BlueMat Academy hosts its first Autumn School
Alexander Schlaich uses a simple wooden recorder to illustrate a complex topic: research data management. As he plays a low F, the digital audio track appears on the screen – the raw data from a scientific experiment. Alongside this, a wealth of metadata is displayed, ranging from the exact date of recording to technical details. What at first glance looks like an unnecessary obsession with data collection and accumulation is in fact essential for research: only through comprehensive documentation can data remain traceable and usable at all times. “Of course, there are numerous problems and challenges lurking here. We want to prepare early-career researchers for these as best we can. That is why we are dedicating a whole day of the Autumn School to the topic of data management,” says Alexander Schlaich, scientific director of the BlueMat Academy.
This is the first Autumn School organised by the newly established BlueMat Academy. The Academy was set up in February 2026 for the Cluster of Excellence and has its own coordinator, Milena Parlak, but is closely integrated into the TUHH Graduate Academy, which has been in existence for 13 years. The BlueMat early-career researchers are supported here not only to develop academically, but also to acquire transferable skills that are important for the success of their academic careers, such as: How do I present my research findings convincingly? Or: How do I write a paper that will be accepted by a prestigious journal? This concept is also reflected in the first Autumn School, explains Milena Parlak: “We wanted a successful mix of interdisciplinary sessions led by experienced lecturers and academic presentations, which were largely organised by the PhD candidates themselves. In collaborative projects, the PhDs are spread out across different locations, so it is important to offer an event where they can build networks in order to establish the collaborations that are essential in such projects.”
The Autumn School, held over four days at the beginning of September, is mandatory for all 47 PhD candidates in the BlueMat Cluster of Excellence. However, nine postdocs from the cluster have also registered, including Carina Hedrich, a postdoc at the TUHH. She works in the Electron Microscopy Unit, a central facility that many of the early-career researchers in the cluster already use or will use in future. “It’s really valuable to get to know the people here who might ring you up at some point wanting to work on our microscopes.”
Networking during the event is also very important to Wiebke Wollenberg. She is doing her PhD through the Helmholtz Centre Hereon at the University of Rostock. With regard to BlueMat, she has so far been working there in a team of two, alongside her professor. Here, she is now enjoying spending four days getting to know all the other PhDs in the cluster. “I think it’s good that the Autumn School is compulsory, because then everyone really does come together and can get to know each other better.” The BlueMat Academy will be offering many more voluntary training courses, which Wiebke Wollenberg definitely intends to take part in: “I think we still have a lot to learn, particularly when it comes to soft skills.”
From the third day of the workshop onwards, the focus is on such an important transferable skill: project management. External trainer Alexander Egeling presents practical methods and tools specifically tailored to the needs of PhD candidates. He explains: “A PhD is a project lasting several years, in which the early career researchers often act as the entire project team on their own and therefore need to organise themselves well in order to succeed. You need endurance and must be able to cope with setbacks. Many lose time because they lack strategies for self-reflection and the pressure from funding running out can become particularly intense. Planning tools help to maintain an overview and refocus on the research.”
Fortunately, during the break discussions and the social barbecue evening, there is little mention of problems or setbacks as yet. Most have only started their PhD a few months ago and are highly motivated and full of enthusiasm. All the better, then, that the Autumn School takes place right at the start, ensuring that all BlueMat early-career researchers are equipped with the necessary tools to successfully complete their PhD.
