At this year’s DDEA Summer School, we had the pleasure of bringing together 69 ambitious PhD students from 11 different countries for a four-day scientific journey. But beyond the science, the best part? The connections!

The absolute best part of DDEA’s Summer School was definitely meeting so many other PhD students who are at the exact same stage in their research careers and face many of the same challenges. Plenty of time was allocated specifically for networking, which was fantastic!, says Rikke Agerskov who is a PhD student in endocrinology at Roskilde University.

Participating in the Summer School has made me more confident. I have improved my ability to communicate with researchers I do not know and to step out of my comfort zone. I believe this will help me establish a larger network in the future, which will, hopefully, lead to more interdisciplinary research across both scientific fields and countries, Rikke Agerskov continues.

Hot Topics and Great Questions

Scientific highlights from this year’s programme included sessions on hot topics like the insulin-resistant brain, endocrine disruptors, and the role of steroids in health and disease. The workshops offered practical skills and insights into areas like health innovation, machine learning, and even survival tips for navigating the whirlwind of academia.

Despite the fact that the talks and workshops did not relate directly to my research focus – how the nervous system influences the development of the pancreas – they were excellent. I especially liked that each talk had two speakers who complemented each other, Rikke Agerskov says.

We had free time in the afternoon. In the evening, we had the opportunity to meet with various researchers, and it was incredibly valuable to sit in small groups and discuss with them. This setting encouraged more people to ask a lot of great questions that they might not have felt comfortable asking in a larger forum.

Thank you to all our participants, speakers, and workshop leaders for making this Summer School a huge success.

And one last piece of advice from Rikke Agerskov to next year’s Summer School participants:

Don’t forget your swimwear and water shoes! There is an amazing beach with stones just five minutes away from where you will be staying, she says.

Until next year!