PhDnet General Meeting

Annual meeting for PhD representatives

The PhDnet General Meeting is a 3-days annual meeting of PhD representatives, members of the PhDnet working groups, and interested doctoral researchers in Max Planck Society.

The meeting provides an opportunity to get to know about the PhDnet and have an exchange of ideas between new and experienced PhD representatives from different institutes. Furthermore the program of the General Meeting typically includes reports from the steering group and PhDnet workgroups, and a discussion of common problems faced by doctoral researchers in Max Planck Society. In addition, the meeting is usually attended by representatives from the general administration of Max Planck Society.

Each year the General Meeting is held in a different German city. This year the meeting is planned to take place in Berlin. The meeting will be held from October 13-15, 2025.
The organisation is in full swing, keep an eye out to the website and social media for more information.

Here you may find the registration link (open until September 15): register for the event

Schedule of the event

Monday 13.10

11:30 – 12:30 

Registration 

12:30 – 13:00 

Introduction to the General Meeting 

13:00 – 13:05 Video talk by Prof. Dr. Patrick Cramer, MPG President

13:05 – 14:00 

Talk by Prof. Dr. Christan Doeller, MPG Vice President + Q&A 

14:00 – 14:30 

Welcome talk by Prof. Dr. Martin Vingron, Managing Director

14:30 – 15:00

Coffee Break and finger food

15:00 – 15:50 

Steering Group presentation and discussions

15:50 – 16:20

Candidate Call for the new Steering Group

16:30 – 17:45 

Dahlem guided tour: “A 100 Years of Science in the German Oxford”

18:00 – 19:00 

Dinner at the Harnack House

19:00 – 20:00

Round table: PhD journey in the MPG

In parallel (14:00-16:00, R 1.3.73)

Confidential meetings with Sabine Ziegler and Ilka Schießler-Gäbler

Tuesday 14.10

09:00 – 09:10 

Welcome and Agenda of the Day

09:10 – 09:45

Christina Beck: Science communication in the MPG

09:45 – 10:00

Sponsor Talk: Techniker Krankenkasse

10:00 – 10:45

Dirk Wiedermann: MPG General Works Council

10:45 – 11:15

Coffee Break

11:15 – 11:40

Kerstin Dübner-Gee (over Zoom): Measures to improve work and
leadership culture

11:40 – 12:00

Sabine Ziegler, Ilka Schießler-Gäbler: Discussion on TVöD contracts
vs. Max Planck support contracts

12:00 – 12:15

N 2 Advertisement

12:15 – 13:30

Lunch

13:30 – 15:00

Working Group introduction

15:00 – 15:45

Frauke Logermann (over Zoom): Diversity and equal opportunity in the MPG

15:45 – 16:00

Coffee Break

16:00 – 17:00

Get to know the Working Groups

17:00 – 17:30

Get to know the Working Groups (+ Steering Group)

18:00 – 19:00

Dinner at the MPI

19:00 – 20:00

Round table: Future of the PhDnet

Wednesday 15.10

09:00 – 09:10

Welcome and Agenda of the Day

09:10 – 09:20

Final Steering Group candidate call

09:20 – 10:00

Elections for the Steering Group

10:00 – 11:00

Coffee Break

11:00 – 13:00

Section Meetings

13:00 – 13:30

Debrief

13:30 – 14:00

Old and new Steering Groups + Working Group coordinators get together

14:00 – 14:30

Old and new Steering Groups get together

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