CEPLAS/IPK International Summer School 2022
Participants of the current Summer School can expect a program in the Eifel region at Steinfeld Monastery, whose historical beginnings go back more than 1,000 years, that extends over five days and includes numerous workshops and lectures.
For example, the competence area "Food Security" of the University of Cologne has offered a workshop on global food security with discussions on current challenges to achieving and maintaining food security. Other workshops will focus on "Resilience for Scientists," "Publishing," and "Self-Presentation."
Among the numerous speakers of the Summer School are Andreas Weber, speaker of CEPLAS, but also some working group leaders of the IPK Leibniz Institute. A poster prize and a prize for the best presentation will be awarded. Stan Kopriva, Scientific Director of the Summer School, emphasizes that "we have brought together a very diverse group of PhD students who all have one thing in common, namely a fascination for plant sciences. I am impressed by the quality of the students' contributions so far and their active participation in the discussions. We have all clearly missed this coming together."
Meanwhile, Dr. Dorit Grunewld, organizer of the "Food Security: Thinking Outside the Box" workshop, speaks of an "inspiring workshop" on economic issues related to food security. "This one showed everyone once again how important it is to think outside the box. For us plant biologists, the workshop helped us to better understand the complex situation of global food security and to link it to our own work."
Jens Freitag, co-organizer from the IPK Leibniz Institute, emphasized at the event that "in addition to the joint organization and design, the importance of direct scientific exchange and intensive discussion after the experience of the Corona pandemic was felt to be of particular value by all those present."
The IPK/CEPLAS Summer School is aimed at PhD students and young postdocs. They will learn more about recent developments in translational biodiversity research in plants as well as the exciting research being conducted in CEPLAS and IPK. In addition, participants will have the opportunity to present their results to a broad scientific audience and also further build their professional network by interacting with young and internationally renowned researchers in plant sciences.
The Summer School is the prelude to a series of joint events with which the two partners CEPLAS and IPK intend to expand their already existing contacts into a lasting cooperation.