The Center of Earth System Observation and Computational Analysis (CESOC) hosts its third and last location visit
On 23rd November 2023, the CESOC partner University of Cologne (UoC) invited the staff of the European Center for Medium-Ranged Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) from the new premises in Bonn for a location visit to Cologne. After ECMWF visits at the CESOC Partners University of Bonn and Forschungszentrum Jülich in 2022, it now was a good time to conclude the general CESOC location visits at the University of Cologne. This was further supported by the new Key Profile Area (KPA) at the UoC: “Intelligent Methods for Earth System Sciences”, approved in 2022 as well as the new rectorate, who started in the winter semester of 2023,
Thus, on 23rd November 2023, around 100 people took their seats in the lecture hall of the Institute of Geophysics and Meteorology. It was a great honor that the newly elected Rector of the UoC: Prof. Dr. Mukherjee opened this visit and warmly welcomed the ECMWF staff and all participants. He was “delighted that the Rhineland region is home to such a wealth of expertise in the field of climate research” as this “is one of the most important tasks of the international scientific community”. The dean of the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Prof. Dr. Georg Bareth joined in with welcoming words. Prof. Dr. Susanne Crewell, head of the Institute for Geophysics and Meteorology, one of the founding directors of CESOC, and one of the three speakers of the KPA concluded the welcoming speech and opened the scientific overview in the field of Earth System Science research at the University of Cologne.
The soon-to-be Head of the ECMWF Bonn site and strategic coordinator of ECMWF for EU activities starting January 1st, Vincent-Henri Peuch, gave an insight into the activities of ECMWF. Then, each atmospheric science working group at the UoC presented their research area and current research activities therein. During the coffee break a poster session was opened, in which all participants mingled around the posters engaged in scientific discussions. In the second round of talks, the Geosciences, Computer Sciences, and Mathematics at the UoC were presented and another opportunity to walk around the posters was given. Eventually, the evening buffet was opened with plenty of time to network, socialize, and get to know each other better. We felt everyone enjoyed themselves and many new ventures in the CESOC-ECMWF collaboration will take place in the next weeks and months. We are very much looking forward to that.
We thank every speaker, participant, and organizational team for this wonderful networking event!
Pictures © Sybille Y. Scheele (top) & Lena Piasecki (buttom) / University of Cologne
