Successful Scientific Skills Speed Dating Event

“I wished I had had an event like this in my first year of PhD.” said Madeleine Fellner, who was part of the organising committee of doctoral students. Their idea of bringing doctoral fellows together in a novel transdisciplinary community format had won the 2021 call by the MaP Doctoral School. Modelled after a romantic speed dating event, the participants were first assigned to one of four rather homogenous groups. Building two inner and outer circles, they were then paired with people from other groups for five minutes each, during which they introduced their research to each other. A count-down indicated when the round was over and it was time for the people in the inner circle to move on to the next table and person. This “forced” quick intros to each other’s work sparked scientific discussions and broke up the standard group dynamics, i.e. mingling with people one already knows.

After fifteen rounds of lively discussion, the participants of the first Scientific Skills Speed Dating enjoyed a well-deserved and very tasty finger-food dinner at the Kraftwerk, a former power plant in the city centre and a very welcome change of environment to the ETH labs and canteens that the participants usually hang out at. While fun and networking opportunities were at the core of the Speed Dating Event, the organising committee hopes that some initial contacts made that night will lead to follow-up meetings and transdisciplinary collaborations.

Special thanks to Flavia Timpu, José Ocana, Lea Forster, Madeleine Fellner, and Philippe Nicollier of the organising committee for their idea and dedication in realising this event!

More pictures and further information at www.doctoral-school.ethz.ch/events/speeddating.