TMP stu­dents get to know dishes from around the world by cook­ing and shar­ing
China, Belgium, Italy, Greece, Iran, Malaysia, Russia, Japan, Tunesia, Turkey, Bavaria, these are only a few of the countries of origin of the students in the Elite Graduate Program “Theoretical and Mathematical Physics” (TMP). In November, they met and presented dishes from home.
Meeting on a weekend at the university in a relaxed atmosphere and for once not only discussing quantum physics, elementary particles or differential geometry, that was the intent of almost 100 students in the Elite Graduate Program “Theoretical and Mathematical Physics” in Munich. It did not take long for the two student representatives, the two elected speakers of the TMP student body, to book Café Gumbel, the student run café at LMU. They also created an online document for everybody to register and propose a dish from their home country they could prepare and contribute.
Green cab­bage, Sushi, Boeuf Bour­guinon – a color­ful mix
The list filled up quickly and one Saturday in November the first TMP Food Exchange took place. A large buffet was filled with many dishes and drinks from all kinds of countries. The various chefs had taken great care. There were classics like Lasagna, Boeuf Bourguignon and green cabbage, a traditional dish from northern Germany, various soups and salads and of course pretzels and “Obatzter”. Even when all pots and plates were finished, the event was not. Conversations and board games let most participants stay well into the night.
Current TMP students come from 25 countries from four continents to Munich to become researchers in theoretical physics and physics related mathematics. Conversation and teaching are conducted in English and during the two years of the program, students not only learn about recent research topics in their subjects but as well about the internationality of the global scientific community. Here, everybody brings their individual cultural upbringing but joins a world-wide effort to tackle scientific problems of universal relevance.
Text: Robert Helling, Coordinator of the Elite Graduate Program "Theoretical und Mathematical Physics“