First PhD Day organized by the PhD candidates themselves

This year’s PhD Day took place at the IOER on 27 and 28 April. For the first time, the PhD candidates of the IOER organized it themselves and at the same time opened it up for new, also experimental formats.

Group — The PhD-candidates of the IOER and its DLGS with the director, Marc Wolfram (left). Photo: A. Pohl/IÖR-Media

PhD Day is an integral part of the academic calendar at the IOER. Once a year, usually in spring, it facilitates an intensive exchange between all PhD candidates at the Institute and its Dresden Leibniz Graduate School (DLGS). In addition, the event offers young researchers the opportunity to talk to researchers and postdocs from the Institute. On the one hand, the specific research work of the PhD candidates are in focus, but on the other hand also oppor-tunities around the support that the IOER offers PhD candidates in this challenging phase of their lives are discussed.

This year, for the first time, the PhD Day was organized by the doctoral candidates them-selves and was opened up to new, partly experimental formats. The formats including presen-tations, videos, posters, workshops or a live podcast were as diverse as the topics discussed. In keeping with the thematic scope of the IOER, the topics ranged from the problems of heat and drought in cities to waste management and water systems as well as adaptation strate-gies to demographic challenges and climate change to general perspectives on transfor-mation research. The participants dealt creatively with questions of natural and built space in a workshop. Especially with the Corona pandemic in mind, it became clear that mental health also plays a major role in the dissertation phase and should definitely be given attention. The PhD candidates therefore also had the opportunity during the PhD Day to exchange views on this aspect of their current phase of life.

During the event, the doctoral candidates also had the opportunity to exchange with the post-docs of the IOER. In an informal discussion atmosphere, the postdocs gave the young scien-tists not only professional advice, but also tips and hints for particularly challenging phases in regard to their work experiences. After two intensive but also very inspiring days, the PhD candidates were delighted with the first successful run of “their” PhD Day at the IOER and are already starting to plan for a continuation next year.

More information on doctoral studies at the IOER

Contact at the IOER
Subashree Nath (Doctoral Candidates' Representative), e-Mail: S.Nathioer@dlgs.ioer.de
Mabel Killinger (Doctoral Candidates' Representative), e-Mail: M.Killingerioer@ioer.de
Dr. Gerd Lintz (Doctoral Studies Commissioner), e-Mail: G.Lintzioer@ioer.de

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