Which are the next walls to fall in science and society?

A historical event unfolded in Germany, on November 9, 1989. This was the day the Berlin Wall between East and West Germany came down. What earmarks this calendar event is the peaceful way in which it happened.

Rightfully proud of its very nature and to commemorate this breakthrough, Berlin began hosting an Annual Premier World Science Summit since the year 2009, to coincide with the anniversary of the fall of the wall.

The Falling Walls Science Summit has been addressing the key question, "Which are the next walls to fall in science and society?" The question is an open challenge to identify innovative research areas in different walks of life, which will act as a catalyst to bring about paradigm shifts in our thinking process, education and governance.

The Summit is a clarion call to scientists, researchers, educators, thinkers and global leaders in science, politics, business and media to discuss new discoveries made, advancement in research studies, and creative and innovative ideas in science, technology, humanities society and business.

All of Berlin turns into a huge science festival for an entire week in November, with delegates from all over the world coming together to engage in discussions, presentations of projects, and papers on innovative ventures.

The Falling Walls Global Call is an international competition format that encourages like-minded experts, young researchers and science enthusiasts from diverse backgrounds to share and learn from each other.

The 2022 Summit saw leading educationists, scientists and research teams presenting papers and discussing varied topics spanning life sciences, physical sciences, engineering and technology, social sciences and humanities, art and science, science and innovation management, emerging talents, science start-ups and science engagement initiatives that would be of mutual benefit to science and society.

Nominations to participate in the next summit have to be filed between March 1 and May 1, 2023. Leading academic institutions, universities, research organisations, companies, private and public research centres, academies, research funders, foundations and individuals are encouraged to scout and nominate brilliant individuals behind the latest breakthroughs and outstanding science projects.

Germany believes knowledge is key to its progress and has always provided an innovation-friendly research opportunities environment. Primarily, research is carried out in higher education institutions and universities, research companies and non-university and government research institutions.

Germany has some of the best research universities like the Technical University of Munich, Ruprecht Karls University Heidelberg, Technical University of Berlin, Humboldt University of Berlin, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Free University of Berlin, University of Bonn, University of Hamburg and the University of Gottingen.

The German Research institutions include Fraunhofer, Helmholtz, Leibniz, Max Planck Gesellschaft, Einstein Center Digital Future, GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences and Werner-von-Siemens Centre for Industry and Science.

The main research funding comes from organisations like Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), Deutsche Forschungs gemeinschaft (DFG), International Max Planck Research Schools, Helmholtz and Leibniz Association.

So, if you have a breakthrough idea to carry to the next summit in Berlin, you can be assured of an experience of a lifetime!

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