Royal vist at the Fritz Haber Institute
The Fritz Haber Institute of the Max Planck Society was honored to welcome Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn of Thailand, accompanied by a select delegation of scientists and representatives from the Thai Embassy and the German Foreign Office.
During their visit, the delegation received a detailed presentation from our Managing Director and Director of the Interface Science Department, Prof. Dr. Beatriz Roldán Cuenya. She provided a comprehensive overview of the institute's history and some of the groundbreaking research activities that are being carried out at the FHI. This introduction highlighted the institute's commitment to advancing scientific knowledge and innovation in research areas of relevance for the global energy transition.
A highlight of the visit was the exclusive tour of some of the laboratories in the Molecular Physics (MP) and Interface Science departments (ISC). The delegation was also given a detailed insight into the basic principles, operation, research capabilities and possible areas of application of the Free Electron Laser (FEL) at the Fritz Haber Institute by Dr. Gert von Helden (MP) and Dr. Wieland Schöllkopf (FEL). In the frame of this visit, several PhD students, postdocs and engineers from the Interface Science and Inorganic Chemistry departments of the FHI also carried out in-lab demonstrations directed to illustrate some of the research topics previously introduced by the director. The didactic experiments demonstrated included the electrically-driven conversion of climate change gas CO2 into solar fuels, or the generation of green hydrogen from water splitting using solar or other renewable energy sources.
The Princess showed a keen interest in all the topics presented, leading to lively exchanges between her, her delegation, and our scientists, some of whom already had the opportunity of discussing future collaborations the day before.
Such international interactions are invaluable to us. They not only promote scientific exchange at the highest level but also strengthen the relationships between research institutions and countries. We are thrilled by the interest Her Royal Highness and her delegation have shown in our research activities and look forward to the opportunity to welcome doctoral students and postdocs from Thailand to our institute in the future. These visits underscore the importance of collaboration and cultural exchange in advancing scientific excellence and innovation. Moreover, our interactions re-emphasized the notion that scientific excellence has no geographic boundaries and that diversity in science is key for the future progress of the democratic societies.
