IMPRS Block Course on ”Sustainability in Physics and Chemistry”
From October 6 to 10, the International Max Planck Research School for Elementary Processes in Physical Chemistry (IMPRS-EPPC) organized a lecture series about the latest developments, approaches and methods of physics and chemistry relating to sustainability.
From solid-state physics and photocatalysis to battery research, electrochemisty and green chemistry methods, this falls’ IMPRS block course covered a wide range of topics from the field of sustainable physics and chemistry. The lectures took place on October 6-10, 2025 at TU Berlin and were held by researchers and group leaders from FU Berlin, TU Berlin, Universität Potsdam, Helmholtz Zentrum Berlin, the Max Planck Institute for Sustainable Materials and the Fritz Haber Institute.
The selected lectures focused on sustainability aspects of the research conducted within the IMPRS-EPPC, complemented by a number of external experts. In this way, the PhD students were provided an overview of the diversity of sustainability topics in physics and chemistry, bringing them up to a common level of knowledge. The students used the block course not only to learn together, but also to get to know each other, network, and exchange ideas.
The IMPRS-EPPC is a structured graduate program supported by the Fritz Haber Institute, the University of Potsdam, and the three Berlin universities (FU, HU and TU Berlin). In addition to soft skills seminars and further education courses, the school offers two block courses each year, typically comprising a full week of lectures that cover both fundamental and advanced methods in physical chemistry. The lectures provide the schools’ PhD students, who come from a wide variety of educational backgrounds, with the necessary knowledge of methodology, concepts, and theoretical principles of physical chemistry. The basic courses in the spring offer an introduction to the fundamentals of physics and chemistry of surfaces and interfaces with typical topics such as “Fundamentals of Chemistry.” The advanced courses in the fall cover more specialized topics.
We are delighted to be able to expand and enrich the training of doctoral students through the commitment of the IMPRS-EPPC. The exchange between PhD students, the training opportunities, and the close supervision provided by the graduate school greatly facilitate and enrich the doctoral education. The school brings together the various research disciplines within physical chemistry - a modern, transdisciplinary, and future-oriented approach. We look forward to the continued success of our students and the innovative research results that will emerge from this cooperative educational framework.
