RAN Newsletter 02/2023The Network is back
After working on an update of the Research Alumni Network (RAN) in the background, you can now expect attractive extended offers and activities – clearly arranged and better accessible in a new web design
The network now has more than 500 members: But who are these people, where in the world are they located, across which countries and continents does the network extend? On the new online world map you can get an overview of where our research alumni live and work, in which countries there is a particularly high number of Heidelberg researchers and where the regional focus lies. Moreover, the new section “RAN Updates” offers up-to-date personal information on the scientific activities of network members. Whether activities in new research projects, professional changes, current publications or prizes, awards and honours – here you will find interesting news about colleagues worldwide, but you can also inform the RAN community yourself when there is something new to report. With your contribution, you can also shape the actuality and liveliness of the network.
But for whom is the Research Alumni Network relevant? Is it also possible to participate at the beginning of an academic career, e.g. if the research stay at Heidelberg University has not yet been completed, or only if this has already taken place some time ago? In the course of the revised alumni life cycle, the importance and added value of RAN for the different phases of an academic career were emphasised more strongly: On the new website, you can read how you can benefit from RAN as a junior researcher, as a senior researcher and also as a retired researcher, how you can take advantage of offers and how you can actively participate in activities and programmes.
One programme within the network that can be interesting for every phase is mentoring at HAI. Here, the previous offer was expanded to include advice and exchange of experience on the topic of research. Doctoral studies, research funding and cooperation, peer reviewing or research abroad could be topics of discussion, for example, which can include other research-relevant aspects according to need and expertise. If you would like to support others with your experience as a scientist, you can register as a mentor; if, on the other hand, you are looking for tips or an exchange of experience, please contact a mentor of your choice. We will be happy to support you in the matching process.
As you have already noticed when reading this issue of the newsletter: The layout of the newsletter has also been revised and it now appears in the new corporate design of the university. The tried and tested interview series "I lost my heart in Heidelberg", in which network members talk about their experiences during their stays in Heidelberg, remains an integral part of the newsletter. A new addition is an overview page with portraits of all previous interviewees in this series. Perhaps there is also someone from your country or your subject area? We invite you to browse through the various interviews already published online and gain a lively impression of Heidelberg as a research location and of its visiting researchers. If you would like to share with us how your academic path has led you to Heidelberg, what experiences you are currently gaining or have already had, and how things went for you after your stay, or how you imagine your future path, then please contact us. We are always on the lookout for new interview partners, because we want to continue presenting the exciting stories of our research alumni in this series and thus arouse the interest of other scientists in Heidelberg as a research location.