Meeting of HFA Young scien­tists in Konstanz

On 7 and 8 October, the Hector Fellow Academy's Young Researcher Days took place at the Univer­sity of Konstanz. Around 40 young researchers from all over Germany gathered at Lake Constance to share their research projects and learn valuable skills for their scien­tific careers.

This year, the meeting was hosted by Hector RCD awardee and junior profes­sor Anna Stöckl. As the leader of an Emmy Noether Group and an expert in neuroethol­ogy at the Univer­sity of Konstanz, she took on the role of scien­tific host.

After a welcome to the Centre for the Advanced Study of Collec­tive Behav­iour by Hector RCD Awardee Anna Stöckl and Armin Bahl, Profes­sor at the Max Planck Insti­tute for Animal Behav­iour in Konstanz, the programme began with a talk by Anna Stöckl on 'Science Commu­ni­ca­tion', which gave the young scien­tists new perspec­tives on how researchers can effec­tively commu­ni­cate their work to the public.
After­wards, the partic­i­pants had the oppor­tu­nity to get to know cutting-edge research by visit­ing the labora­to­ries of Anna Stöckl and Hector Fellow Axel Meyer. Partic­i­pants gained an insight into the current research of HFA members at the Univer­sity of Konstanz, includ­ing research on the evolu­tion of fish and the obser­va­tion of animal behav­iour such as the pigeon tail.

In addition to network­ing activ­i­ties, the event included a series of practi­cal workshops. These covered key topics such as presen­ta­tion techniques, time manage­ment and the impor­tance of network­ing in an acade­mic career. These workshops provided the partic­i­pants with concrete tools and strate­gies for their future work as scientists.

The dinner on the island of Mainau was a highlight of the programme. Lively discus­sions and new contacts made for an unfor­get­table finale and strength­ened the network of young researchers in the Academy.

The Young Researcher Days have become an impor­tant annual event for the Hector Fellow Academy. They serve not only to exchange ideas, but also to integrate new young researchers into the Academy. Through this programme, the Hector Fellow Academy promotes the exchange and network­ing of doctoral students and awards several fully-funded doctoral positions to Hector Fellows and Hector RCD Awardees each year. The next appli­ca­tion period for doctoral positions in the Hector Fellow Academy starts on 15 January 2025 and runs until 31 March 2025.