The Board of Trustees is an important interface between the Institute's scientific body of work and the general public. Its task is to communicate the importance of the Institute's fundamental research and its scientific achievements to society whilte strengthening confidence in the excellence of its research. In addition, these prominent representatives from various sectors of society, politics, the economy and the media are invited to contribute their points of view.

Under the chairmanship of Prof. Dr. Wolfgang M. Heckel, Director General of the Deutsches Museum, the members of the Board of Trustees were informed about the scientific achievements and personnel developments of the Institute at this year's meeting. Its Managing Director, Professor Vahid Sandoghdar, highlighted the appointment of the fourth Alexander von Humboldt Professor in Prof. Benoit Ladoux for the Max-Planck-Zentrum für Physik und Medizin (MPZPM), in addition to the renowned ERC grants, dissertation awards and the Hilde Mangold Science Prize. The MPZPM is an interdisciplinary joint research center of the Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light (MPL), the Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU) and the Universitätsklinikum Erlangen (UKER).

FAU President Prof. Joachim Hornegger provided the members of the Board of Trustees with details on the excellent cooperation between the MPL and FAU, which will be highlighted this year with the inauguration of the MPZPM. “For FAU, the partnership with the Max Planck Institute is a successful model that has led to many excellent appointments,” said Hornegger. This was followed by a report by the Secretary General of the Max Planck Society, Dr. Simone Schwanitz.

Please find an overview of all members of the Board of Trustees here.

From top left to bottom right in the photo (© Susanne Viezens, MPL):

Prof Dr Erich R. Reinhardt, former Chairman of the Executive Board of Medical Valley EMN e. V.,
Prof Dr Joachim Hornegger, President of FAU Erlangen- Nürnberg,
Dr Claudia Schmidt, Federal Ministry of Education and Research, Department 514 - Quantum Technologies; Quantum Computing,
Prof Dr Klaus L. Wübbenhorst, Economic Chairman of the European Metropolitan Region of Nuremberg, WB Consult GmbH
Dr Markus Wittmann, Ministerial Director, Bavarian State Ministry of Economic Affairs, Regional Development and Energy,
Dr Hans Schleicher, former Deputy Chairman of the Management Board of LfA Förderbank Bayern,
Dr Peter Müller, former Head of Office, Bavarian State Ministry of Education and Culture, Science and the Arts,
Prof Florian Marquardt, Director of the Theory Department at the MPL,
Dr Dorothe Burggraf, Head of Administration and Infrastructure at the MPL,
Dr Andreas Dorsel, former member of the management of Carl Zeiss SMT GmbH,
Prof Vahid Sandoghdar, Director of the Department of Nano-Optics at the MPL & MPZPM and Managing Director at the MPL,
Verena Osgyan, Member of the Bavarian State Parliament, Deputy Chairwoman of the parliamentary group,
Dr Simone Schwanitz, Secretary General of the Max Planck Society,
Dr Siegfried Balleis, former Mayor of Erlangen,
Dr Tobias Utikal, representative of the scientific staff
Prof Dr Michael Weinhold, Chief Technology Officer, Siemens Smart Infrastructure,
Barbara Hahlweg, journalist and presenter ZDF,
Prof Dr Wolfgang M. Heckl, Director General of the Deutsches Museum,
Prof Jochen Guck, Director of the Department of Biological Optomechanics at the MPL & MPZPM and spokesperson for the MPZPM