During November 26-29, 2024, the Graduate School (GradSchool) of ScaDS.AI Dresden/Leipzig embarked on its 3^rd annual seminar trip, this time to Altenburg in Thuringia. 58 participants — 30 from Dresden and 28 from Leipzig — gathered for four intense days of learning and professional growth, while strengthening their network within the interdisciplinary and diverse ScaDS.AI Dresden/Leipzig community.

A Blend of Science, Learning, and Joyful Networking

The seminar trip offered an interactive program designed to inspire and challenge the participants. In the beginning (and after fitting everyone (maneuverably) into our main room), the participants introduced themselves in two-minute elevator pitches, which created a valuable foundation for new personal and professional connections.

The plenary sessions in the following days covered a diverse mix of topics, reflecting the wide spread of research activities at ScaDS.AI Dresden/Leipzig. Four breakout sessions ranged from Responsible AI to Self-hosted LLMs and from Medicine & Life Sciences to Geo & Environmental Sciences. These sessions enjoyed various formats and allowed attendees to dive deeper into their areas of interest, fostering lively discussions and new ideas. An interactive hackathon on GPU kernels as well as a session on the GradSchool Wikis aimed at collaborative work on solving problems and coming up with creative solutions together.

A further program highlight was the training on mental health, resilience, and stress management. In the fast-paced world of academia and research, awareness of these matters and reinforcing appendant abilities are invaluable. The training, given by a skilled coach, laid a solid foundation, granted room for individual reflections and review, and indicated ways to stay grounded and cope with pressure.

Barcamp sessions further enhanced the engaging atmosphere. In those self-organized discussions, the participants expounded on topics such as Work-Family-Life Balance and Postdoc Journeys. Attendees appreciated these sessions for their open and informal format, allowing them to contribute to conversations and share personal experiences.

Social Program around Skat and Altenburg Palace

No such trip would be complete without a catching social program, and this year, too, there were plenty of such activities. We kicked things off with sports, by flooding the local bowling alley on our first evening. Being in Altenburg, the Skat City, some whizzes couldn’t resist to start their first round of the traditional card game on that same night.

But that can even count as a preparation for the excursion to the impressive Altenburg Palace, just a short walk away from our venue. Inside, we visited the in-house playing card museum, replenished our private stock of Altenburger Kartenspiele (local Skat decks), and received a very informative guided tour through the Palace, with the church, including its Baroque organ built by Trost, and the large festive hall as perhaps the most outstanding elements.

While many of us were staying up late for more game nights (and a highly acclaimed pub quiz!), others were up early for morning jogs through Altenburg, before starting into the topical sessions of the day, with the organizers somehow managing to juggle both with barely any sleep. Overall, the seminar trip was a delightful blend of work and fun, including its anecdotes (Acting as auxiliary receptionists at night? Check. Sharing rooms with strangers when needed? Check.).

Appropriate Structure and Organization

Despite the raised participant numbers — from 44 last year to 58 this time — increasing the multi-track elements in the program resulted in a smooth and effective experience. The balance between high-quality scientific talks and ample opportunities for interaction was struck well. Socially, this trip didn’t feel like a conference; it rather emanated the energy and camaraderie of a class trip, even as the group became larger, more diverse and included completely new members. Besides for the feedback having been exclusively constructive and pretty positive, we are very glad that many participants reported of a welcoming atmosphere.

We thank all of you very much for your contribution to the event — from those who led the Pub Quiz, organized the Topic Breakouts, and facilitated the Hackathons over those giving talks or chairing sessions to every attendee for devoting your time. Your efforts ensured the event was a success and helped that everyone left with new ideas, connections, and a sense of belonging.

Looking Ahead

The shared experiences and quite some enthusiasm of this year’s group do motivate us to already gear up for the next seminar trip. We look forward to come together again, share knowledge and ideas, and foster an environment where everyone can learn, grow, and have fun along the way. Thanks so much for the great time last week!