Institute and BESSY GmbH since their merger was completed January 1, 2009. She took a personal hand in the fusion of the two sites and created the environment for expansion of in-house research and investments in the two large-scale facilities of the HZB – the BESSY II synchrotron source and the BER II neutron source, as well as in new laboratory infrastructure.

Following the HZB Supervisory Board resolution to close down the neutron source at the end of 2019, she drove an intensive internal strategy discussion on the future development of the HZB. As a result of these fruitful discussions, the HZB has become focussed on the field of energy supply through research on thin-film systems of materials in combination with the use of the brilliant synchrotron light of BESSY II. The HZB received unreserved support for its 2020+ strategy developed under the Perspectives Commission initiated by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) as well as commensurate support from the Helmholtz Association and the funding sources.

Prof. Kaysser-Pyzalla has continually involved herself personally in efforts to obtain outstanding scientists from Germany and abroad for positions as heads of the HZB institutes. In addition, large-scale projects such as bERLinPro, EMIL, and HEMF have already been realised or commenced under her leadership in close cooperation with Thomas Frederking, the HZB Executive Director of Finance and Administration. Anke Kaysser-Pyzalla has established through these projects the clear way markers for the continuing development of the HZB into one of the world’s leading centres for energy material research. The HZB has achieved high visibility among technical experts through its numerous projects in the field of particle accelerator development.

A further priority for Ms. Kaysser-Pyzalla has been support for the next generation of scientists, as well as the networking of the HZB with universities. With the creation of several Young Investigator Groups, the appointment of junior professors, as well as the establishment of numerous Joint Labs, this networking has been considerably expanded during her time as Director.

In particular, Anke Kaysser-Pyzalla has championed the expansion of the BESSY II synchrotron source into BESSY-VSR, a variable pulse-length storage ring – an engaging project that has immense strategic importance for the HZB. The evaluations that these plans received from scientific review panels have been excellent. She has been working intensively over the past months with Thomas Frederking, HZB Executive Director of Finance and Administration, on obtaining the financial commitments for realising BESSY-VSR. “I am extremely pleased to be adding an important additional financing component for BESSY-VSR now through the approval of our European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) application and the very strong support we have received from the State of Berlin. With the knowledge that BESSY-VSR will now be built, I am certain that the HZB is well-equipped for the future”, says Anke Kaysser-Pyzalla. She emphasizes that she will not overlook setting the necessary course over the coming weeks and months for a successful Helmholtz POF IV support period.

For further information: Meldung der TU Braunschweig (in German)