On 28 and 29 August, the 20th Annual Meeting and Talent Fair of the German Academic International Network (GAIN) once again provided a platform for information about science in Germany. Due to corona, postdocs and early career researchers met for the first time virtually with researchers from all over the world as well as with representatives of science, politics, and industry in Germany.
As in previous years, Rector Prof. Wolfram Ressel used the format for an exchange of ideas and actively contributed to the program - also in his capacity as President of TU9 (the alliance of nine leading technical universities in Germany). He advised young colleagues in the TU9 workshop “Appointment to a Professorship: Application, Procedures, Dos and Don’ts”, where he and Prof. Dr. Volker Epping, TU9 Vice President and President of Leibniz University Hannover, highlighted the special opportunities and requirements for a successful application to a technical university. Ressel was also a sought-after conversation partner in the “Engineering Sciences” working group and discussed experiences and strategies with the participants.
Dr. Wolfgang Holtkamp, Senior Advisor for International Affairs, and a colleague from the University of Bochum also held a workshop, which was entitled “Services and Support for Early Career Researchers”. Young international scientists in particular were involved in this workshop.
The GAIN annual meeting, initiated in 2003, is hosted by the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) and the German Research Foundation (DFG) as part of their joint initiative “GAIN“. Due to the virtual format, the 2020 conference reached about 900 participants, which is 400 more than in 2019.