New ZUKOnnect and Herz Fellows selected

Within the third call for ZUKOnnect Fellowships and the first call for Zukunftskolleg Herz Fellowships eight fellowships were granted.

In this year’s ZUKOnnect call, we received 132 eligible applications from Africa (57.6%), Asia (31.1%), and Latin America (11.4%). The majority of the eligible applicants were PhD Candidates. Furthermore, about 40% of the eligible applications came from female researchers.

After a peer-reviewed selection process, the Zukunftskolleg’s Executive Committee has awarded four ZUKOnnect Fellowships to:

  • Gabrie Anteneh Getachew (Mathematics and Statistics, Lecturer from Ethiopia, Research Project: Incremental Algorithms with Acceleration Techniques for Hierarchical Optimization Problems and its Applications, Local Host: Stefan Volkwein)
  • Neelma Ashraf (Biology, PhD Candidate from Pakistan, Research Project: Identification of a Novel Strong Antifungal Polyene and Identification of the Lavendamycin Biosynthetic Gene Cluster of the Rhizobacterium Streptomyces sp. BR123 Isolated from the Rhizosphere of Helianthus Annuus from Pakistan, Local host: Dieter Spiteller)
  • Ilesha Avasthi (Chemistry, Post Doc from India, Research Project: Exploring Guanosine Based Scaffold for Bioinspired Materials for ‘Mineral Plastics’, Local host: Helmut Cölfen)
  • Gabriel Cerqueira (History and Sociology, PhD Candidate from Brazil, Research Project: Social Control, Hygienism and Family Law: Transnational Knowledge Exchange between Brazil and the League of Nations (1919-1930), Local host: Anne Kwaschik)

As the foundation “Manfred Ulmer-Stiftung für Wissenschaft und Gesellschaft” at the University of Konstanz for the first time funds one of the ZUKOnnect Fellowships, we are happy to announce that Illesha Avasthi was selected by the foundation.

With the Henriette Herz Award 2020 launched by the Alexander-von-Humboldt-Stiftung, four additional Herz Fellowships based on nominations by the Internal Liaison Board (ILB) have been awarded. All (junior) professors of the University of Konstanz as well as international strategic partners could make proposals to the ILB.

The following Herz Fellows will join the Zukunftskolleg:

  • Norman Chivasa (Politics and Public Administration, Post Doc from South Africa, Research Project: Hybrid Conflict Resolution in Rural Zimbabwe’s Customary Courts, Local host: Tim Wegenast)
  • David Ubua Etta (Linguistics, PhD Candidate from Nigeria, Research Project: Towards a Phonology of Bokyi, Local host: Miriam Butt & Theo Marinis)
  • Priyanshu Goel (Physics, PhD Candidate from India, Research Project: Synthesis of Highly Efficient MOF and Perovskite Composite for Development of Stable and Efficient Optoelectronic Device, Local Host: Lukas Schmidt-Mende)
  • Mahsa Mozafari-Nia (Computer and Information Science, PhD Candidate from Iran, Research Project: Various Colorings of Fractional Powers of Graph, Local host: Sabine Storandt)

The 2021 ZUKOnnect and Herz Fellow cohort will start their three to four months on-campus research stay in Konstanz from autumn 2021 onwards. The on-campus research stays will be complemented by a 12-monthly digital fellowship. This will give them the chance to expand their research networks while working on their research projects. The Zukunftskolleg will greatly benefit from the intercultural, interdisciplinary, and international exchange with the new fellows.

We are looking forward to welcoming the new 2021 ZUKOnnect and Herz Fellows at the Zukunftskolleg!