Suche
Mein Konto
Student Congress: Insights into the challenges of the organization!
Students at the University of Bonn successfully organized a comparative literature congress, learned valuable experiences and established networks.
Student Congress: Insights into the challenges of the organization!
On September 23, 2025, Julia and Simon took an active part in organizing a student congress that made an important contribution to comparative literature. Both initially had concerns about what to expect at this interdisciplinary event, as they were part of a team made up of different interested parties. A teammate who had already organized a conference turned out to be a valuable resource and helped significantly with the planning.
Another aspect that made the organization easier was the opportunity to use insights from other conferences in the institute. Nevertheless, financial support was the biggest challenge. However, the Universitätsgesellschaft Bonn e.V. took over the provision of financial resources to enable the participation of numerous students and international guests. Julia and Simon also reported efficient collaboration with the university's space management, but this brought additional complications due to planning over a public holiday.
Challenges and support
Despite the difficulties, Julia and Simon would like to organize a student congress again. You learned a lot and gained valuable insights into the organization of academic events. They are currently busy preparing the conference proceedings, in which contributions from the participants will be collected and edited.
The experience they have gained provides them with excellent preparation for their future academic careers. Networking played a crucial role during the congress. Julia emphasized how important it is for many students to make their first contacts in the academic world. This opened up new perspectives and boosts of motivation for their own research.
Funding opportunities for scientific events
The organization of such a congress is often facilitated by foundations and institutions. The German Research Foundation (DFG) For example, it promotes international congresses in Germany and supports a large number of specialist societies with foreign speakers every year. Grants are based on the number of participating scientists with doctorates and must be applied for at least six months before the event.
In addition, it promotes Fritz Thyssen Foundation smaller national and international conferences and offers financial resources for travel costs and accommodation. The Boehringer Ingelheim Foundation On the other hand, it is aimed specifically at scientific conferences in biology, chemistry, medicine and basic pharmaceutical research.
In addition, there are a variety of other funding providers who support events on specific topics, such as German-French University, the Weichmann Foundation and many others. These opportunities are crucial to secure the financial basis for scientific events and to create constructive platforms for exchange.