How can interdisciplinary and international teams overcome communication barriers and align their goals effectively? What strategies ensure that diverse perspectives work together towards a common research vision? 

Bringing together researchers from different disciplines and countries offers enormous potential – but also specific challenges for team leaders. Through practical tools, case-based discussion, and peer exchange, participants will examine the dynamics within their own research groups. Topics include goal-setting in collaborative contexts, managing team dynamics, and navigating intercultural communication. The workshop supports participants in shaping a leadership culture that fits the needs of their interdisciplinary and international teams.

„If only I could have a more productive relationship with my supervisor and with my colleagues…my life here would be so much easier!” This seminar nurtures „leading up“ and “lateral leadership” skills to address ongoing challenges with supervisors and colleagues to  nudge them toward the goals that matter most to the participants. Crucially, a series of one-to-one meetings on the second day allow participants to discuss their specific situation, eventual challenges they are facing and possible ways forward to improve the relationship with their supervisors and colleagues.

“I can see there is something strange going on here in terms of discrimination issues… but what is it? And what is my role in all this?” Targeted at academics, this seminar aims to support participants in becoming more aware of existing forms discrimination, to appreciate diversity and to nurture an inclusive professional environment. In doing so, it encourages participants to become proactive “agents for change” within academic contexts and, also, beyond these. The specific issues covered in the workshop include both gender equality and all forms of discrimination.

Disappointment, misunderstandings, conflicting roles… Even though the working relationship between supervisor and PhD candidate seems to be fairly straightforward, there can be pitfalls along the way. A supervisor must combine discussing issues on an expert level with the role of technical supervisor, which comes with different expectations and demands. This role is often hard to define, because it does not entail formal authority. This workshop shows how to avoid the trap of being caught in a “sandwich position” and how to position oneself clearly in relation to the different actors in the research environment. Typical conflict scenarios and adequate communication strategies will be addressed.