No. 115/2023

WHAT’S NEXT? For the last 70 years, the members of the worldwide Humboldt Network have been working on solutions to the challenges of our times. We asked six of them which they considered to be their most important future tasks. Illustrations SKIZZOMAT “AFRICA’S YOUNG PEOPLE ARE OUR GREATEST ASSET” How can Africa feed its growing population when climate change and environmental degradation are making agriculture ever more difficult? African researchers are working on solutions. Looking to the future, the biomathematician Romain Glèlè Kakaï identifies three particular challenges: how to feed a growing population, how to protect the environment and how to contain pandemics like COVID-19. These are the questions that also occupy him in his roles as head of both the Laboratoire de 2002 The culture of welcome is invented The Foundation begins its campaign to estab- lish a culture of welcome in Germany in 2002 by holding a competition to find the Friend- liest Immigration Office. Researchers from abroad should be made to feel at home and welcome. Other initiatives follow. 2008 New award draws interna- tional stars to Germany From 2008, the Foundation’s Alexan- der von Humboldt Professor- ship brings the international research elite to German uni- versities. Up to ten professor- ships are endowed with five million euros each. The funding comes from the Ministry of Research. 2016 Campaign for academic free- dom The Philipp Schwartz Initi- ative offers foreign researchers, who are threatened by war or persecution in their own coun- tries, a safe haven at German universities and research institu- tions. Financed by the Federal Foreign Office, the initiative is a model for other programmes in Europe. 2019 Alexander von Humboldt Pro- fessorship for Artificial Intelli- gence By 2024, an additional 30 Humboldt Professors for AI are set to be appointed. The Foundation is thus making a contribution to the Federal Gov- ernment’s national AI strategy. 2020 I deas lab for science communi- cation Humboldt Foundation fellows and alumni of the Inter- national Journalists’ Pro- grammes work together on joint media projects. The aim is to learn from one another. The Communication Lab for Research and Media is just one of the Foundation’s science communication initiatives. 2022 Support for researchers from Ukraine The Humboldt Founda- tion implements the EU’s MSCA4Ukraine programme for at-risk researchers from Ukraine. The EU provides funding of 25 million euros for fellowships. More on the history of the foundation at www.humboldt- foundation.de/ k115-70years 14 HUMBOLDT KOSMOS 115/2023