miscellaneous & faq
A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z
A
Application and Admission
Application is done by a computer program. The deadlines for application are January 31st and July 31st of every year. For further information please have a look at the menu item "Application and Admission".
Arrival
The starting date in the IMPRS-PL can be chosen quite individually by the new members. We'll make sure that somebody picks the new IMPRS-member up at the airport Nuremberg. Usually for the first month a room in one of the guesthouses of the University Erlangen Nuremberg is booked for the arriving PhD student. After the arrival the following things have to be done:
- Registration at University
- Registration at town hall
- Taking care of the extension of visa
- Opening a German bank account
- Taking care of getting a health insurance
- Search for an own flat/room
- Asking for a permanent admission for studying as a PhD student at University
Annual Meeting
The Annual Meeting is part of our IMPRS Curriculum. It takes place once a year at a location outside Erlangen. For 5 days lectures are given by invited speakers, postdocs and advisors, and all second and third year IMPRS students are required to give a talk about their research.
Alumni
Since 2008 we're getting more and more IMPRS alumni with whom we want to stay in contact to learn about their research and working place. The idea is to have an IMPRS alumni get-together one day in the future to support the further exchange of ideas and insights.
B
Bachelor
Unfortunately it is not possible to start one's PhD studies with having only a Bachelor. At German universities it is mandatory to have a Master degree before starting as a PhD student. If you are very much interested in studying in Erlangen, you can try to be admitted to the MAOT - the Erlangen Master Programme in Advanced Optical Technologies - to get your Master.
Bank Account
After your arrival in Germany, one of the things you need to do is to open a German bank account. Only afterwards is it possible to receive the monthly scholarship.
Bamberg
One of the cities in the surrounding area of Erlangen with a beautiful town centre that includes e.g. "Klein-Venedig" (Little Venezia) on the banks of the river Regnitz.
http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bamberg
Bergkirchweih
During summer, every little village and every city have their own festival – the "Kirchweih" - which goes for a few days (in the villages mostly from Friday to Monday, in the cities up to two weeks) and entertains the people with traditions, live-music, beer, dance, food and other attractions. In Erlangen the Kirchweih is called "Bergkirchweih" and it is very famous. Loads of people come to Erlangen in May or June to participate in the event.
C
Curriculum
The IMPRS Curriculum consists of five parts:
- Written Minithesis and oral exam after the first year.
- 4 x 3-lecture blocks in three years.
- IMPRS Annual Meeting
- Attending at least one Summer School in three years.
- Monthly get-togethers.
Certificate
After having successfully completed their PhD studies, the IMPRS members get an IMPRS certificate that states their participation in the IMPRS Research School, quotes the title of their PhD thesis and enlists the activities of the IMPRS curriculum which the members attended. The IMPRS certificate is signed by the Chair of the IMPRS-PL and the Head of Doctoral Commission from University.
Christkindlesmarkt
Most German villages and cities also have their own Christmas market in December (some big cities like Hamburg have a lot more than one). The "Christkindlesmarkt" of Nürnberg is very famous and always visited by numerous tourists. It consists of little huts of wood that are situated on the 'Hauptmarkt' (the central market place) between churches and the town hall. People go there for eating (e.g. 'Drei im Weckla' (three Nürnberg-sausages inside a bun), drinking ‘Glühwein’ (hot spiced wine), shopping Christmas things and enjoying the winter atmosphere. The "Christkind" - a blond female angel who is a symbol for Christmas and brings the presents for the children on Christmas Eve - appears on a balcony and opens the Christmas market.
http://www.christkindlesmarkt.de/english/index.php?navi=1&rid=2
D
Departure
As soon as the PhD students have completed their PhD studies (and passed their thesis and the last exam), their IMPRS membership ends. The PhDs then get an IMPRS – Certificate that proves the membership in the IMPRS. To build up a panel of IMPRS- alumni we are happy to continue to stay in contact with every former member of the IMPRS. The communication of active e-mail addresses to the coordination office is therefore essential.
E
Erlangen
Erlangen is a city of students and bicycles. It is a city of little bars and cafés which is quite new in its appearance. More information about Erlangen can be found at:
http://www.erlangen.de/en/desktopdefault.aspx
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erlangen
English
English is the official language of the IMPRS-PL. It is not only used for communicating at social events but also for delivering talks and writing the PhD thesis. To improve the English knowledge that all new IMPRS members must already possess, there are regular cost-free English classes at the MPL that IMPRS members are welcome to attend. Another possibility would be to participate in intensive English classes at university that are financially supported by the IMPRS.
