20 years of GGG – 20 years of Week of Methods
…. Can you believe it?!
We would like to use this festive occasion to look back with you on the beginnings, developments and highlights of the last 20 years.
The University of Göttingen was one of the first universities in Germany to establish graduate schools in 2005. This was an expression of the desire to provide better support for doctoral candidates and to alleviate the frequent isolation during the doctorate through more structure, study programs and colloquia. In addition, doctoral candidates should no longer be supervised by just one person, but by a thesis committee in order to bring more perspectives into the doctorate and reduce dependence on just one person. The introduction of credits also increased the international comparability and connectivity of the doctorate.
Göttingen took a special approach from the outset by not establishing one graduate academy as a minimum consensus for all, but rather three graduate schools, each of which brings together several faculties. The Göttingen Model of Interdisciplinary Graduate Schools (GIGS) makes it possible to design specific programs close to the needs and doctoral conditions of the respective subject cultures and to work closely together as an overall interdisciplinary model. Over the years, each of the now four graduate schools has found its own solutions and measures – depending on what was necessary and feasible in its respective field. At the same time, the graduate schools work closely together, exchange ideas and also realize joint projects such as interdisciplinary alliances, collaboration in working groups, cooperation with the Presidential Board and (where appropriate) joint training courses.
The 20 years since the GGG was founded have flown by and have been characterized by numerous milestones, further developments and changes. From the very beginning, the Interdisciplinary Week of Methods was a highlight in the GGG program, which has taken place every year despite Corona, so that this year the 20th Week of Methods will be celebrated from October 6 to 9, 2025. The most important tasks of the GGG have always been the qualification, networking and support of doctoral candidates. No one offer is suitable for everyone, but many doctoral candidates and current alumni have benefited from courses, exchanges, good contacts, support and encouragement from the GGG.
Despite a lot of continuity, no two years have been the same over the past 20 years. Milestones included the integration of the first full-time employee in 2008, the constant expansion and adaptation of the training program, the establishment and ongoing development of the contact database and special projects such as the DAAD scholarship and support program for international doctoral candidates (2005-2022), the early creation and implementation of the diversity concept for the support of doctoral candidates (2018), the unfortunately short-lived doctoral degree program “Biodiversity and Society” (2010-2015), the successfully established network with small and medium-sized enterprises (2008-2014), which was extended to the Göttingen Campus, the cooperation with the Hans Böckler Foundation for several doctoral conferences and a doctoral program (2013-2018), 14 other doctoral networks over the years and many small and large collaborations, including inclusion, the strengthening of collaborative projects and the acquisition of third-party funding.
When it was still the will of science policy to establish the graduate schools, the GGG was able to continue to build up its expertise through the numerous third-party funds available at the time and implement this with up to seven employees plus assistants.
As always, there were and are many ups and downs, discussions, highlights, justification battles and readjustments. In addition to the formalities, there were also many anecdotes. Especially the Week of Methods was always good for special challenges: when the GGG moved into the Historic Observatory at the end of 2008 after some delay, the building and grounds were still under construction. Every day the accessible routes turned out slightly different, sometimes a stairwell was closed, sometimes workmen were standing in the toilets, sometimes cables or lightning conductors were being installed or percussion drills and excavators provided the background music to conferences…. My personal nightmare was when the Week of Methods was supposed to start well prepared, but on Monday morning we stood in front of freshly dug trenches that had opened up between the driveway and the conference center. No one had told the digging professionals that people were working here and that the Week of Methods was to take place with over 70 participants at the time! A few improvised planks over the trenches made access possible after all. But it was only thanks to our fantastic janitors that nobody fell into the trenches in the dark at the reception on Tuesday evening because the superheroes had quickly installed lamps and wider planks. Imagine the president, guest speakers, team or doctoral students having disappeared into the abyss…
We should have written down stories like this in the 20 years: of 20 glasses of red fruit jelly that crashed onto the historic wooden floorboards shortly before midnight when cleaning up after the Week of Methods, pizza picnics on the floor when the chairs were still missing, Ambulance call-out after a participant broke her finger and subsequently collapsed into circulation, grandiose slips of the tongue by presidents when faced with the challenge of keeping the abbreviations of the graduate schools apart, the Foundation Council’s award for the exemplary connection between science and the public, ….
There are many reasons to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the GGG: much has been achieved, many obstacles have been overcome and much can still be done better. That is why we are celebrating, among other things, as part of this year’s Week of Methods, which is also the 20th. There will be an extended networking program, alumni power and birthday cake. The Vice President for Research, Prof. Dr. Bernhard Brümmer, will open the event. As a special highlight, we are looking forward to the impulse of Prof. Dr. Christine Langenfeld, judge at the Federal Constitutional Court, who was a member of the GGG board and ultimately also its spokesperson.
So it remains exciting and we look forward to further encounters, developments, anecdotes and improvements to be found together….
If you have any questions, congratulations or suggestions, please do not hesitate to contact the GGG board and team.
Dr. Bettina Ross
Managing Director of GGG
Translated with DeepL.com (free version)