Hello, postdocs! Successful Welcome Day Premiere for Postdocs

On 7 November 2019, around 50 postdocs took part in the first welcoming day for postdocs at the Technische Universität Braunschweig. The guests took the opportunity to formulate individual needs for support services and to talk to representatives of numerous central institutions at the university.

OpenSpace with three mini workshops. Credits: Lea Hanke/Projektgruppe Lehre und Medienbildung

In the field of tension between teaching, research and career planning, postdoctoral scientists face a whole series of complex questions: How can I reconcile research and teaching? How can I optimally prepare myself for a professorship and what are the alternatives? How do I successfully raise third-party funding? In order to answer these and other questions and to demonstrate support structures, the project group Teaching and Media Education together with the presidium of the TU Braunschweig invited to the first Postdoc Welcome Day.

Prof. Anke Kaysser-Pyzalla, President of the TU Braunschweig, welcomes the postdocs. Credits: Lea Hanke/Projektgruppe Lehre und Medienbildung

After the welcoming address by the Presidium, the challenges faced by postdocs in their daily work were at the centre of attention: the participants collected internal faculty aspects and topics on which they imagined more support offers and advice. Areas such as the acquisition of third-party funding, teaching innovations or mentoring formats on possible career paths were mentioned particularly frequently.

OpenSpace with short workshops

In the second part of the day, the postdocs had the opportunity to take part in round table discussions with experts: In 30 minutes each, around a dozen institutions such as the University Library, the Equal Opportunities Unit and the International House presented their services. The first steps towards solving many of the questions that arose in the morning were taken. “The workshops were very helpful. For example, I was able to learn a lot about topics such as Open Access and how to apply for funding. The procedures vary from country to country,” says Dr. Jiamin Sun from the Institute of Joining and Welding Technology.

There was particular demand for third-party funding, teaching innovations or mentoring formats on possible career paths. Credits: Lea Hanke/Projektgruppe Lehre und Medienbildung

The event was also well received by Dr. Wiebke Ohlendorf from the Institute of German Studies: “I am a bit wistful. As a postdoc, I would have liked that a bit more. It’s good that the information is now being bundled. Before that, you had to collect everything individually. Then you overlook something important.”

Excited about the following formats and offers

Lisa Michalik, research associate in the Teaching and Media Education project group and part of the organisation team, drew a positive conclusion: “It was great to see how much commitment both our guests and the experts put into the format. We are evaluating today’s results and looking forward to the follow-up offers.”

The University Library, the Research Service, the Equal Opportunities Unit and the International House present their offers for postdocs. Credits: Lea Hanke/Projektgruppe Lehre und Medienbildung