F
Finding a Room/Flat
Finding a room or a flat is about the most difficult thing a new member of the IMPRS- PL has to do after his/her arrival. As there are such a lot of students who live directly in Erlangen, it is not an easy thing to find the adequate home. Nevertheless the new members of the IMPRS-PL are never alone in their challenge. IMPRS members who have already collected some experience with the search for a flat are always willing to help the newcomers and provide them with useful addresses on the internet. There’s also an International Office at University who will be glad to support foreign students in finding a room or a flat. It would be easier and probably cheaper to find a home in Nürnberg. But then there would be the daily journey to and from work. In the end the newcomer him-/herself has to decide which solution would suit him/her best.
Fraunhofer Institute
There are two Fraunhofer Institutes in Erlangen. One is the Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated Systems and Device Technology (IISB). The other one – the Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated Circuits (IIS) – is one of the partner institutions that cooperate in the IMPRS-PL. It is situated in Erlangen-Tennenlohe (Am Wolfsmantel 33). More information about the IIS can be found at: http://www.iis.fraunhofer.de/EN/
More information about the medical imaging part of Fraunhofer that cooperates in the IMPRS can be found at: http://www.iis.fraunhofer.de/EN/bf/med/bild/index.jsp
Food
Typical German food is different from region to region. Local specialties of Nürnberg are the sausage ("Zwei im Weckla" means two little sausages in a bun – usually one eats it with mustard) and the Christmas gingerbread ("Lebkuchen"). To Nürnberger sausages one can also eat mashed potatoes ("Kartoffelbrei" or "Stopfer") and sauerkraut ("Sauerkraut"). The Bavarian “Weißwurst”, another sausage, has to be eaten before noon with mustard and pretzels ("Brezeln"). In our region we also have dumplings ("Klöße") with different kinds of meat, or special dumplings of buns with mushrooms in a creamy sauce. Another typical dish would be schnitzel ("Schnitze") in different variations – and different sizes – with potato salad or chips. As small dishes there are "Obatzda" (a mixture of different kinds of cheese which should be eaten with onion and a farmhouse bread) and "Stadtwurst mit Musik" (a special kind of sausage with onion and cucumber – sometimes even with cheese – in a sort of vinegar sauce). As sweet dishes we have cut-up and sugared pancake with raisins ("Kaiserschmarrn"), rice pudding ("Reisauflauf") and apple strudel ("Apfel strudel"). During months of carnival we eat a kind of doughnuts ("Krapfen") and "Küchle". Certainly there is more food that can be called typical German, but these are the ones that come to mind first. It is right that in Germany there exist a wide range of different sorts of beer and those are worth being tried. But you can also find good wine and in summer you can try "Federweißer" (apple cider) and in winter "Glühwein" (hot spiced wine).
Fürth
Fürth is one of cities in the surrounding area of Erlangen. In fact it is the neighbouring city of Nürnberg (Nuremberg). What's definitely worth a visit is "Gustavstraße" – a street in the inner city with lots of little bars and cafés. To get an impression about the German "Kirchweih" festivals and the German food, the "Kirchweih" in Fürth is a very good one. There are lots of opportunities to taste different kind of food and drinks (e.g. "Federweißer", some sort of apple cider).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fürth
http://www.stadt-fuerth.de/home/tourismus.aspx
G
Germany
As it is impossible to press everything that could be said about Germany in about five sentences, we would like to present you some useful links on the topic:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Germany
http://www.deutschland.de/Startseite.23+M52087573ab0.0.html
http://www.germany-tourism.de/ENG/destination_germany/master.htm
Graduate Schools
There are several graduate schools in Erlangen. The graduate school office lists five interdisciplinary programmes (one of them the IMPRS-PL), several Research Training Groups and four International Doctoral Programmes in the Elite Network of Bavaria. Besides, there are several graduate schools of the School of Humanities and Social Sciences and two graduate schools of Engineering.
http://www.faugraduateschool.uni-erlangen.de/doctoral-research/structured-programmes.shtml
Get-together
The monthly get-togethers are part of our IMPRS curriculum. Every get-together is organised by an IMPRS PhD student and takes place in the institution in which the organising student works. The duration of these meetings is 1-2 hours. Talks will be given by local researches, postdocs and IMPRS students, and speakers from other institutions may also occasionally be invited.
