Minerva Weizmann Meeting 2025 with new Committee Chair

32 new projects were selected at this year's meeting of the Minerva Weizmann Committee, which took place at the Weizmann Institute in Rohovot again after a two-year hiatus.
For the committee, the meeting was special not only because of its location in Rehovot again.
 

With the beginning of the war on October 7th, 2023, there was no meeting of the Minerva-Weizmann Committee in 2023. In the following 2.5 years of war, the meeting was held in 2024 for the first time at the general administration office in Munich. 
Due to the continuing tense situation, the meeting in 2025 was held in a hybrid format. Six commission members that traveled from Germany attended the meeting at the Weizmann Institute in Rohovot.
Amongst them was Prof. Thomas Braun, Director at the MPI for Heart and Lung Research, who hosted his first Meeting as the Chair of the Minerva Weizmann Committee.
Also the Max Planck Directors Prof. Alexander Meissner (MPI of Molecular Genetics) and Moritz Helmstädter (MPI for Brain Research) as well as Rainer Herges (University of Kiel), Andreas Weiler (TU Munich) and Pavel Levkin (KIT) were present in person at the Weizmann Institute.

For Thomas Braun, taking over the position, which was held by Prof. Marina Rodnina from 2016 until last year, is more than a great honor, as he revealed in his welcome speech at the Weizmann Institute:
"As I reflect on my decision to accept this position, I am reminded of the strong ties I have with Israel, a country that has always held a special place in my heart. My experiences in Israel have not only deepened my understanding of its rich history and culture but have also fostered a profound appreciation for its people and their unwavering commitment to scientific excellence. I have witnessed firsthand the Institute's groundbreaking research and its impact on the scientific community, which made it easy for me to accept the task," said Thomas Braun. He further emphasized that in uncertain times like these, it is more important than ever to maintain continuity and reaffirm our commitment to the values of science, peace, and cooperation. Despite these challenges, the Minerva Committee and the Minerva team have remained steadfast in their commitment to their program, since they continued to meet and collaborate, even in the most difficult of circumstances.

“As Chair of the Minerva Weizmann Program, I am committed to building bridges between our two nations, promoting and strengthening brilliant research, and fostering a spirit of collaboration and mutual understanding,” he said further.
He also expressed his gratitude for being entrusted with this task. He would do his best to continue to support the successful German-Israeli cooperation and to build upon the foundation laid by Marina and our predecessors: “Let us continue to advance the frontiers of science and to promote a world of peace, understanding, and cooperation.”

In addition to the selection of projects, networking and fruitful exchange among the scientists were also in the foreground, albeit in a slimmed-down version this year due to the missing commission members that could not travel.  

Another highlight during these days was the farewell of former Managing Director Ulman Lindenberger who said goodbye after five intense years at the Minerva Foundation as the Scientific Managing Director.
The commission and the Minerva team hope all the more that the hearings can take place again as usual at the Weizmann Institute in autumn 2026.