Retreat Brings PhDNet Working Groups Together in Heidelberg

On September 27-28^th 2025, representatives from PhDNet’s various working groups convened in Heidelberg for a two-day retreat designed to foster collaboration, recharge momentum, and chart the roadmap for the coming year. In a collegial and inspiring setting, participants exchanged ideas, tackled challenges, and built new connections across disciplines and institutes

Gathering for Purpose & Exchange

Hosted in Heidelberg, the retreat welcomed delegates from working groups across the Max Planck PhDNet — including Working Conditions, Social Media, Webgroup and more. This brought together not only experienced representatives but also emerging voices from institutes across Germany.

Over the course of the retreat, participants discussed ongoing initiatives, identified synergies among working groups, and shaped shared strategies for member engagement and structural support. Breakout sessions enabled smaller teams to dig into specific topics — from refining survey instruments to designing outreach campaigns to improving internal processes within PhDNet.

Highlights & Achievements

Some of the key outcomes from the retreat included:

• Strategic alignment across groups — working groups identified overlapping priorities and agreed on regular coordination touchpoints to avoid duplication and foster collaboration.
• Workshop on best practices — participants jointly developed a “playbook” of best practices for working group operations, including onboarding new members, documentation standards, and communication flows.
• Idea incubator sessions — in a pitch-style format, members proposed and debated new projects (e.g. cross-group events, joint surveys, podcasts) and voted on which to pilot in the next cycle.
• Team building & networking — social dinners, informal walks through Heidelberg, and ice-breakers gave attendees a chance to forge personal connections beyond formal agendas.
• Action plans with accountability — each working group left the retreat with clear milestones, deliverables, and designated liaisons responsible for reporting progress at upcoming general meetings.

Looking Ahead

The energy from the retreat is already translating into concrete momentum: several working groups have scheduled follow-up virtual check-ins, and cross-group task forces are forming to take forward newly approved projects. By aligning more closely, the PhDNet network is better positioned to respond to doctoral researchers’ needs and amplify collective impact.

A big thank-you goes to everyone who participated, as well as to the Heidelberg hosts and organizers for making the retreat a success. We look forward to seeing the ideas conceived over these two days blossom into valuable initiatives for the PhDNet community.