German classes
There are regular cost-free German classes at the MPL that IMPRS members are welcome to attend. Although the participation in those classes is not obligatory, it is highly recommended, as it certainly displays a chance to better understand the culture in which the new IMPRS members are going to live for the next years.
H
Holidays
The holidays in Germany are different from region to region. In Bavaria, we have the following school holidays: In Winter at Carnival (February), in spring at Easter (March or April), in spring at Pentecost (May or June), in summer (August to September), in autumn (November) and for Christmas (December to January). For the working population we have a few feasts that forbid working (in fact we have the most free days in Bavaria):
"Neujahr" – New Years Eve (January, 1st)
"Heilig Drei Könige" – Twelth Day (January, 6th)
"Karfreitag" – Easter (April, 2nd)
"Ostermontag" – Easter (April, 5th)
"1. Mai” or “Tag der Arbeit" (May, 1st)
"Christi Himmelfahrt" – Ascension Day (May, 13th)
"Pfingstmontag" – Pentecost (May, 24th)
"Fronleichnam" – Feast of Corpus Christi (June, 3rd)
"Mariä Himmelfahrt" (August, 15th – but only in the catholic parts of Bavaria)
"Tag der Deutschen Einheit" – German Unification Day (October, 3rd)
"Allerheiligen" – All Saints' Day (November, 1st)
"1. Weihnachtsfeiertag" – Christmas (December, 25th)
"2. Weihnachtsfeiertag" – Christmas (December, 26th)
The IMPRS PhD students who are as well scholarship holders have about 30 days each year which they can take for holiday. They don’t need to fill out any form to do this, just tell their advisor.
Health Insurance
A valid health insurance is one of the things that must be proven by new members of the IMPRS-PL, before they get their scholarship contract. There are several health insurances in Germany, the best thing is to inform oneself about the different prices and the injuries/illnesses etc. that are part of the insurance. It is important to take the insurance that is best for one own health.
I
IMPRS
The International Max Planck Research Schools (IMPRS) - in cooperation between Max Planck Institutes and Universities - are centres of scientific excellence in innovative and interdisciplinary research areas. There are about 60 at the different institutes of the Max Planck Society.
http://www.mpg.de/english/institutesProjectsFacilities/schoolChoice/index.html
IMPRS-PL
International Max Planck Research School (IMPRS) Physics of Light
Imaging
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L
Lectures
Block Lectures are part of the IMPRS Curriculum (more information under the menu item "Curriculum"). In addition the PhD students can choose between a wide range of university lectures that they are allowed to attend.
M
Master
At German universities it is mandatory to have a Master degree before starting as a PhD student. If you are very much interested in studying in Erlangen, you can try to be admitted to the MAOT – the Erlangen Master Programme in Advanced Optical Technologies – to get your Master.
http://www.aot.uni-erlangen.de/MAOT/summary/index.shtml
MAOT
Erlangen Master Programme in Advance Optical Technologies
http://www.aot.uni-erlangen.de/MAOT/summary/index.shtml
Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light (MPL)
The Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light was founded in 2009. It is one of the partner institutions that cooperate in the IMPRS-PL. It is situated in Günther- Scharowsky-Str. 1 / Bau 24. Part of it overlaps with the Institute of Optics, Photonics and Information of the University, which is situated in Staudtstr. 7 / B2. More information about the MPL can be found at: http://mpl.mpg.de/mpf/php/
Max Planck Society
The research institutes of the Max Planck Society perform basic research in the interest of the general public in the natural sciences, life sciences, social sciences, and the humanities. In total the Max Planck Society contains about 80 institutes and research facilities. More information can be found at: http://www.mpg.de/en
Medical Research
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Minithesis
The Minithesis is part of our IMPRS curriculum. All IMPRS students are required to write a 20-30 page minithesis and submit it for examination before the end of the 11th month after starting their PhD. This thesis will be orally examined by the advisor & co-advisor.
N
Nürnberg (Nuremberg)
Nürnberg is the nearest town to Erlangen. Both its importance during the Nazi era and the resulting trials and its restoration to pre-war appearance make the city a historical monument and a magnet for tourism. The "Dokumentationszentrum" (http://www.museums.nuremberg.de/documentation-centre/index.html) and Albrecht Dürer’s House are components of the culture of Nürnberg that are as important as the 'Christkindlesmarkt' and the 'Volksfest'.
