What is the Presidents Welcome Award?
“Young AI researchers from all over the world can apply for the award and will discover that the Nuremberg Metropolitan Region is not only a great place to live, but also an excellent place to conduct research – and at a top international level,” says Prof. Dr. Joachim Hornegger, President of Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU).
Young minds for a technology of the future
Artificial intelligence is the technology of the future par excellence – and good people are more in demand than in almost any other field of research. “In times of a shortage of young scientists, there is fierce international competition here for the much-cited best minds,” says Prof. Hornegger. That’s why he was extremely open to the idea for the President’s Welcome Award for six young scientific talents from the very beginning and quickly agreed to the concept. “The award is an incentive for young talent from abroad to settle in Erlangen,” the FAU president is certain.
The program offers a unique opportunity to arrive carefree in another country and build up a professional as well as social network – without first having to plunge into the shoals of the local housing market and deal with other formalities. “If a young scientist or researcher from abroad wants to come to Germany, they should be able to take care of their research first and foremost,” says Kerstin Sommer, who heads the Welcome Center at FAU. “Of course, we help all foreign researchers when they come to FAU – but we can’t work magic when it comes to housing, for example. In other countries, such as the U.S. or the U.K., guests often find accommodation on campus first. This is an option that we hardly have here in Germany in this form.”
Living in the “Brucklyn
This makes FAU’s cooperation with a partner from the real estate sector all the more important – the Jost Group, which has realized the new “Brucklyn” quartier in the Bruck district of Erlangen. Since 2018, this has featured a sophisticated work-lifestyle concept with a complete infrastructure for living and working – from co-working spaces and conference rooms to fully furnished apartments, sauna, pool and basketball court on the roof. The company’s own “Factory” start-up center is to follow at the end of 2021. Jürgen Jost, head of the eponymous group of companies, was immediately enthusiastic about FAU’s proposal to support young doctoral students from all over the world in Erlangen.
For this reason, six apartments will be reserved exclusively for FAU. Three will be paid for by the university from a special strategy fund, and three will be provided by the Jost Group as a donation. This means that the selected researchers can devote their full attention to their doctorate in the field of “AI and Medicine” at FAU from day one.
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For information on the Jost Group of Companies and Friedrich Alexander University (FAU), please contact: