The IAS belongs to the TUM and the TUM belongs to the IAS! In this sense we are a “virtual Institute�, but one with very real people and facilities. And we also have a building! At the moment we have very nice temporary facilities in downtown Munich, Nymphenburgerstrasse 39, where many of the common activities of the Institute take place. We have at our disposal open offices and meeting places where we organize workshops, think 8
Direcor's Message
tanks, planning sessions, get-togethers, etc. These facilities are too small to accommodate our ambitions, so a new facility is generously being built for us by BMW group on the Garching campus that will allow us to provide our Fellows and their research units with a well-equipped and spacious anchor. Space is a scarce commodity on campus, and we will be able to provide spatial roominess where needed. As already stated, our prime focus is on engaging excellent Fellows. Almost equally important, because highly motivational, is their integration in kernels for advanced research. These we call Focus Groups. We are open for any excellent proposal coming from the University community, but we ultimately focus our resources on a limited number of key topics. Most of them form a combination of existing excellence with a drive towards novelty. The process that leads to them often happens in the context of some major projects or existing laboratories whose excellence attracts both young people and international interest. The TUM-IAS tries (and succeeds!) to ease the huge demand for advanced knowledge and experience such larger endeavors often require. An Institute that is developing, and developing fast, needs to be managed with diligence and professionalism matching the excellence of its Fellows. As new Director (since September 2007) I have been greatly impressed by the achievements of the founders of the Institute, in