What do politicians mean when they refer to the ideals of the Enlightenment? Angela Merkel declared in the Bundestag in 2021 that she believes in the “power of the Enlightenment”. French President Emmanuel Macron repeatedly invokes the need to defend the “spirit of the Enlightenment”. “Critical research must of course question what interpretation of the concept of enlightenment underlies these political statements,” says Décultot. A look at the past shows that this interpretation changes and is often guided by interests. Critical voices even see the philosophy of the Enlightenment as a product of Eurocentrism, which has fostered the colonialism and racism of the West.
[ Read On … ]1. Apr 2025
Ancient PhD degree certificate found at MLU
According to an anonymous source archaeologists found by chance an ancient PhD certificate below the old bunker at the Universitätsplatz in Halle (Saale).
During the renovation of the Universitätsplatz in 2002 several reconstruction were made. With regard to current instabilities of bridges in Germany, tests of the stability of the structure below the Universitätsplatz have been carried out in the last weeks. Engineers together with archaeologists found an old Roman cavern with several stone chests below the bunker.
Luckily in one of the chests an ancient PhD degree certificate has been found. Future days may reveal even greater findings in the old caverns.
31. Mar 2025
PhD Network Round Table (April 2, 2025)
The next PhD Round Table will take place on Wednesday, 2nd of April 2025, 7 pm at Café Nöö at Große Klausstraße 11. As always, you can meet other PhD students and postdocs as well as PhD Network staff at the monthly get-together and network.
- When: April 2, 2025, meeting from 7 pm
- Where: Café Nöö (Große Klausstraße 11, 06108 Halle)
Spontaneous visitors are welcome, but in order to better plan seating, please send a short email to if you are interested in attending.
Please check the PhD network website for further information.
19. Mar 2025
Kick-off event: Networking for mothers* in science – How do you do it? (March 25, 2025)
What do you think when you hear the word “compatibility”? How do you feel as a mother in science? What hurdles do you face, what successes have you been able to celebrate? And how do you manage the daily balancing act between the different roles? We would like to discuss these and other questions, network and strengthen each other. Because none of us has to go through this alone!
An event organized by the pilot project Motherhood and Science in the FEM POWER Vision project.
- 25.3.25 13:00-14:00 online
- Please note: the event will take place in German.
- More information and registration
18. Mar 2025
DFG Funding Opportunities: for Postdocs (March 26, 2025 | online)
This online talk focuses on the DFG Funding Opportunities for Postdocs of the DFG. Further details and the dial in link can be found at Info Talks on DFG Funding Opportunities for Research Careers.
- Date: March 26, 2025
- Time: 9:30 – 11:00 a.m. CET
- Language: English
Please note: You can access the event via the link above without any password. The number of participants is limited to max. 1,000.
About Prospects: Online Talk Series on DFG Funding Opportunities for Research Careers
[ Read On … ]14. Mar 2025
Fulbright Germany: Ausschreibung Doktorand:innenförderung in den USA 2026
Bis zum 1. Mai 2025 können sich deutsche Nachwuchswissenschaftler:innen bei Fulbright Germany für ein Doktorand:innenstipendium bewerben. Es werden vier- bis sechsmonatige Forschungsprojekte an einer US-Hochschule oder Forschungsinstitution gefördert, die zwischen dem 1. Januar 2026 und dem 31. Mai 2026 begonnen werden.
Das Stipendium finanziert Unterhaltskosten von 2.400 Euro/Monat, die transatlantische Reise und eine Kranken-/Unfallversicherung. Das Fulbright J-1 Visum ist kostenlos und für sonstige Nebenkosten kommt eine Pauschale von 300 Euro auf.
Detaillierte Informationen zum Stipendienprogramm finden Sie auf dieser Webseite.
Für Rückfragen steht Ihnen Sandra Kölling unter gerne zur Verfügung.
10. Mar 2025
Communication & presentation in the academic context: How to be confident and persuasive (May 06-07, 2025)
Whether small talk or academic subject presentation – the ability to present oneself adequately and to communicate one’s concerns effectively is a deciding factor of career related success in academia.
With a few fundamental strategies for communication and presentation techniques it is possible to illustrate complex data in a context relevant way, to convince others, to win supporters and thus reach the respectively set goals.
[ Read On … ]10. Mar 2025
[UL] Lunch Lectures: Mental Health im Wissenschaftsalltag (March 20, 2025 | online)
Leipzig University organizes a lecture series on career and everyday life in academia of postdocs. This time the topic is
Mental Health in every-day researchers life
Zusammen mit Viola Gründemann (GA), die Teil der Initiative “Mental Health Awareness Days” ist, schauen wir in dieser Lunch Lecture auf drängende Fragen des Wohlbefindens im Wissenschaftsalltag.
Together with Viola Gründemann (GA), who is part of the “Mental Health Awareness Days” initiative, we look at urgent questions of well-being in everyday scientific life in this Lunch Lecture.
[ Read On … ]4. Mar 2025
Research, International and Transfer Information Service (FIT) at MLU
MLU became a member of the Research, International and Transfer Information Service (FIT) on March 1, 2025. This service will make it even easier for you to receive information about new funding programs, calls for proposals and events related to your scientific field via an e-mail newsletter.
FIT is administered by the University of Kassel and is an e-mail service that provides researchers with targeted and tailored information on research funding. The information is fed from the FIT database, where you have from now on the opportunity to register for a free subscription with your @(domain).uni-halle.de e-mail address and set up an individual user profile. There you can specify the research areas, types of funding and funding institutions such as DFG, BMBF and other federal ministries, EU, DAAD and AvH about which you would like to receive information. On this basis, you will then receive an e-mail on one or more days of the week, which you can select yourself, with the latest funding information that is important for you. You can search for further information in the FIT database at any time.
[ Read On … ]3. Mar 2025
[IO] Welcome event for international students and doctoral candidates (March 13/14, 2025 | online)
The International Office of MLU invites international first semester students and doctoral candidates to an online information event on the following dates:
- Thursday, 13.03.2025, 18:00 or
- Friday, 14.03.2025, 9:00 a.m.
Interested doctoral candidates without an access link can contact Dr. Heike Link (). You will then receive the online access link to the event.