With the formation of the Berlin University Alliance, the four Alliance partners – Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Technische Universität Berlin, and Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin – want to develop the research hub of Berlin into an integrated research environment. In order to bring the five objectives and three cross-cutting themes to life, new staff members will support the new overarching work structure and joint projects.

Nadin Gaasch, former science management program manager at the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (Potsdam-Institut für Klimafolgenforschung, PIK), has been the Program Manager for Research Forums (Objective 2: Fostering Knowledge Exchange) since July 1, 2020. One pillar of the Berlin University Alliance’s Strategy for knowledge exchange is the exchange of information, both across institutional borders and with important actors from politics, culture, business, and society. This multidirectional exchange of knowledge should be strengthened in so-called research forums. In addition, solutions for the pressing issues of our time should be discussed and developed in these forums.

Dr. Sybille Hinze assumed leadership of the Center for Open and Responsible Research (CORe) (Objective 3: Advancing Research Quality and Value) on July 15, 2020. She was previously the deputy head of the Research System and Science Dynamics Department at the German Center for Higher Education Research and Science Studies in Berlin. The excellence alliance has set itself the goal establishing research quality as an integral value of outstanding and socially relevant research. The Center for Open and Responsible Research coordinates the program lines in this area. As well as supporting the structural setup of new research projects, the center promotes the networking of participants within the Alliance and of research, politics, culture, business, and civil society.

On July 15, 2020, Aleksandra Laski joined the Cross-Cutting Theme: Internationalization team as a coordinator for the strategic partnerships with the University of Melbourne and the National University of Singapore. She previously worked as program manager in the Internationalization unit and then in the International Department of Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin. As CENTRAL network coordinator, she played a major role in the establishment and expansion of this multilateral university network consisting of leading central European research universities. Within the framework of the Joint Partnership Strategy, the Berlin University Alliance builds up partnerships with selected international universities, thereby shaping and strategically developing them. With the University of Melbourne and the National University of Singapore, the Berlin University Alliance has gained two outstanding partners which represent excellence in research and teaching worldwide. The portfolio of international partnerships of strategic importance includes the University of Melbourne, the National University of Singapore, and the University of Oxford.