Professor of Universität Regensburg has become an honorary doctor of St Petersburg University
A grand ceremony of awarding the diploma and gown of an honorary doctor of St Petersburg University to Manfred Scheer, an outstanding chemist, Professor of the University of Regensburg, has taken place at the University.
The title was awarded for his outstanding contribution to the development of international scientific cooperation by the decision of the Academic Council of St Petersburg University on 28 January 2019.
Manfred Scheer chairs the Department of Inorganic Chemistry, the University of Regensburg, and is a recognised world leader in phosphorus chemistry.
360
scientific papers have been published by Manfred Scheer in journals indexed in the Web of Science and Scopus.
His scientific achievements have been marked by numerous awards, including the International Arbuzov Prize, the DAAD Prize, the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation professorship, and the German Chemical Society award. For nearly 20 years, Professor Scheer has been actively cooperating with St Petersburg University. Over these years, he has published 43 articles in top-rated journals co-authored with scientists from the University. At present, the research group of Manfred Scheer, together with researchers from St Petersburg University, is implementing a grant programme of St Petersburg University and the DFG.
Acting Rector Sergey Andryushin, on behalf of the University administration, greeted the scientist and congratulated him on taking the honorary post. ‘It is pleasant to note that the tradition of cooperation between our university and Germany has existed for about three centuries and originates from the very moment of its foundation. Then, at the beginning of the 18th century, it was German professors who became the first lecturers invited to St Petersburg University and in many respects determined its outlook’, said Sergey Andryushin. ‘Germany today remains one of the main partners of St Petersburg University. Partnership with German research and academic institutions is carried out at all levels, including academic exchanges, as well as joint research and academic projects. In our opinion, all this would be impossible without purposeful work with a huge commitment of such scientists as Professor Scheer.’
According to the university tradition, the new honorary doctor of St Petersburg University addressed the university staff and guests with a speech he read in Russian. Manfred Scheer, Professor of the University of Regensburg, said that receiving the mantle of an honorary doctor of St Petersburg University is a great honour for him. After defending his doctoral thesis in 1985, he completed a one-year internship at the Institute of Inorganic Chemistry, the Siberian Branch of the USSR Academy of Sciences. Contacts with St Petersburg researchers were formed much later, when the scientist met University Professor Aleksei Timoshkin at a conference on the elements of the main subgroups of the Periodic Table and found common research interests in elements of the 15th group. This meeting lead to close and productive cooperation, which resulted in the publication of 50 joint articles in leading international scientific journals. ‘I am grateful to St Petersburg University, and looking forward to continuing the fruitful cooperation between my research group and St Petersburg University. It serves as a wonderful example of how strong friendship between people can give rise to interesting scientific research and serve to improve relations between our peoples,’ concluded Professor Scheer.
In honour of the new honorary doctor of St Petersburg University, the ensemble of early music Musica Universalis of the University directed by Aleksandr Kiskachi, an Honoured Worker of Culture of the Russian Federation, performed several Baroque musical masterpieces.