Falling Walls Conference:BREAKWhich are the next walls to fall?

Wed, 5 Aug 2009 15:04:56 +0200

Twenty years ago the fall of the Berlin Wall changed the world.
On the 9th of November 2009, the 20th anniversary of the end of the iron curtain, the Einstein Foundation raised the question:
Which are the next walls to fall - and how will they affect our lives?
Over twenty acclaimed international researchers lectured at the scientific conference "Falling Walls" and highlighted the next breakthroughs in a wide variety of scientific areas.

The conference’s topics covered among other fields:
anthropology, chemistry, energy, nutrition, history, immunology, engineering, communications, mathematics, medicine, neuroscience, nuclear physics, paleontology, psychology, sociology and economics.

The distinguished scientists work with leading research institutions such as: CERN, Charité, Collège de France, Duke University, ETH Zürich, Fraunhofer Gesellschaft, Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt Universität zu Berlin, Technische Universität Berlin, Helmholtz Society, Iter, Max Planck Society, MIT, Princeton, University of Chicago.

The keynote speaker, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, is linked to the occasion in a very special way. Before the wall came down, she was working as a scientist in the eastern part of Berlin.

The conference gathered over 600 distinguished guests from the academic world, government, business and the arts. Participants were invited to a pre-event dinner on the 8th of November, and a closing dinner and get together on the 9th of November.

The Falling Walls Conference is organised by the Einstein Foundation, a non-profit foundation that promotes scientific research. The event was held at the cultural center Radialsystem in Berlin. The building, previously used as a water pumping station, is located on Berlins former death strip and was rebuilt after the wall came down. It is now one of the leading venues for new art and culture in Berlin, and is just a few steps away from the East Side Gallery, the longest piece of the Berlin Wall still standing.

Please find all important information concerning Speakers and Pogramme here.

We are aware that the selection of topics and speakers never can cover everything relevant. Thus, we welcome any suggestions and proposals for our future work:
What scientific breakthroughs do you expect?
Which scientists are working on these breakthroughs?
Please contact us.