Day 1: Opening Talk and Role Model Sessions
The three-day event started off with a Welcome Note by Vice Rector Prof. Dr. Ilona Grunwald, who encouraged the participating early-career researchers to pursue the diverse and exciting career paths open to them – and make use of the support offers the University of Bonn's Argelander Program for Early-Career Researchers provides to facilitate career transitions.
This was followed by Dr. Imke Lode's Opening Talk "Career Paths outside of Academia".
„What I took away from the keynote was: Jobs will not come flying at the end of the PhD. You have to gain practical experience through internships or even voluntary work.“
says Rhodah Nekesa, doctoral student in Food and Nutrition Sciences. Rhodah further explained how Imke Lode talked about career paths outside academia, which she is now motivated to explore.
Afterwards participants could choose from a varied offering of insightful workshops, one-on-one CV and competence checks as well as role model sessions featuring real-world career journeys. Doctoral holders from industry, start-ups and research management talked about their personal career development and gave tips on how to get there.
„The group was very interested, and the questions were also very compelling. It was clear that some of the participants were already seriously considering this career path. However, people often think they don’t yet have the relevant skills for these positions. It was important to me to let them know that they do have these skills, because many of them are acquired during the PhD phase or while working as a postdoc. For example, if you’ve organized a conference, you’ve developed organizational skills that are valuable in science management.“
says Dr. Magda Baer Radermacher, coordinator for the support for early-career researchers within two Clusters of Excellence – "Matter and Light for Quantum Computing" (ML4Q) & "Our Dynamic Universe" (Dynaverse).
Meet the Rector in P26
The evening concluded with a networking event. The atmosphere was fantastic, conversations flowing, and researchers across disciplines made new connections. A special thank you goes to Rector Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. Michael Hoch, who made the trip back from Munich to join the event and engage with our early-career researchers in person.
Day 2: Inspiring online workshops
The second day of the event offered a varied selection of online workshops participants could choose from, for example "Personal Branding for Your Job Application", "Application Strategies in the Hidden Job Market" or "Business Networking".
3
Days
95
Participants
16
Trainers and Role Models
Day 3: Focus on Innovation
We concluded three incredible days of growth, connection, and inspiration with a fantastic keynote by Prof. Dr. Denise Fischer-Kreer, followed by networking, cold drinks, and snacks at the historic Alte Sternwarte.
„With the Argelander Career Days we aimed to open doors and perspectives for our early-career researchers: There are so many career opportunities open to doctoral degree holders – and such a variety of support available. We are here to help."
says Clara Kaminsky, Managing Director of the Bonn Graduate Center, which jointly organized the event with the team from the Academic Career Development. We also wanted to offer the platform for early-career researchers to network and exchange ideas with their colleagues from other subjects.
„I registered for the event because [...] attending such events offers you support from different areas, e.g. for your professional path, family-related issues or mental health. I am very proud to be part of the University of Bonn.“
says Nadya Izzaamiouine, doctoral student in Intercultural Communication Competence.
The energy, exciting conversations, and vibrant atmosphere made this year's event truly special. Thank you to everyone who joined us and contributed to the great exchange of ideas! Save the Date: We are already looking forward to next year! Mark your calendars for June 3, 2027.