11.09.2018 | The U Bremen Research Alliance, consisting of the 11 non-university research institutes in Bremen and Bremerhaven and the University of Bremen, presented itself at the GAIN (German Academic International Network) career fair in Boston on September 7-9, 2018. The Managing Director of the Leibniz Centre for Tropical Marine Research (ZMT), Dr. Nicolas Dittert, was also at the event to promote the state of Bremen as an outstanding science location and the ZMT as an attractive employer.
More than 500 talented early-career researchers currently working in North America gained information at the career fair and networked with scientists from Germany and numerous representatives from the German research landscape, policymakers and industry. Attendees who are planning to return to Germany in the future were not only able to find out about career opportunities and specific funding and employment opportunities in Germany, but also to establish contacts with potential employers.
The conference also offered the attendees a wide-ranging program of panel discussions, workshops and lectures on the international research landscape and on career opportunities in Germany. Networks of universities and non-university research institutions, such as the U Bremen Research Alliance or the Potsdam Research Network, were the focus of a high-profile panel discussion with representatives of various universities and institutes from Bremen and Potsdam.
A panel consisting of Professor Matthias Kleiner (President of the Leibniz Association), Professor Oliver Günther, President of the University of Potsdam), Professor Robert Seckler (Vice President for Research and Junior Academics, University of Potsdam/Potsdam Research Network), Professor Eva-Maria Feichtner (Vice President Internationality and Diversity, University of Bremen), Professor Bernd Mayer, Director of Fraunhofer IFAM, and Dr. Nicolas Dittert, Managing Director of ZMT discussed the pros and cons of such alliances as well as their opportunities and risks for the academic system and the researchers. Afterwards, at tables devoted to various topics, junior researchers were able to interact with the participants and discuss related topics such as cooperative personnel development and cooperative careers.
Dr. Nicolas Dittert views GAIN as an important event for informing researchers in North America about the diverse opportunities in the German / Bremen research landscape: "ZMT is taking part in GAIN for the second time as a non-university partner in the U Bremen Research Alliance. This year, I am once again impressed by how many young top-level researchers are attracted by this career fair. The state of Bremen with its focus on five academic areas – marine sciences, material sciences, information and communication sciences, social sciences and health sciences – offers talented young scientists excellent opportunities in research, which we have repeatedly highlighted during these three days. In particular, topics such as the promotion of young scientists, appointment procedures and aspects of labor law met with great interest among the participants.”
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