Professor Dr Gunnar Berg

Research Priorities: Glass physics, history of physics, physics education, university and science policy, funding and structures of research and teaching
Gunnar Berg is a German physicist. During his time as an active researcher, his main work concerned glass physics. Later, he focused on the history of physics and physics education. In expert committees, he examined issues regarding university and science policy and was involved in the restructuring of teaching and research in the new federal states.
Glass physics studies glasses, glass surfaces, and glass ceramics. It especially seeks to determine correlations between structure and characteristics. To this end, the optical, electrical or mechanical characteristics are altered using ion exchange, ion implantation or laser irradiation. By analysing these processes in connection with the effects on the structure, the correlations between structure and characteristics can be determined, i.e. the solidity of glasses and their absorption behaviour. For the structural analysis of glasses, methods such as optical spectroscopy, x-ray absorption spectroscopy, electron microscopy, and x-ray small-angle scattering are used.
In his later career as a dean and a rector, Gunnar Berg considered questions of university and science policy. He looked into how university performance might be measured and what effects performance incentives have on teaching. Additionally, he examined the issue of funding for universities as well as competition between universities. In various expert committees, Gunnar Berg advocated for the role of natural sciences in schools and the training of teachers. He was also involved with the restructuring of teaching and research in Germany’s new federal states.