From October 7 to 9, 2025, the Karlsruhe Institut für Technologie (KIT) hosted the annual conference of the University Association for the Qualification of Early-Career Scientists in Germany (UniWinD) – this year under the motto “Doctoral Supervision and Postdoctoral Career Development in Challenging Times.”

Responsibility in supervisory relationships

A central theme of the conference was responsibility in scientific supervision relationships. In his keynote speech, Prof. Dr. Heinz Kalt, a member of the Ombudsman Committee for Scientific Integrity and a former ombudsperson at KIT, addressed the issue of abuse of power at scientific institutions. He called for institutional protection mechanisms and a culture of respectful coexistence. The keynote speeches on the relevance of the Salzburg Principles and the concluding fishbowl discussion, "What is good supervision, and how can it be ensured institutionally?" were impressive as well.

Plenty of room for exchange

Numerous workshops, poster presentations, and best practice talks provided practical examples and ideas on how to  support doctoral researchers and postdocs. Topics ranged from onboarding concepts and orientation aids during the qualification phase to conflict prevention, evidence-based measures, and impact assessment. The many concrete examples from different institutions were particularly enriching. They provided valuable suggestions and inspiring ideas for further developing our own practice. Openly discussing proven formats and challenges made it clear how much we can learn from each other.

Networking and thinking ahead

We found the discussions at the network meetings particularly valuable: in the Postdoc Support Network and the Young Researchers Information Network, we had the opportunity to speak with colleagues from across Germany about current developments and challenges, about areas in which we are already well positioned and areas in which there is room for (possibly joint) further development.

We return with great motivation to continue working together to create favourable conditions for early-career researchers. Many thanks to the organising team at KIT and the UniWinD office for this successful conference.

See you next year in Magdeburg!