Lou Bohlen presents the work of the Israel team at the Headquarters of the MPG

Lou Bohlen presented the Minerva team's work during a presentation at the Max Planck Society, discussing the impact of the past two years of war on their operations. Over 70 participants attended, highlighting interest in their efforts. Bohlen addressed challenges faced, including crisis management, solidarity actions, and ongoing programs like the Minerva Fellowship and Weizmann Program despite geopolitical tensions. The presentation emphasized the importance of cooperation and resilience in research amidst conflict.

What do the past two years of war mean for the work of the Minerva team? How has it affected their work, and what were some special moments during these challenging times?

Lou Bohlen, office manager of the Minerva Foundation in Munich and head of the MPG's Israel and Middle East department, answered these and other questions during her presentation at the Max Planck Society's general administration.

Over 70 participants joined the event via video link or were present in the general administration's conference room.

The high number of participants confirmed the broad interest in the work of the Minerva and Israel team at the Max Planck Society.

Crisis management in times of war – For the Minerva team, preparing the presentation for a broad audience, was also an opportunity to recap the past two years since October 7, 2023. The ability to continue  their programs despite the war, to hold events in an appropriate setting, and to respond to the concerns and needs of scholarship holders – these were just some of the challenges that the Minerva team had to overcome.

But the war in Gaza was also an important issue that preoccupied and weighed heavily on the Minerva Team over the past two years, and which Lou Bohlen reported on in detail.

Lou Bohlen also reported on the special measures she had put in place since spring 2023 together with the team, the management of the Minerva Foundation, and the MPG's senior management. Worth mentioning here is the statement On the terror attacks against Israel, which was published on the Minerva website immediately after the attack, and the delegation trip to Israel by the MPG together with the Minerva management at the end of November 2023 to show solidarity.

Another topic was the Alliance Symposium, which the MPG organized together with the Helmholtz Association at the Harnack House in Berlin.

The presidents of Israeli research institutions and the presidents of the scientific organizations belonging to the Alliance were invited. The focus here was on joint cutting-edge research and the continuation of cooperation with Israeli scientific institutions.

Another highlight of the joint work was the opening of the MPG Office in Jerusalem in November 2024. Due to the tense situation in Israel, the opening was held on a smaller but appropriate scale.

Other important components of the presentation were the Minerva Fellowship Program and the Minerva Weizmann Program. Both programs were to continue despite the difficult geopolitical situation. Worth mentioning here are the selection meetings of the Minerva Weizmann Committee, which for the first time in 2024 were held not at the Weizmann Institute in Rehovot, but at the General Headquarters in Munich. The spring meetings of the Minerva Fellowship Committee were able to take place in person in Berlin under security precautions; the fall meetings were held virtually.

Following the presentation of the Minerva Foundation's work, the audience expressed their appreciation; after all, it was not only a matter of continuing to hold selection meetings, but also of responding appropriately to complex situations through good crisis management.