On Thursday, April 11, 2024, the Early Career Researchers (ECRs) of our Cluster of Excellence CASA gathered at Beckmanns Hof, Ruhr University Bochum (RUB) for the "ECR Spring Meeting" to exchange ideas across hub boundaries and promote interdisciplinary collaboration within the cluster.
New Insights Through Interdisciplinary Exchange
After an introductory lecture and a socializing session aimed at getting to know each other better, the ECRs had the opportunity to engage in interdisciplinary cross-hub sessions, discussing daily structures, workflows, and approaches, thereby expanding their perspective on their own work. Felix Reichmann, PhD, from the Chair of Developer Centered Security at the Horst-Görtz-Institute for IT Security, Faculty of Computer Science of the Ruhr-University Bochum, and part of Research Hub D "Usability", emphasized:
"I highly value the opportunity to discuss different project methodologies and approaches. Learning how projects can be tackled and successfully executed in various ways is always enriching.”
Sebastian Holler, member of the Max Planck Institute for Security and Privacy (MPI-SP) and Research Hub C "Secure Systems" of CASA, summarized:
"Engaging with colleagues, whether across disciplines or within our own hub, enables us to refine our ideas, approach challenges from fresh perspectives, and pave the way for new innovations."
Additionally, the use of tools for daily work and research projects was discussed, with a focus on AI-based models such as ChatGPT, DeepL, and Grammarly. Personal topics, such as managing work-life balance, as a crucial factor for long-term success, were also addressed.
International Experience to Enrich Everyday Research Life
In the afternoon, the focus was mainly on the international experiences of the early career researchers. Following a shared lunch, there was an impulse lecture including an "Ask me anything" session by Abraham Mhaidli, Research Group Leader of the Technology Harm Prevention Group at MPI-SP. Subsequently, the ECRs participated in hub-internal sessions to address more specific questions. In a panel discussion with CASA PI Clara Schneidewind (MPI-SP), Erwin Quiring (RUB), and Thorsten Eisenhofer (TU Berlin), participants had the opportunity to collectively discuss the various international experiences and their relevance to their own research. Finally, there was an opportunity to end the evening in the relaxed atmosphere of the Bochum “Bermuda Dreieck”.
General note: In case of using gender-assigning attributes we include all those who consider themselves in this gender regardless of their own biological sex.
