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 interdisciplinary 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 students themselves. In collaborative projects, PhD students 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 lasts four days and is binding for the 47 PhD students in the BlueMat Cluster of Excellence.
