Dresden to host the Boysen Doctoral Student Days 2025

This year's Boysen Doctoral Student Days were an absolute novelty, as the event took place for the first time not in Altensteig but in Dresden and brought together a total of 33 doctoral students from the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), the University of Stuttgart and the Boysen-TU Dresden-Research Training Group, their supervisors and representatives of the Friedrich and Elisabeth Boysen Foundation.
While the doctoral projects at KIT and the University of Stuttgart are designed as individual projects, the Boysen-TU Dresden-Research Training Group (RTG) is characterized by its cluster-based structure. This promotes interdisciplinary cooperation, which is anchored in common thematic frameworks. The "10 1/2th PhD Days", as the Chairman of the Foundation Prof. Stefanos Fasoulas tongue-in-cheek called the event due to its relocation to Dresden, offered participants a space to share and discuss their research progress and explore future opportunities for collaboration - this time against the urban backdrop of the famous World Trade Center Dresden.

Warm welcome with paella and BBQ The meeting began in the early evening of 14 May 25 with an informal get-together on the terrace of Dresden International University (DIU), which is located in the World Trade Center. Co-speaker of the RTG Prof. Antonio Hurtado warmly welcomed the attendees and led preparations on site for the preparation of his highly anticipated paella. Several helped with the preparations, chopping vegetables and decorating. The preparation itself was carried out professionally by Prof. Hurtado. The evening ended with a relaxed barbecue, which provided ample opportunity for informal exchange and networking.

Day of research, ideas and exchange

On the following day, 15 May 25, the program at DIU began with a welcome address by DIU Managing Director Dr. Merle Emre, who emphasized the value of such gatherings for academic and personal development. The above-mentioned persons took part in the event, including Elisa Werler, Assistant to the Board of the Friedrich and Elisabeth Boysen Foundation, who also took the lead in organizing the event.
Prof. Hans-Christian Reuss (University of Stuttgart) and Prof. Bettina Frohnapfel (KIT), members of the Foundation's Board of Trustees, moderated the presentations and discussions at the first Doctoral Candidates' Day. In the afternoon, the third member of the Board of Trustees and co-speaker of the RTG, Prof. Antonio Hurtado, presented the concept, development and status of the 4th Boysen-TUD Research Training Group, followed by two rounds of presentations by doctoral students from Dresden, which he moderated. The presentations were followed by insightful discussions, which also led to constructive suggestions for future research directions. Later in the afternoon, all doctoral students in their first year of funding presented their research work in short pitch presentations (2-minute talks), which was concluded with a stimulating poster session of these projects with lively academic exchange.
The packed day ended with a dinner at Lohrmanns Brew in Kraftwerk Mitte. Known as the first university brewery, Lohrmanns provided an ideal setting for the exchange, where conversations ranged from academic insights to shared interests in science and beyond.

Saying goodbye and thinking ahead
The last day began with a warm and emotional farewell to Managing Director Dr.-Ing. Anna Martius, who will be leaving the Research Training Group after 13 years of unwavering commitment to take on new professional challenges (RTG reported). Several students, representing the various clusters, found the right words to say goodbye and presented Dr. Martius with a handmade Honorary doctorate hat - a symbolic and personal sign of appreciation from her doctoral students.
Together with Dr.-Ing. Maximilian Dreisbach, the Managing Director then presented the exciting concept for a future cross-location Boysen Graduate School. Based on the cluster-based model of the 4th Research Training Group in Dresden, the initiative aims to bring together researchers from all three university locations (Stuttgart, Karlsruhe and Dresden) in order to further strengthen and expand inter- and transdisciplinary connections. After the remaining presentations, the event ended with a sense of optimism and new goals.

Acknowledgements
Special thanks go to Elisa Werler, Assistant to the Board of the Friedrich and Elisabeth Boysen Foundation, whose excellent organization once again ensured that this year's Doctoral Student Days ran smoothly and successfully. The event not only promoted academic exchange, but also personal ties that will continue to foster the spirit of cooperation between the institutions.

We look forward to seeing you again next year, and until then -
Goodbye from Dresden!