Infectious diseases represent an ongoing and severe threat to human health and prosperity of societies. Due to emerging and modifying diseases, increasing resistances as well as global travelling, infectious diseases can only be combated by internationally coordinated and interdisciplinary approaches. The German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina, the Academy of Science of South Africa and the Max Planck Institute for Infection Biology organise the current symposium to discuss and coordinate most recent research results in the areas of HIV, tuberculosis, neglected diseases and resistance mechanisms. The speakers are mainly young scientists from Germany, South Africa and further African countries. Moreover, during a panel discussion with representatives from science, politics and society, ethical dimensions of clinical trials will be debated. The scientific coordinators of this event are Stefan H. E. Kaufmann (Member of Leopoldina), Max Planck Institute for Infection Biology, Germany and Quarraisha Abdool Karim, Columbia University, USA, and University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.

The Schering Foundation and the Robert Bosch Foundation generously support this event financially. This includes the Science & Society Session (Schering Foundation) and the overall organisation (Robert Bosch Foundation).

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