In this highly connected modern world, we sometime overlook the importance of face-to-face interactions. Allowing people to gather with colleagues for other universities of the Circle U. Alliance is a critical step to building a common vision around teaching and research. Talking to others about the way they work, learning about different approach to training and mentoring PhD candidates and postdoctoral researchers helped us to individually and collectively reflect on our own practices. Inputs from PhD candidates’ representative Lucas Müller, were particularly valuable as they contributed to ground the discussions into the reality of early career researchers.
During this 2-day workshop, we have explored many topics, including how we could promote and support the mobility of early career researchers within the Alliance and how we could mutualize resources to expend the choices of soft skills courses offered online. As we discussed how lecturers and professors are trained in different universities of Circle U., Regina von Schmelling (Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin) presented the power of collegial counseling. This approach allows trainers to gather and discuss a case, they share similar experiences before working together toward identifying the problem and co-creating solutions. The importance of creating space and time for professors to share issues and exchange ideas became very apparent. Similarly, during his presentation, Pascal Kolbe from the Learning Planet Institute, talked about how one cultivates purpose and how critical it is to create spaces to help people step out of their daily routine and think long term.
Creating space and time for people to reflect and share ideas, in formal and informal settings, is essential as it helps us develop a sense of belonging, intricately liked to self-worth. Whether you are an early career researcher, a professor, a career advisor… make sure you take time to meet with your peers and reflect on what you are doing, how you are doing it and, most importantly, why you are doing it. This is how we develop a sense of purpose and ultimately build the European Universities of tomorrow.
