IF you’re looking to study cutting-edge science abroad it may not be a single university that you need to look at, but something rather more unique.
The Max Planck Society (MPS) has a world-leading reputation as a science & technology research organization. They operate over 80 research institutions in Germany and worldwide.
With 30 Nobel Prizes awarded to their scientists, the Max Planck Society of institutes are regarded as the one of the foremost basic research organization in Europe and the world.
The society is an independent, non-profit association of research institutes that are based within but separate from universities in terms of research interests and funding.
The programmes offered include undergraduate, post graduate and doctoral studies and are fully funded positions. MPS encourages would-be applicants to start their search for courses based on their area of research interests. The website then lists all the possible institutions where positions and courses are available in that area.
Research by employer branding organisation Universum found that students rank Max Planck Institutes first in Germany as ‘ideal employer’ for research and work in Natural Sciences and Health/Medicine. The survey included feedback from over 30,000 student at 140 universities.
MPS calls itself “a creative cosmos” and attributes the success of the society to it’s international cohort encouraging, “cross-discipline and cross-cultural views and thinking among enquiring minds [to] produce results.”
Max Planck Society’s Head of Science and Corporate Communication Dr Christina Beck says: “The number of talented junior scientists from Germany will never fully meet the demand in science and research.”
“That is why we developed a program to motivate talented young Ph.D. students from all over the world to come to Germany for doctoral studies.”
Nearly 40% of people undertaking scientific research work with MPS are not from Germany and 90% of Post docs are international students. Much of the MPS scientific community is made up of people from countries such as Italy, Great Britain, Austria, the Netherlands, France, the USA, China and India.
�??Dr Beck says that Max Planck applicants must have attained a high level of academic achievement, but more than that MPS are looking for people who demonstrate they are “open minded and creative.”
Originally known as the Kaiser Wilhelm Society, the society decided to rename itself in 1948 in honour of leading scientist and former society president Max Planck.
German theoretical physicist Planck originated quantum theory, which won him the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1918.
His work is said to have revolutionised human understanding of atomic and subatomic processes and is one of the fundamental theories of 20th century physics.
For more information on Max Planck Society institutes check out their website
