The Graduate School BuildMoNa ("Leipzig School of Natural Sciences – Building with Molecules and Nano-objects") at

Universität Leipzig Leipzig University (german: Universität Leipzig), in Leipzig in Saxony, Germany, is one of the world's oldest universities and the second-oldest university (by consecutive years of existence) in Germany. The university was founded on 2 December ...

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG),, is a country in Central Europe. It is the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany lies between the Baltic and North Sea to the north and the Alps to the sou ...

, focuses on interdisciplinary graduate education through top-level, synergistic research in the areas of

physics Physics is the natural science that studies matter, its fundamental constituents, its motion and behavior through space and time, and the related entities of energy and force. "Physical science is that department of knowledge which rel ...

, chemistry and

bioscience ''BioScience'' is a monthly peer-reviewed scientific journal that is published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the American Institute of Biological Sciences. It was established in 1964 and was preceded by the ''AIBS Bulletin'' (1951–19 ...

s. The Graduate School BuildMoNa was founded in November 2007 within the German Excellence Initiative. The Graduate School BuildMoNa is a class at the Research Academy Leipzig. Up to 100 doctoral candidates are enrolled in BuildMoNa.

Research Concept

The materials research concept is based on a "bottom-up" approach. Progressive building blocks, such as nano-objects, smart molecules, polymeric scaffolds, and active proteins, will be combined – preferentially by self-organization – to create fundamentally new classes of materials that are inspired by active, adaptive living matter, and that are environmentally friendly, highly efficient, low-cost devices serving multifunctional purposes for a steadily more diversified modern society. The paradigm shift from uniform bulk materials towards nanostructured multifunctional materials that emerge from combinations of smart molecules, proteins, and nano-objects is essential for future knowledge transfer from fundamental to applied sciences.

Doctoral Training

Doctoral students with an MSc (or equivalent degree) or an outstanding BSc from around the world have the possibility to receive within three years the degree

Dr. rer. nat. ''Doctor rerum naturalium'' ( for, , Latin, doctor of natural sciences, lit. 'doctor of the things of nature'), abbreviated Dr. rer. nat., is a doctoral academic degree awarded by universities in some European countries (e.g. Germany, Austria and ...

from Universität Leipzig. The training consists of research work and a well-structured training program with modules focusing on interdisciplinary knowledge transfer in important fields of materials science including essential related methods. Further multidisciplinary training activities are transferable skills modules, industrial training, research stays abroad and participations in international conferences.

Research Concept

Doctoral Training

See also