The Berlin / Brandenburg metropolitan region is a vibrant centre of scientific excellence and social innovation. Which personalities characterise this dynamic? The editorial team of the Tagesspiegel and Potsdamer Neueste Nachrichten (PNN) science editorial team has identified the "100 Heads of Science 2024" in a 10-part series: A selection of the most important players who enrich scientific life and public debate in the capital region through outstanding research, excellent teaching or special social commitment.

In the sixth edition of the series, the focus is on scientists and students who stand out for their special commitment to togetherness and social cohesion. Hadi Daaboul, a Master's student on the Childhood Studies and Children's Rights programme at the Potsdam University of Applied Sciences, is among those honoured.

Hadi Daaboul was awarded the DAAD Prize 2024 in the summer, which is awarded annually to foreign students for outstanding achievements and social commitment. Before studying at the University of Applied Sciences Potsdam, Hadi Daaboul completed a Bachelor's degree (honours degree) in speech therapy at the Lebanese University in Beirut and can look back on a broad spectrum of social commitment. Hadi Daaboul was involved in Lebanon with a youth group in the "Salt and Bread" project to provide food for the needy in Beirut. He also completed internships in the social sector, including in a retirement home, where he carried out communication-enhancing activities and cognitive exercises with dementia patients. His internship in a Palestinian refugee camp, where he helped children with disabilities to develop basic skills, was particularly formative.

About the "100 Minds of Science 2024"series
The series of ten episodes, each featuring ten outstanding minds, showcases the diversity and depth of scientific contributions. The list includes both up-and-coming talents and renowned scientists who are actively shaping the scientific and social future of the region with their ideas and work. The personalities in this series research key topics that are important far beyond academia: They deal with questions concerning social, political and economic processes and the relationship between state and society - and they ask what holds the community together or divides it.

The presentation of the "100 Minds of Science" is part of the Tagesspiegel's ongoing coverage of the innovative and diverse research landscape in Berlin and the surrounding area. The series of articles is available both in the print edition and digitally.

To the series "100 Minds in Science 2024"
To the press release "DAAD Prize 2024 goes to Hadi Daaboul"