Ms Anders, Mr Kleemann, Mr Paschen, the first conference organised independently by the jGDNÄ is now behind you. How would you sum it up in one sentence?
Sebastian Paschen: I thought the days were a complete success. We had a lot of fun and exchanged ideas – we can build on this foundation to develop further.
Marlene Anders: It was a fantastic first congress, which will hopefully be followed by many more.
Lennard Kleemann: Despite the short preparation time of four months, we managed to put together a scientifically high-quality and thematically diverse congress with the help of renowned institutions in Heidelberg.

How many young people accepted your invitation?
Sebastian Paschen: There were 35 participants in total. The number fluctuated occasionally because not everyone attended all programme items. There were parallel events and some had to leave a little earlier.

How would you describe the participants?
Marlene Anders: They were members of the jGDNÄ aged between 16 and 32: upper secondary school pupils, students, doctoral candidates and young researchers from industry. Some came from the Heidelberg area, others from further afield across Germany. The subjects covered ranged from engineering and physics to computer science and life sciences such as biology and medicine. Most of the participants have been part of our network for some time, but some were there for the first time.

 © Robert Hammann

How did you decide on Heidelberg as the first location for the conference?
Marlene Anders: We simply looked at where most of us live, and that’s in this area. Heidelberg has a wealth of great scientific institutions, so it was a good fit.
Sebastian Paschen: And when Lennard Kleemann agreed to take over the organisation on site, the decision was made.

Mr Kleemann, you are currently doing your master’s degree in molecular biotechnology at Heidelberg University, which requires you to complete several internships, and on top of that you had to prepare for the conference. That’s quite a lot to do at once.
Lennard Kleemann: Yes, that’s true. But I felt confident that I could handle the organisation because I am quite familiar with the research scene in Heidelberg. This has to do with my diverse field of study and with internships, for example at the University Hospital or the Max Planck Institute for Medical Research. I also know other institutes from my school days – fortunately, Heidelberg’s research institutions are also open to school students.

Have you ever organised a conference before?
Lennard Kleemann: No, this was my first time. And some things didn’t go as smoothly as I had imagined at the beginning. But luckily I wasn’t alone; there were seven of us in the organising team and the staff at the GDNÄ office supported us at all times and answered all our questions. Without this help, the conference would not have been possible. We at jGDNÄ wanted to do a good job, not least to justify the huge vote of confidence placed in us by the GDNÄ. And in the end, I think it turned out well.

 © Marlene Anders

When you think of a science conference, you think of lectures, poster sessions and panel discussions. Did you stick to the classic format?
Marlene Anders: No, we took a different approach from the outset. We wanted to get to know each other in an informal atmosphere, and long sessions in a conference hall are not really suitable for that. Instead, we focused on practical programme items. One example is the tour of the ion beam therapy centre, where our member Celine Karle is doing her doctoral thesis and was able to give us exciting insights into her research.
Lennard Kleemann: The tours of EMBL, the European Molecular Biology Laboratory, the House of Astronomy and INSEAM, the Institute for Molecular Systems Engineering and Advanced Materials, were also very good. There we were able to spontaneously attend a lecture by Professor Inkyu Park on innovative biosensors. Professor Park teaches mechanical engineering at KAIST University in South Korea. There were many experts in the audience, and the presentation was in English – our group was thrilled.
Sebastian Paschen: There was a very lively atmosphere, even during informal programme items such as the tour of the old town, the mountain railway ride and the Neckarwiesen meeting on the last evening. There was a lot of discussion and the younger ones peppered the older ones with questions. The questions often concerned very basic things, such as everyday life at university, and topics that you tend to discuss with people of a similar age.

Can you already say what impact the congress had?
Marlene Anders: Heidelberg gave us a lot of momentum, which we will now use for future activities. The verbal feedback from the participants was very positive. Now we are waiting for the results of our online survey and are really excited to see them.
Lennard Kleemann: The Heidelberg regional group came together at the conference – a very welcome development, I think.
Sebastian Paschen: There was a nice spontaneous effect: during our visit to the House of Astronomy, a bachelor’s student gave us a tour of the observatory. She is passionate about her subject and is excellent at explaining astronomical concepts. She is a great fit for us, so we approached her – and now she is a member of jGDNÄ.

A conference like this costs a lot of money. Where does it come from?
Sebastian Paschen: The GDNÄ provides us with generous support, and the German Chemical Industry Association also contributes a substantial donation. This covers travel expenses, accommodation for participants in a simple hotel, meals in the canteen and the supporting programme. Institute tours and organisation are free of charge. The budget is tight, but it’s enough. For the next conference, we will start fundraising earlier and then approach other institutions.

 © Robert Hammann

With a view: conference participants on the Königstuhl.

What else is in the pipeline at jGDNÄ?
Marlene Anders: We already have a lot of ideas that we will discuss at our next big online meeting at the end of August.
Sebastian Paschen: One goal is to set up a buddy programme that brings school pupils together with students on the one hand and jGDNÄ members with established GDNÄ members on the other. We want to work closely with the GDNÄ on this and hope to be able to present the first results around the turn of the year. We are also currently seeking exchanges with other young talent organisations of scientific societies and have been very successful so far.

You have all already participated in GDNÄ strategy meetings. What was your impression?
Sebastian Paschen: We were given an incredibly warm welcome. Our suggestions for the conference programme in Bremen were well received, as were our suggestions for the next Lorenz Oken Award. We also learned a lot for planning our programme for the 2026 meeting.
Lennard Kleemann: I am impressed by the diversity of the GDNÄ and am very grateful for the support and trust placed in the jGDNÄ. We can learn a lot from the GDNÄ’s organisation. I am thinking, for example, of the division and representation of the specialist areas and the structure of the regional groups.
Marlene Anders: I learned a lot about planning conferences. At the GDNÄ, you can learn these things in a gentle yet memorable way. This will be very useful for us at our next conferences.