Universities
MLP considers its support of universities and students one of its most important commitments. Indeed, we are among the largest and most reliable corporate partners to universities.
In the financial year 2009 we expanded on our cooperations with universities, fellowships, student and scientific organisations, for example with the DFG German Research Foundation. To support students and improve their understanding of the professional world during their time at university, MLP now cooperates with around 60 universities and institutes, most of which take the form of public-private partnerships. Within the scope of continued support of the foundation professorship for university and science management at the Center for Science & Research in Speyer, funded together with “Stifterverband”, MLP is supporting fundamental research for further professionalisation in the field of university management. And on December 19, 2009, the Manfred Lautenschläger Foundation presented the Lautenschläger Research Prize at the University of Heidelberg, the largest prize of its kind in Europe with € 250,000 in funding, to the Heidelberg-based astrophysicist Prof. Dr. Eva Grebel as a “leading figure in the field of research”.
In the field of university politics, MLP was co-host of the first ZEIT conference “Universities and Education”, held in Germany’s National Library in Frankfurt am Main on July 3, 2009 and attended by high-ranking representatives from national and international universities. This expert conference, with around 220 participants, dealt with current challenges in the field of university and science policy. In addition to this, MLP also got together with the media service “kress” to publish the “Taschenbuch der Hochschulpresse” (University Press Pocketbook), which alongside a section on statistics contains the contact details of more than 1,000 communicators and journalists operating in Germany’s university landscape.
MLP also organised the “Join the best” initiative in the financial year 2009. In a competition with more than 3,740 participants, following several selection stages fifteen students won the opportunity to attend practical work placements abroad at renowned, international companies.
Students of medicine were also supported by MLP in 2009 within the scope of the “Medical Excellence” scholarship programme, which sponsors twelve aspiring physicians and three aspiring dentists per year in cooperation with the magazine “Ärzte Zeitung”. Alongside scientific aptitude, a high degree of social commitment also plays an important part in the sponsorship programme’s application process.