Snippets of the network

The Free State of Bavaria is expan­­ding its state-run program to support gifted students by in­creasing the monthly allowance under the Max Weber Pro­gram to 300 euros. Science Minister Blume de­scribes this as a “finan­cial boost for bright minds” and a clear signal in support of edu­cational equity.

About 250 guests accepted the Max Weber Program’s invitation to the traditional summer festival on 13 June, which took place in Erlangen this year. In the morning, the keynote address focused on the topic of artificial intelligence, while the afternoon featured social and athletic activities.

The annual meeting of the Marianne Plehn Program was held in Rothen­burg ob der Tauber from 12 to 14 June 2026. Over the course of the week­end, 27 scholar­ship holders ex­changed ideas, attended work­shops, and ex­plored the city.

Under the title “Mitgestalten – Mitreden – Mitregieren” (“Help Shape – Have a Say – Help Govern”), 80 scholarship recipients and young alumni of the Max Weber Program visited the Bavarian State Parliament on 5 May 2026 and had the opportunity to speak with State Parliament President Ilse Aigner.

Students of the Elite Graduate Pro­gram "Neuro­engineering" met in Inns­bruck for a retreat com­bining scien­tific guest talks, net­working, hiking, and community activi­ties.

Since 2025, the “Alumni erzählen” lecture series has been available to members of the Elite Network. Through 10 engaging lectures to date, scholarship recipients have had the opportunity to learn about the diverse career paths of successful alumnae and alumni.

At a height of 2,650 m, doctoral researchers from the International Doctorate Program “Um(welt)denken” met with PIs and international guests to discuss how academic excellence informs the Environmental Humanities – and how this exchange benefits both sides.

The students of the Elite Graduate Program "Integrated Immunology" traveled to Munich to attend the ImmunoTherapy of Cancer conference 2026 for a first impression of congresses in the scientific field and expand their knowledge around cancer immunotherapies.

For more than 30 years, top managers and C-level execu­tives have been meeting annually at the Tech­nical Uni­versity of Munich to discuss the current challen­ges facing the eco­nomy. The Elite Net­work of Ba­varia en­abled ten mem­bers to take part in Ger­many's larg­est busi­ness con­gress for indus­try and sci­ence.

A warm welcome, lively discussions, and a diverse program: numerous new members and alumni from all program lines took advantage of the opportunity to get to know each other personally, learn more about what the network has to offer, and make new contacts at the Get Together of the Elite Network of Bavaria.