More information about Nürnberg can be found at:
http://www.nuernberg.de/internet/portal_e/index.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuremberg
O
Optics
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P
Projects
The applicants for the IMPRS-PL can choose between the following projects for their PhD studies, a selection of more than one is possible:
- Polarization optimized systems
- Light and matter in small spaces
- Nonlinear Interactions
- Simulation of optical systems
- Optical 3D metrology
- Near-Field Microscopy
- Optical communication as an example of imaging in the time domain
- Medical imaging and pattern recognition
- Video microscopy and methods in cellular biophysics
- X-ray imaging and the Compton camera
- Medical engineering and image processing
More information about the projects can be found under the menu item Research Areas.
R
Research
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Rothenburg
Rothenburg is one of the cities in the surrounding area of Erlangen that is worth a visit. It is famous for its Christmas market (although it is possible to enter Christmas shops the whole year through – you just enter one of the shops during summer and suddenly you're getting out of the burning sun and stand in the middle of Christmas traditions and artificial snow, gazing at a huge Christmas tree and hearing Christmas songs…), its traditional houses and streets and a German sweet called "snowball" ('Schneeball'). You can even have a walk on the old town wall, which offers a good sight onto the different old housetops that press against each other in the safety of the wall.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rothenburg_ob_der_Tauber
http://www.germanplaces.com/de/deutschland/rothenburg-ob-der-tauber.html
http://www.rothenburg.de/index.php?get=1304
S
Scholarship
The applicants that are selected by the IMPRS advisors and become members of the IMPRS-PL receive a monthly scholarship. The amount of money depends on the scholarship they get. Approximately it will be 1.000-1.400 Euro. A scholarship in Germany is tax-free. The health insurance has to be paid by the scholarship holder him-/herself.
SAOT
Erlangen Graduate School in Advanced Optical Technologies (http://www.aot.uni-erlangen.de/SAOT/glance/). The SAOT cooperates with the IMPRS-PL in offering soft skill seminars. All members of the IMPRS-PL are "Associate Members" of the SAOT and have the chance to become full members with the benefits and duties of the SAOT curriculum.
Shops
The shops in Germany usually close at 8.00 pm. In Erlangen, some of them already close at 7.00 pm. Little shops may be open only until 6.00 pm. The opening days of shops are Monday to Saturday. On Sunday all shops are closed. Exceptions are gas stations, which are open all days and some of them even the whole night.
Summer School
The attendance of at least one international summer school is part of our IMPRS-PL curriculum. The school should be related to the research topic of the student. After the attendance of the school, an attendance certificate and a 1-page account of what was learnt has to be given to the IMPRS coordination office. At the moment, it is not planned to organise a Summer School at our IMPRS-PL.
T
Topic/Title of Thesis
The final title of thesis and the topic itself will be discussed after the new member of the IMPRS-PL arrived and learned more about the possibilities inside the project he/she will participate in. That is a matter between the student and his/her advisor.
Tourism
In every German town there should be a tourist centre where one can go and get information about the sightseeing highlights of the city. In Erlangen, the tourist information is in Rathausplatz 3.
http://www.erlangen.de/en/desktopdefault.aspx/tabid-2/
Town Hall Erlangen
The new IMPRS members have to go to the Town Hall in Erlangen (Rathausplatz) after their arrival to register with their new address and to extend their visa.
U
University
The Friedrich-Alexander University of Erlangen-Nuremberg (FAU) is one of the partner institutions that cooperate in the IMPRS-PL.
Department of Physics IV (Prof. Anton): Erwin-Rommel-Str. 1
Pattern Recognition Lab (Prof. Hornegger): Martensstr. 3
Centre for Medical Physics and Technology (Prof. Fabry): Henkestr. 91
High Frequency Technology (Prof. Schmauss): Cauerstr. 9
Central Administration of University (Schlossplatz 4/Halbmondstr. 6):
International Affairs:
Admission Office: room 0.031, ground floor
Registration Office (for enrolment): room 0.034, ground floor
http://www.uni-erlangen.org/international/PhD-students/
V
Visa
The Visa can be extended in the Town Hall Erlangen (Rathausplatz). The confirmation of your extended Visa needs to be copied and given to the IMPRS coordination office.
http://www.erlangen.de/de/desktopdefault.aspx/tabid-220/19_read-991/start-a/ or http://www.erlangen.de/desktopdefault.aspx/tabid-220/19_read-992/start-a/
Volksfest
The "Volksfest" is a huge festival in Nürnberg that takes place twice a year (in spring and autumn) and equates to the "Kirchweih" in other cities and villages.
http://www.volksfest-nuernberg.de/