Ringberg Symposium 2023

Group picture of the around 50 attendees in the courtyard with cobblestone paving. In the back, you can see Ringberg Castle: An elegant historical building with a mix of medieval and modern architectural elements. The castle features a prominent stone tower, arched windows, and decorative facades with yellow and red accents.
Another picture from the inner courtyard, in the middle of the same scenery: Around 20 students hold their certificates in their hands and jump up, cheering.

Our annual symposium at the Ringberg castle has become an integral and iconic part of the program. Faculty, PhD students and late-stage Masters students who will embark on the next phase of their studies get together and immerse themselves in a week-long program of science and celebrations. The occasion this year gained additional significance as Prof. Patrick Cramer, the newly appointed director of the Max Planck Society, joined us and contributed a talk that highlighted the value of interdisciplinary research and the scientific method.

Throughout the week, faculty and students presented their latest scientific research in the context of Matter to Life, and showcased the ground breaking developments made in their respective fields. On the first evening, we celebrated milestones and honored the accomplishments of our 2nd cohort of Master's students as their Master phase comes to a close. We are so proud of their journey thus far and wish them all the best for their continued pursuit of knowledge during their PhDs.

A diverse group of students stand in a rustic wooden room adorned with antler trophies and a portrait painting. They are attentively listening to the castle manager giving a tour.

The symposium was further honored by the attendance of a distinguished delegation from the Croucher Foundation in Hong Kong. The introduction of the foundation and its principles by Anne Law, followed by scientific presentations by the students, were indeed illuminating. They also highlighted the similarities between our MtL outlook and theirs, as underscored by Joachim Spatz, and sowed the initial ideas of future exchanges. Hopefully this will blossom into a long and fruitful collaboration.

Patrick Cramer, President of the MPG, gives a short speech. The room is bathed in wooden colors.
MtL Fellow and Chair Joachim Spatz stands behind the wooden lectern and addresses the audience.
Anna Law from the Croucher Foundation speaks to the audience.
Ailene Chan from the Croucher Foundation gives a lecture and emphasizes her words with gestures.
Chloe Huang from the Croucher Foundation presents her research. She is taking a look at her slides.
Chris Chung from the Croucher Foundation giving a lecture.
Two MtL students are standing at the front, a moderator, Brianda Lopez Santini, and Douglas Diel who is giving the presentation, who is answering questions while leaning on the lectern.
An MtL student stands with his hands clasped next to the lectern. He is wearing a shirt with the inscription "Betz Lab", the laboratory of faculty member Timo Betz.
Faculty member Stefan Klumpp gives a lecture.
A group of male students are engaged in a discussion around a table in a room with wooden interiors. One person's back is visible with a black hoodie that reads 'Matter to Life 2023'. The facial expressions show attentiveness and focus.
The MtL student Anastassiya Schramm gives a lecture and smiles at the audience.
An MtL student stands at the lectern during the Q & A session after his lecture and looks to his left with a smile.
MtL Fellow Karin Jacobs gestures with both hands while explaining a concept during her lecture.
MtL student Sunnatullo Fazliev looks up at his slides during his presentation.

It was not all work and no play. Replete with game nights, a boat tour along the beautiful Lake Tegernsee, and a guided tour of a dairy that included a hand-on butter making class, there was never a dull moment for Jack!

Five male and two female students are sitting around a wooden table playing a board game.
A group of five students, three women and two men, are sitting at a wooden table with a few rows of playing cards in the middle. They are looking intently at the playing cards, some of them smiling. Behind them is a tall, closed wooden door and a tapestry on a gray marble-look wall.
Professor Karin Jacobs sits at a wooden table and holds a small card with words from a board game up to the camera with a friendly grin. In the background you can see a chandelier.
Four male students sit at a wooden table in a large, sumptuous hall and smile at the camera. One of them is holding playing cards and in front of them is a board game.
Two male students are looking through a square window into a brightly lit room with rows of yellow cheese wheels on wooden shelves.
A group of students stand sideways to the camera in front of a green landscape. Mountains can be seen in the background, the sky is cloudy.
A group of participants sit at several wooden tables in a cozy, rustic dining room of a restaurant, which gives off a traditional alpine feel. The room has a warm atmosphere with wooden beams on the ceiling, walls painted in a light color, and small windows letting in natural light. The participants are shaking small glasses and thereby making butter.
Homemade fresh butter on a round plate stands on a wooden table, behind it a wooden platter with a selection of sliced hard and soft cheeses.
A group photo of six male and one female student. They are wearing hiking gear and backpacks and are standing on a mountain peak. Behind them is a green landscape with forests, mountains and a large lake in the distance. The sky is clear with few clouds.
Zwei Studentinnen sitzen auf einem Boot, beide lächeln breit in die Kamera. Im Hintergrund sind das ruhige türkisfarbene Meer und ein grünes, von Bäumen gesäumtes Ufer zu sehen.
Zwei Studenten sitzen auf einer Holzbank auf dem Boot und lächeln in die Kamera. Hinter ihnen ist das ruhige, wunderschön türkisfarbene Meer zu sehen, sowie ein grüner Park mit Bäumen am Ufer.
On a sunny day, a female MtL coordinator is smiling, slightly squinting, at the camera, holding onto a small, wooden ship's wheel as if she is steering the boat at the moment.

 We cannot wait to get back to the castle and its beautiful surroundings next summer!

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