Networking Event for Early Career Researchers

Prof. Dr. Klaus Becker, Head of the Graduate Center and Vice President for Research and Knowledge Transfer, welcomed around 30 participants and reported on the first doctorate under the doctorate right at PK NRW, which was successfully defended at TH Köln in October. The team of Graduate Center Service Desk then presented new Information on Good Doctoral Supervision for Supervisors and Doctoral Researchers and the current offerings for doctoral researchers and postdocs at TH Köln.

The main part of the event was a discussion round hosted by doctoral representative Juliane Ressel with five doctorates and postdocs from TH Köln on the topic, "Graduated - Now Wiser? Providing Impulses, Encouraging, Sharing Knowledge." The roundtable focused on exchanging experiences about the "highs" and "lows" during their doctorate journey and their current experiences in their further academic careers. The intensive discussion concluded with tips and advice from participants for current doctoral researchers, compiled into a "survival kit" for their doctorate journey.

During the break, participants had ample opportunity for networking and exchange. The doctoral researchers and postdocs then discussed the future organization and structure of the Doctoral and Postdoctoral Convention (ECR-Convent), which elects new representatives every two years from among its members. Felix Kuthe from the Faculty of Automotive Systems and Production was elected as the new doctoral representative, with Theresa Marie Wobbe from the Faculty of Computer Science and Engineering elected as deputy, and Dr. Eva-Maria Grommes appointed as the postdoc representative. Vice President Prof. Dr.-Ing. Klaus Becker thanked the previous representative team, Juliane Ressel, Louisa Rinsdorf, and Dr. Eva-Maria Grommes, for their engagement and excellent collaboration.

The afternoon for postdoctoral and postdoctoral researchers is organized once or twice a year by the Graduate Center of TH Köln in collaboration with the doctoral and postdoctoral representatives of TH Köln. It has been held since 2012. For more information on offers, workshops, and funding programs for doctoral researchers at TH Köln, please contact the Graduate Center service office.