Workshop "Mastering your Interdisciplinary Career" on 20. November 2025
Interdisciplinary research opens up exciting opportunities for innovation, yet it also requires specific skills and strategies to navigate its complexity. This workshop is designed for early career researchers who wish to leverage their interdisciplinary research effectively and develop sustainable career perspectives. Participants will engage with the challenges, opportunities, and key strategic aspects of interdisciplinary career development. On the one hand, the workshop focuses on interdisciplinary competences, showing what it means to conduct interdisciplinary research in practice, how to design and organize integrative projects, and which skills are most critical for effective collaboration across boundaries. On the other hand, it emphasizes career pathways, supporting participants in defining their own motivations and goals, building strategic networks, and gaining concrete insights into the specific dynamics and opportunities of an interdisciplinary academic career.
Participants will…
gain a solid understanding of key concepts, potentials, and challenges of interdisciplinarity;
strengthen essential competences for conducting and leading interdisciplinary projects;
learn practical methods for integration and perspective-taking across disciplines;
clarify personal career motivations and align them with strategic opportunities;
develop strategies for building and expanding networks in interdisciplinary contexts;
identify distinctive career dynamics and future-oriented fields in interdisciplinary research.
Methods
Short expert inputs, mind mapping methods, guided self-reflection, peer-to-peer exchange, interview techniques, collaborative group work, brief participant presentations, plenary discussions, visual and creative techniques. Participants will receive workshop materials such as handouts, slides, and checklists. The workshop will be in English.
Date & Schedule: Thursday, 20. November 2025, 09:30 – 17:30
09:30 – 12:30: Foundations of interdisciplinarity and interdisciplinary collaboration
12:30 – 13:30: Lunch break
13:30 – 16:30: Career development with an interdisciplinary research profile
16:30 – 17:30: Feedback session
Location
Haus H, Seminar room
Telegrafenberg Potsdam
Open for..
Doctoral and postdoctoral researchers from a Geo.X institution
Application
The application deadline is 3. November 2025.
For questions feel free to contact us.
About the trainer. Dr. Iris Mencke is a researcher, trainer, and systemic coach specializing in interdisciplinary competence and career development. She holds a PhD in psychology with a research focus on the neural basis of creative processes and has worked for over a decade as a project leader in international, interdisciplinary research groups. As the founder of Interdisciplinary Minds, she offers seminars and trainings aimed at strengthening interdisciplinary skills and supports professionals in fostering successful collaboration across disciplinary boundaries. Her work centers on developing innovative methodological approaches in complex interdisciplinary settings, and on creating collaborative, reflective, and resilient forms of working together. www.interdisciplinary-minds.de | www.iris-mencke.de