Invitation: The Support Association of the Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light presents itself to the public for the first time
On Friday, July 18, 2025, the non-profit association “Verein der Freunde und Ehemaligen des Max-Planck-Instituts für die Physik des Lichts e.V.” (Friends and Alumni of the Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light) will introduce itself to the public for the first time. The program is designed to provide insights into the research work at the Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light (MPL) and encourage mutual exchange. The audience can look forward to a keynote speech on 100 years of quantum sciences by Managing Director Professor Florian Marquardt, laboratory tours, and a festive dinner in the institute’s spacious foyer. The event will begin at 4:00 p.m. on the premises of the research institute.
MPL was founded over 15 years ago as one of more than 80 institutes of the Max Planck Society. Created as a spin-off of the Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, the institute has developed into a globally recognized research hotspot.
Scientists from all over the world come here to generate new fundamental knowledge. The concentration of leading minds, along with the excellent research conditions, makes the institute at Erlangen so attractive internationally.
Cutting-edge research needs a strong network
Networking among scientists and promoting young researchers are two important prerequisites for excellence in research. Researchers also depend on people from outside the scientific community who are interested in their work and committed to supporting them.
For this reason, the non-profit “Verein der Freunde und Ehemaligen des Max-Planck-Instituts für die Physik des Lichts e.V.” was founded on March 5, 2025. It sees itself as a point of contact for friends and supporters of MPL who wish to actively support MPL. The purpose of the association is to promote the research activities of MPL and its public presence. “Our research institute attaches great importance to presenting our topics in a way that is understandable to a wider audience. After all, public acceptance depends on the added value of fundamental research being explained in a comprehensible manner,” explains Prof. Florian Marquardt, Managing Director of MPL and first chairman of the association.
Public presentation of the association on July 18, 2025, at 4 p.m.
On July 18, 2025, the association will present itself for the first time at a public event. The program is designed to provide insights into the research and encourage exchange between all interest groups – from alumni and interested parties to active researchers.
The event program
- 4:00 p.m. Welcome
- 4:15 p.m. Introduction to the association
- 4:30 p.m. Keynote speech: 100 years of quantum sciences
- 5:10 p.m. How tomorrow’s knowledge is created: laboratory tours
- 5:30 p.m. Festive dinner
Venue
Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light
Staudtstraße 2
91058 Erlangen, Germany
Journalists and media representatives are cordially invited to attend. To participate in the dinner, please register by email at friends@mpl.mpg.de.
Further information about the association can be found at https://mpl.mpg.de/de/ueber-uns/foerderverein.
