Starting in the Lab

Welcome!

Starting in a new lab is always an exciting moment, but it does entails some bureaucracies, especially if you are relocating from another city or country to join us. To make the process of starting a little easier, we have gathered a checklist of essential (and not so essential but still useful) steps one will have to go through to settle in the Lab and in Berlin.

Before you arrive in the lab

Get a Visa

Depending on your nationality, you may need a Visa to enter Germany. Here you can see if you need a visa for entry: https://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/en/einreiseundaufenthalt/-/231148. If you do need a visa, in addition to guidelines from German Embassies in your country, you will also find information from HU’s International Scholar Services helpful: https://www.international.hu-berlin.de/en/wissenschaftler/international-scholar-services The lab will be happy to provide you necessary letters and documents for visa applications.

Apply for a CMS and GEO-account

These accounts are essential when working with us, as they provide you with an institutional email address, and access to the departmental server infrastructure. Activating these accounts may take a few weeks, so Dagmar Wörister will be in contact with you to organize all necessary signatures.

Personal page in EOL website

You will be asked to contribute a personal webpage for the Lab's website, Dagmar Wörister will be in contact with you for this.

For those moving to Berlin during the Covid-19 pandemic

Pay close attention to the travel rules and regulations, particularly that pertaining to covid testing. Usually, a 48-72 hour time period is provided to get yourself tested, but make sure to clarify this. In some cases this could be 48 hours (from the time you take the swab) prior to the time you land in Germany/Berlin, while in others it could be 48 hours from the time you get the result in your hand. This is especially important for certain accommodation facilities, particularly Studentendorf Adlershof.

Some information can be found here: https://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/en/coronavirus/2317268

A digital entrance form is required from those entering into Germany during the pandemic. It can be found here: https://www.einreiseanmeldung.de/#/

After you arrive in the Lab

Room key and Chip card

Once you arrive to our Lab, we will welcome you with a little tour of the Institute and settle you in with your room keys and chip card. The rooms keys will be provided by Camille Dammann and the chipcard you need for accessing the building by Klaus Neitzel. The chipcard also allows you in the Institute after hours, and provides access to the key storage boxes.

CMS HU-account and GEO-account

If all goes well, prior to your arrival, you will already have a CMS HU account ( ~ 1 month before arrival). The CMS HU account will give you access to many services (e.g. Webmail, Library, Moodle and VPN (check link). You are also expected to have a GEO account that gives you a @geo.hu-berlin.de email. Both account will be organised for you by Klaus Neitzel (with the help of Camille)

Workplace, Drives, Servers and Printers

Together with Stephan Schulz you will install your workplace and have access to drives and servers. Drives are structured between shared and personal drives, do ask your colleagues about how we use the drives, how we store data and other servers, drives, data questions.

We are using one team printer, to install it, please use this driver

Getting acquainted with Lab life

In the Earth Observation Lab, we have several formats for exchange, be it at our weekly team meetings, our colloquiums or other group activities. You will have access to the Biogeo MS teams Calendar that will allow you to keep track of these meetings.

Enroll as a PhD

For new PhD students your first months are likely going to be spent working to enroll as a doctoral candidate. You will have first to be admitted to the doctoral examination process in the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences (what you need for this is found here - most importantly, it requires a PhD proposal). Once this is done, you will be able to enroll as a student in the HU-University (info here). It can also be good to check the Doctoral Degree Regulations of the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences - available here in German and here in English.