Student Council
The student council represents and helps to support the interest of the PhD students. Our main goal is the improvement of communication between PhD students of different fields. We organize:
- the connection between student life and the academic structures at the University of Hamburg
- social activities and scientific events
- financial support for travel and your ideas!
To flourish our student community we rely on your input and support. So if you have any idea that bring the different campuses together and improve on student life, you can write anyone of us and we will try to make it happen. Also if you yourself want to organize an event and need support for that, we can offer you help.
In case you have any problems related to your PhD, e.g. scientific or personal problems with your supervisor the student council can act as contact person and mediator. Also if you have general concerns like searching for feasible supervisors and mentors, questions regarding application procedures and PhD regulations, please don’t hesitate to contact us!
Write us via qu-studentcouncil"AT"desy.de!
Who we are?
The council consists usually of 6 people, based at the following geographical locations:
- Geomatikum: Department of Mathematics,
- Bergedorf: Hamburg Observatory,
- Bahrenfeld: DESY experimental groups (mainly bldg. 1),
- Bahrenfeld: DESY theory group and II. Institute of Theoretical Physics (mainly bldgs. 2a, 1 and 67),
- Bahrenfeld: 2 representatives for Institutes of Experimental Physics and Laser Physics (bldgs. 62, 67, 68, 69, 99).
The current council members can be found here. They where elected by members of the students.champp mailing list at the end of 2019. Currently the seat for DESY experiment is not filled. To be part of upcoming elections make sure to subscribe to students.champp@lists.nui-hamburg.de.
Who do we represent?
We represent all students in the areas of astrophysics, mathematical physics, and particle physics. If you work in these areas in Hamburg, we represent you. That includes, but is not limited to the Quantum Universe Cluster of Excellence students. These areas of research are included in CHAMPP – the "Center in Hamburg for Astro-, Mathematical and Particle Physics".
There are three main locations: Campus Bahrenfeld (DESY, Institute of Experimental Physics, Institute of Laser Physics, II. Institute for Theoretical Physics), Geomatikum (Department of Mathematics), and Bergedorf (Hamburg Observatory).
What do we do exactly?
- We promote professional and informal exchange between the students of different areas of research within QU and CHAMPP. This includes various social and academic gatherings for the students of QU and CHAMPP.
In order to come in contact with other students on campus we have organized social hours like Christmas outings and barbecues in the past, together with other student groups on the DESY campus that you might know, like DoIt, the council of the Cluster of Excellence CUI: Advanced Imaging of Matter, and the student representatives of the IMPRS-UFAST. If there is sufficient interest, we can also organize retreats in order to come together and get to know us more profoundly. - We represent the PhD students within the QU Steering Committee meetings. A member of the council serves as one of 14 members of the Steering Committee of Quantum Universe. The student representative has a full vote on the decisions made by the Committee. The representative serves as a connection between the student council and the Steering Committee, bringing in the topics important for the students, and communicating back to the council the important events.
- We serve as a contact point for student concerns that need attention of the higher bodies of QU and CHAMPP.
- We serve as a connection between the different student bodies that exist independently within the various branches of QU and CHAMPP and beyond. To name a few student organisations you might know also:
DoIt represents students of Campus Bahrenfeld and DESY students within the Helmholtz association via the Helmholtz Juniors. We also try to keep contact to the student representatives of the RTG, CUI: Advanced Imaging of Matter and IMPRS-UFAST graduate schools as well as the student representation of the Hamburg Research Academy. - We meet with the students on QU Days in order to discuss ongoing matters and the planning of future activities.
- We offer financial support for research travels and other activities (come to us with your ideas, we will see how to make it happen!)
- We serve as an organisational platform to protect the rights of the PhD students of CHAMPP within the structure of QU, CHAMPP and beyond. Right now we are concerned with the topics of mentoring and supervision quality.
- We are advertising for a joint course offer for all students from different graduate schools (PIER education platform).
I’m confused: what is the difference between CHAMPP and Quantum Universe?
The Cluster of Excellence “Quantum Universe” (QU) is a large fund that was attracted by Hamburg University and DESY in a collaborative effort. It seeks to include everyone working in its research areas into its activities. It means you don’t need to have a contract with QU in order to participate and be included in it. For this, these areas are united under the name of Center in Hamburg for Astro-, Mathematical- and Particle Physics – CHAMPP. CHAMPP, unlike Quantum Universe, doesn’t manage its own budget. The Quantum Universe Research School (QURS) represents the research school of CHAMPP and has its own coordinator. CHAMPP serves to be an organization and information structure to help maintain the academic and personal connections developed during the functioning of QU. From the student side we aim to serve the structures QU and CHAMPP at the same time with this student council.
What is the role of the council in Quantum Universe?
The student council is one pillar of the early career council that represents all early career scientists in QU and CHAMPP. You may have a look at the Cluster structure.
How is the council elected?
The council serves for a term of one year. After the term the members remain as vice-members for another 6 months to provide informational support for the newly elected council.
The election is conducted in two phases: nominations and elections.
- Anonymous nominations are submitted online. Anyone can be nominated by anyone.
- The nomination phase lasts one week. After that we get in touch with the nominees, and ask for their interest in standing in the elections. The ones who agree are asked to prepare an optional electoral statement: a short self-introduction, and explanation why they would like to be a member of the council, and what they would do in the council. The nomination phase lasts for 1 week.
- The elections are done online. Each student has one vote and can vote for a candidate from any area. Then seats are filled via simple majority rule under the constraint of respecting the seat distribution:
- 1 representative for Bergedorf (Hamburg Observatory),
- 1 representative for Geomatikum (Department of Mathematics),
- 1 representative for Bahrenfeld: DESY experimental groups (mainly bldg. 1),
- 1 representative for Bahrenfeld: DESY theory group and II. Institute of Theoretical Physics (mainly bldgs. 2a, 1 and 67),
- 2 representatives for Bahrenfeld: Institutes of Experimental Physics and Laser Physics (bldgs. 62, 67, 68, 69, 99).
- The votes are counted and the election results are announced after evaluating the results. The new council will step in after the results are announced. The new council will elect the speaker of the council.
I want to get in touch!
We are happy to talk, write us to qu-studentcouncil"AT"desy.de! Also, please subscribe to the mailing list: https://mailman.rrz.uni-hamburg.de/mailman/listinfo/students.champp.
For the students of the Observatory we have created an additional internal mailing list that is kept up to date by us: phd"AT"hs.uni-hamburg.de.
