Wednesday, 19 March – Arrival and Opening
Our journey began on Wednesday morning with a train ride to Schwäbisch-Gmünd. Upon arrival, we started with a short city tour led by Sigi, who shared insights into the town from a local’s perspective, as Schwäbisch-Gmünd is his "Heimat" (home).
After a sunny lunch together, we headed to the Pädagogische Hochschule Schwäbisch-Gmünd, where we were warmly welcomed by Prof. Dr. Jochen Mayer. We then met the other workshop participants including PhD students and professors from the University of Chemnitz, Humboldt University Berlin, University of Giessen, University of Bern, and PH Schwäbisch-Gmünd.
The afternoon started off with interesting presentations from PhD students, followed by a keynote on network analysis held by Prof. Dr. Hagen Wäsche. The day concluded with a joint dinner, offering time to socialize and continue academic discussions in a more informal setting.
Thursday, 20 March – Presentations and Reflective Walk
Thursday was dedicated to a full day of diverse and interesting presentations by PhD students, each followed by engaged discussions and feedback rounds. The variety of research topics and perspectives enriched the discourse and created a space for mutual learning.
In the late afternoon, the group started to a reflective walk titled "Between Heaven and Earth" – a scenic path through an old castle forest leading up to the "Garden of Heaven," a special local feature of Schwäbisch-Gmünd. A memorable highlight of the walk was the XXL marble run, where everyone could roll small marbles along an impressively long track – a moment of joy and laughter for everyone involved.
Friday, 21 March – Final Sessions and Farewell
The final workshop day included a morning of presentations and discussion sessions before lunch.
After lunch, most participants began their journey home. However, some took the opportunity to join Sigi on a walk to Hornberg and through the "Kalte Feld" area. This included a visit to the ski jumping arena where the first female Olympic gold medallist Carina Vogt began her career – a fitting end to a workshop full of inspiration.
We would like to thank all participants, speakers, and organizers who contributed to making this workshop a perfect mixture of academic exchange, constructive discussion, and interesting conversations – with plenty of fun along the way. We return from Schwäbisch-Gmünd inspired and motivated, and we look forward to seeing everyone soon again.
