Beate Naroska Guest Professorships 2024

12 March 2025

Photo: Azadeh Maleknejad (left), Sylvaine Pieyre (right)

The laureates of the Beate Naroska Senior and Junior Guestprofessorships 2024, Azadeh Maleknejad (left) and Ursula Bassler (right).

The Beate Naroska guest professorship programme of the Cluster of Excellence Quantum Universe at the University of Hamburg and DESY has been established in honour of Beate Naroska. This guest professorship is awarded annually to two successful female scientists who distinguish themselves not only by their excellent research in one of the research areas of Quantum Universe (Higgs physics, Dark Matter, Gravitational Waves, Quantum Theories) but also by being a visible role model for women in the discipline.

We are happy to announce that the Beate Naroska Awards for the year 2024 will be awarded to Prof. Dr. Ursula Bassler (Laboratoire Leprince-Ringuet at École Polytechnique) and to Dr. Azadeh Maleknejad (Department of Physics, King’s College London). 

“I very vividly recall Beate Naroska whom I met in the 1990s while being a young researcher in the H1 collaboration. She was one of the pioneering women physicists from the ‘previous generation’. Being very few women in the field at the time, it was important for us to see her and to sense her encouragement and appreciation. It is very moving to come now to Hamburg again as a ‘senior physicist’, and I hope that I can establish many connections, especially with young researchers and work with many different scientists on an exciting project” says Ursula Bassler, senior guest professor 2024.

Azadeh Maleknejad adds: “I am humbled and honored to be awarded the Junior Guest Professorship from Quantum Universe, especially as it bears the name of the brilliant particle physicist and inspirational role model Beate Naroska. I am excited about the opportunity to collaborate with outstanding researchers at Hamburg University and DESY, and especially to connect with young physicists.”

The selected researchers will be awarded 7,500 Euro (senior) and 5,000 Euro (junior). They are invited to spend up to six months in Hamburg and to actively participate in the scientific activities of the Cluster of Excellence Quantum Universe.

We are very much looking forward to welcoming both Ursula Bassler and Azadeh Maleknejad to the Beate Naroska Award Ceremony on Bahrenfeld Campus / DESY on April 22, 2025!