Our Network
About Us
In 2018, Leipzig’s research institutions joined forces and founded the Leipzig Science Network e.V. (LSN), in order to strengthen their collaboration, generate synergies, and raise the national and international profile of the city as a center of science.
Leipzig stands out as a center of science and research, boasting an unusually wide range of universities and non-university research institutions within a compact area, as well as a diverse research landscape spanning from highly theoretical basic research to application-oriented research and technology transfer.
The Leipzig Science Network supports its members in collaboratively addressing common challenges faced by the institutions and creates opportunities for exchange among researchers and staff in administration and infrastructure. The network’s activities foster close collaboration among the participating institutions and generate synergies in research, teaching, knowledge transfer, administration, and infrastructure. By jointly developing a strategic research profile for Leipzig’s scientific institutions, we aim to generate proposals for collaborative projects and strengthen the visibility and appeal of the region as a research hub.
Through the Leipzig Science Network, we promote and coordinate cooperation among our members, ensure the continuity of joint activities, and establish sustainable and reliable structures for scientific collaboration in Leipzig.
Governance
Learn more25 institutions in a network
Our membersExchange Formats & Working Groups
Learn moreActivities & Events
Learn moreGovernance
The association is governed by the board and the general member meeting.
The board of Leipzig Science Network e. V. consists of:
Prof. Dr. Eva Inés Obergfell (Chair)
President of the University of Leipzig
President of the University of Leipzig
Prof. Dr. Dr. Ulrike Köhl (Vice Chair)
Director of the Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology (IZI)
Director of the Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology (IZI)
Dr. Sabine König (Treasurer)
Administrative Director of the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research – UFZ
Administrative Director of the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research – UFZ
Dr. Torsten Loschke (Member)
Head of the Knowledge Policy Department for the City of Leipzig
Head of the Knowledge Policy Department for the City of Leipzig
Exchange Formats & Working Groups
Meeting of administrative managers
Administrative managers meet regularly to discuss issues that affect all LSN member institutions, such as infrastructure, cybersecurity, and legal frameworks. The Leipzig Science Network was founded in 2018 by this group of administrative managers.
Dual Career Netzwerk Mitteldeutschland (DCNM)
The Dual Career Netzwerk Mitteldeutschland (DCNM) brings together 38 universities, research institutions, municipalities, and businesses to support modern talent strategies and successful careers for both partners. Because when skilled professionals choose to stay and contribute their expertise, the entire region benefits. Our network coordinator Friederike Lauterbach provides personalized guidance for couples starting their professional journey in Central Germany.
Since 2024, the DCNM is hosted by the Leipzig Science Network.
Further information
Working group "Welcome to Leipzig"
The "Welcome to Leipzig" working group is dedicated to improving the conditions for welcoming international visiting scholars and reducing bureaucratic hurdles upon their arrival in Leipzig. It regularly brings together staff from the International Offices and Welcome Centers of all member institutions with the City of Leipzig’s Foreigners’ Registration Office. In particular, the working group organizes the “Welcome to Leipzig” online portal, the housing exchange, and intercultural training for staff. Contact & Coordination: Hans-Christoph Thiele (Knowledge Policy Department, City of Leipzig)
Working group "Communication"
The Communication Working Group regularly brings together the public relations officers from LSN member institutions. In particular, the working group organizes the biennial Long Night of Science. Contact & Coordination: Hans-Christoph Thiele (Knowledge Policy Division, City of Leipzig)