From Münster to the world as a professor
A special alumni reunion: Between 2007 and 2014, they worked as postdocs at the Organic Chemistry Institute of the University of Münster. The seven chemists now have their own research groups and are professors in China, India, France and Germany. The symposium "ROCCAT-II: Rising Organic Chemists in CATalysis" took them back to Münster. At the invitation of Prof. Frank Glorius from the Institute of Organic Chemistry, they exchanged information about their research projects and networked with current post-war scientists at the University of Münster. The team spirit, the Mensa, the Aasee - the seven professors miss many things from their time in Münster.
“My Post-doc in Münster was a really great and unforgettable experience. From the professional point of view Münster is a great place to work. The institute is amazing, in terms of both, scientific environment and equipment… and it gives you the opportunity to progress really efficiently. But the most important was the group and people. All coworkers were really great and all of us could feel like part of the “Glorius family”. Münster is also great city to live and I miss much “Aasee” lake and the long walks around.”
Dr. Joanna Wencel-Delord works as a CNRS researcher in LIMA – Laboratoire d'Innovation Moléculaire et Applications – at the French University of Strasbourg.
“What I miss most of Münster is perhaps more a time than a place. It is being a postdoctoral fellow with so many excellent young scientists concentrated in a single place. ROCCAT II reflects this I think. I miss also all the many and diverse social activities that made us a united team. These live on in what is now a pretty broad Glorius Alumni network, in both academia and industry.”
Dr. Frederic Patureau works as Professor for Synthetic Organic Chemistry at the Institute of Organic Chemistry at the Rheinisch-Westfälischen Technischen Hochschule Aachen.
“Scientifically, I miss most the free research, international teamwork and vivid discussions in the Glorius group, which in fact influences a lot the style of my own research group. For daily life, I and my wife miss most the beautiful scenes in Muenster, in particular the area of “Aasee” lake. We loved to walk after dinner along the cycle road with many trees. Fantastic!”
Dr. Congyang Wang works as a full professor in the Institute of Chemistry at the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing.
“To start with, there is one thing I do not miss of Münster: the weather! The first thing I had to buy when leaving it to settle in Marseille were sunglasses. Apart from the extraordinary people I have met during my 17-month stay, and who became friends for many of them, the thing I miss the most of Muenster is its sweetness of live and peacefulness: strolling on Prinzipalmarkt, riding the bike on the Promenade, chilling at Aasee or searching for nice food at Domplatz’s market.”
Dr. Xavier Bugaut works as an assistant professor at the University of Aix-Marseille in France.
“I miss the quiet and simple life in Muenster. I don’t have my own house, but I feel satisfied with my life. I don’t have a car, but I have time to visit many places. I don’t have a cell phone, but I can talk with my friends every day. Now, I have a chance to come back, just like I take a time machine to reach where dreams begin.”
Dr. Zhuangzhi Shi works as a full professor at Nanjing University in China.
“The item I miss a lot in Münster is the Mensa food. In the Glorius-group we have the tradition of going together to the Mensa for lunch. Although I like spicy food, I quickly adapted to the Mensa-taste and rapidly became a fan of Mensa-food. To be honest, I was a complete vegetarian when I arrived at Münster in August 2008. IUn few months, I was able to eat almost everything.
Dr. Akkattu T. Biju works as associate professor at the Institute of Organic Chemistry of the Indian Institute of Science in Bangalore, India.
“I miss the family spirit of the group, the great time working in a very inspiring environment and of course winter time in Germany with the challenge of biking on ice.”
Dr. Tatiana Besset works as a CNRS researcher at the COBRA laboratory – Chimie Organique Bioorganique Réactivité et Analyse – at the Rouen University in France.