Why do children and adults learn differently?
Symposium 2024
Hamburg — On July 11, 2024, the 9th symposium of the Hector Fellow Academy 2024 "Why Do Children and Adults Learn Differently?" took place at the Universität Hamburg and via livestream. The event focused on exciting questions: Does it make sense for children to learn Chinese in daycare centers? What role do children's brain activities play in their later development? How important are early childhood experiences? And what influence do our grandparents' experiences have on us and our learning?
Numerous interested guests on site and in the livestream had the opportunity to immerse themselves in the fascinating world of the human brain and learn about current research approaches. The recording of the event is now available on the Hector Fellow Academy YouTube channel in German and English.
Dr. Sebastian Frank, Hector RCD awardee and first speaker of the evening, presented neuronal mechanisms underlying learning in children. He and his research team are investigating, for example, whether training can be helpful in learning and lead to a lasting improvement in the performance of visual tasks.
Prof. Dr. Ileana Hanganu-Opatz from the University Medical Center Hamburg Eppendorf focused on the early activities in our brain and how these influence our cognitive abilities and impairments in adulthood.
Scientific host of the event and Hector Fellow Prof. Dr. Brigitte Röder from the Institute of Psychology at the University of Hamburg spoke about the importance of early childhood experiences. To this end, she and her research group examine the brain activity and structure of people who are born blind and regained later in life their sight through an operation. From these studies, conclusions can be drawn about the significance of children's experiences on brain development.
Finally, Hector Fellow emeritus Prof. Dr. Thomas Elbert from the University of Konstanz spoke about how traumatic experiences can change the epigenetic code and patterns of gene expression in children and across generations.
The evening was hosted by Andrea Grießmann, well-known TV presenter for programs such as Planet Wissen and book author.
The next Hector Fellow Academy Science Evening will take place on July 10, 2025 in Düsseldorf and via livestream. Under the topic "Brain, computer and AI — soon indistinguishable?", top-class speakers will once again provide fascinating insights into research. The scientific organizer is Katrin Amunts, Professor of Brain Research and Director of the C. and O. Vogt Institute for Brain Research at Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf and Director of the Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine at Forschungszentrum Jülich.
Scientific Host
![](https://hector-fellow-academy.de/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/brigitte-roeder_uebersicht_2024.jpg)
Brigitte Röder
Universität HamburgHector Fellow since 2017
Moderation
![](https://hector-fellow-academy.de/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Andrea-Griessmann_600x400px.jpg)
Andrea Grießmann
TV presenter & authorWhy Do Children and Adults Learn Differently?
How do children learn? Why does their learning process differ from that of adults? And which mechanisms in the brain are decisive for this? When, how and in what environment do we learn best? At the HFA Symposium 2024, scientists will provide insights into their research on early childhood learning.
Image Gallery
Scientific Talks
![](https://hector-fellow-academy.de/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Sebastian-Frank_600x400px.jpg)
Dr. Sebastian Frank
University of Regensburg![](https://hector-fellow-academy.de/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Ileana-Hanganu-Opatz_600x400px.jpg)
Prof. Dr. Ileana Hanganu-Opatz
University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf![](https://hector-fellow-academy.de/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/brigitte-roeder_uebersicht_2024.jpg)
Brigitte Röder
Psychology & MedicineHector Fellow since 2017
![](https://hector-fellow-academy.de/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/thomas-elbert_uebersicht.jpg)
Thomas Elbert
Universität KonstanzHector Fellow seit 2009