Participating Institutions

The Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics (Albert Einstein Institute/AEI) is one of the world’s leading centers for gravitational physics, with a unique breadth and depth of its approach to the subject. Scientists at the AEI focus on all aspects of Einstein’s theory of general relativity. The research topics range from the theoretical, observational and experimental aspects of gravitational-wave physics and astrophysics, to unification of general relativity and quantum mechanics, all the way to geometrical and analytical aspects of the theory. The AEI has two branches, one in Potsdam, and one in Hannover.

Founded in 1991, the University of Potsdam (UP) is a young and modern university. With more than 20,000 students, it is the biggest university in the federal state of Brandenburg. Due its close proximity to more than 40 research institutions in the region, the university closely cooperates with numerous organizations, such as the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, the Leibniz Institute for Astrophysics, the GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences and the Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics. It operates three campuses in Potsdam, one of which is the New Palace of Sanssouci, which is known for its UNESCO World Heritage status.

The Humboldt University (HU) of Berlin was founded in 1810, making it the oldest of Berlin’s four universities. It has an enrollment of 32,000 students and offers degrees in close to 200 disciplines. The HU counts 55 Nobel laureates among its researchers and alumni.

The Leibniz Institute for Astrophysics Potsdam (AIP) explores astrophysical questions ranging from the investigation of the sun to cosmology. Its key areas of research are cosmic magnetic fields, extragalactic astrophysics, and the development of research technologies in the areas of spectroscopy, robotic telescopes and e‑Science. The AIP carries out its research within numerous national, European and international cooperative ventures. The AIP has its historic roots in the Berlin Observatory, founded in 1700, and the Astrophysical Observatory Potsdam, established in 1874, which was the world’s first institute dedicated explicitly to astrophysics. The AIP became a member of the Leibniz Association in 1992.