SFB Conference and Graduate School Meeting 2018 in Hohwacht

The SFB conference and graduate school meeting from 09.-12. October 2018 was focussed on summarizing the achievements of the current funding period and extending the perspective of individual projects, areas and the whole SFB to the next funding period.

 The first 1.5 days of the meeting were devoted to the graduate school meeting, which was entirely organized and held by the PhD students.

Thanks to the experience from previous years this year's program was well optimized and adapted to both individual and common needs of the PhD students. A key ingredient of the program were small discussion sessions, a format developed and tested in 2017. Students formed small groups of 6 people, where each of the students gave an update of his/her project to the others. By keeping the duration of the talk minimal and allowing for many questions and intensive discussions among the PhD students the format ensured a perfect fit to the needs of the audience.

During the poster session afterwards PhD students could either deepen these discussions or talk to people from other discussions groups, hence broadening their view of the current status of the SFB.

 The second day of the graduate school meeting was used to intensify scientific work in topic-oriented task forces and at the same time prepare for continuing discussion when going back to Hamburg. PhD students used the time to develop new discussion formats and guidelines - to be implemented when returning to Hamburg. This ensures to keep up the vivid spirit of the intensive meeting in Hohwacht even after the meeting.

 During the following 2.5 days of the Hohwacht meeting the SFB conference took place including both PI's and PhD students. Thanks to every ones knowledge of each others projects brief overview talks were sufficient to give everyone an update of the current status of individual projects and the different areas within the SFB. The remaining time was used for deeper discussions both in the full plenum as well as in smaller groups.

During these discussions current goals of the SFB were revisited and extended and new goals were found. 

In total the focussed discussions in Hohwacht helped to further increase momentum within the SFB for the final funding period.