On the first of October 2023, the members of the GRK 2696 “Transformations of Science and Technology since 1800” were pleased to welcome six new PhD students who will participate in the GRK graduate school program. The second cohort consists of Elife Cetintas, Tobias Grabosch, Fabienne Grimm, Linda Grohmann, Anastasiia Lazutkina and Charlotte Poller.
In order to give the new PhDs a good start to their PhD journey, the first cohort hosted a Welcome Week, which took place from 10th – 12th October 2023. The Welcome Week started with an official welcome ceremony: Spokesperson Prof. Dr. Volker Remmert opened the event with a welcome speech, followed by the presentation of the GRK concept and theoretical framework presented by the first cohort PhD students Jeremias Düring and Nora Schierenbeck, and Principal Investigator Jun.- Prof. Dania Achermann closed the event with an inspiring speech about her personal career path in academic research. The second day began with a tour of the campus Grifflenberg. There, the PhDs of the first and second cohort explored the extensive campus. During a joint lunch, there was already plenty of opportunity to exchange ideas about each other’s projects. The day ended with the inauguration lecture from Principal Investigator Prof. Anna Leuschner. On Thursday morning Sophie Charlott Ebert the head of the Equality and Diversity Unit at the University of Wuppertal, visited the new GRK members. She introduced the PhDs to the unit’s services, such as individual coaching, child care services, and the SelmaMeyerMentoring in cooperation with the University of Düsseldorf. In the afternoon the PhDs went on a city tour through Wuppertal, explored Campus Haspel and the Hardt-Anlage. The Welcome Week ended with a shared dinner and a pub crawl in the Luisenviertel in Wuppertal. The whole GRK team is very happy to welcome the six new PhD students and wish them all a great start in the GRK program.
