No. 115/2023

Photo: Getty Images T here are not many international brands that have retained their essence for the last 70 years. Market conditions change ever faster and more radically. Disruption reshuffles the deck. Firms that are not quick enough to respond to technological change disappear, which is why former market leaders like the film manufacturer Kodak are history. Or, like the Finnish tech producer Nokia, they become insignificant in what was their specialist field. Even today’s powerful tech giants like Meta (formerly Facebook) or Alphabet (Google) are wondering how long their business model will last given the way AI is transforming the online world. If you were looking to compare the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation with a brand, you might hit on Coca-Cola. The American concern has been successfully marketing its soft drink around the world for decades. Sometimes with sugar and caffeine, sometimes without, but effectively unchanged according to the same secret formula allegedly hidden away in a safe. Just like the soft drink giant, the Foun­ dation has not fundamentally altered its portfolio since it was established in 1953: it grants fellowships and awards to talented junior researchers as well as to top scientists and scholars from all over the world who come to Germany to work and become part of a world-spanning research network on the strength of this sponsorship. What is it that makes this portfolio so successful to this day? Does the Foundation have a well-kept secret formula of its own? There is nothing very secret about the first part of the winning formula. It is the Foundation’s adaptability and willingness to drive change (see the timeline): from inventing the culture of welcome via introducing the multi-million Alexander von Humboldt Professorship for the strategic internationalisation of German universities through to the safeguarding programmes for researchers at risk or peer circle reviewing, which is set to take the pressure off the review system. The second part of the Humboldt win­ ning formula, on the other hand, includes ingredients that are unique in their composition and have indeed remained unchanged for the last 70 years. Unlike most research funders, the Foundation does not sponsor projects, but people. And it does so on a permanent basis, usually for the researcher’s entire working life. It extends trust and independence irrespective of discipline or nationality and fosters a network in more than 140 countries. In doing so, it regards research as a means of international understanding and diplomacy. Recently, however, the concept of (re-) establishing relations through dialogue has come under criticism. Does Russia’s war with Ukraine, do system conflicts with countries like China and the trend towards deglobalisation herald the kind of disruption that could fundamentally alter cross-border research collaboration and thus the Humboldt Foundation’s very formula for success? The Foundation is responding by honing its tools to ensure fair cooperation with regard to data protection and intellectual property and to rule out cases of dual use, that is, the military use of research results. But it is not changing its basic formula. It will continue to focus on international exchange and the freedom of science. The continuing high demand for Humboldt Fellowships, the kudos, the positive effect on academic productivity and cross-border networking evidenced in evaluations and, last but not least, the positive feedback from sponsorship recipients themselves all confirm the effectiveness and attractiveness of the formula. Trust, independence and diverse perspectives fuel academic performance and creativity. Both are urgently required if we are to meet the cross-border challenges inherent in climate change, ageing societies, pandemics and the societal impact of new technologies like artificial intelligence. The Humboldt brand is still needed. ALEXANDER VON HUMBOLDT FOUNDATION 1953 Mission: to build trust During the first year in operation, 78 fellows come to Germany. The Secretary General welcomes every one of them with a hand- shake. Germany’s image is still dominated by the Second World War and the Nazi period; the Foundation’s principal task is to build trust. Physicist Wer- ner Heisenberg is the first Pres- ident of the Foundation, one of several Nobel Laureates to hold this office. 1959 First cracks in the Iron Curtain In 1959, the Foundation wel- comes its first two fellows from the Eastern Block – one from Poland and one from Hungary. A diplomatic coup: freedom of travel is unheard of, and a research stay with the enemy in the West the absolute exception. 1972 BMWs for the brightest minds from the United States Initially only intended for natural scien- tists from the US, the Humboldt Research Award is introduced in 1972. For the first time, the Foundation is also able to reach experienced researchers. In the early days, the award is valued at DM 6,000 plus special condi- tions when buying a BMW – a perk enthusiastically embraced by around one in three award winners. 1981 R egulars in the President’s garden Beginning in 1955 and continuing to the present day, the Federal President hosts a reception every year for cur- rent Humboldtians in the grounds of the official presi- dential residence as part of the Foundation’s annual meeting. By 1981, the originally modest attendance figures grow to over a thousand Humboldtians with kith and kin. 1996 Development policy on the agenda In 1996, the Georg For- ster Fellowship is established specifically to meet the needs of developing countries. It is designed to assist in the recip- rocal transfer of methods and knowledge. 70 YEARS HUMBOLDT KOSMOS 115/2023