SystemsX.ch is a highly successful, collaborative research initiative for Systems Biology in Switzerland with an impressive scientific output: Over 250 scientific papers were published under SystemsX.ch grants in the last five years. The initiative comprises more than 250 researchers from 12 partner universities and institutes, currently working on some 100 projects.
To foster the scientific exchange and networking between partners, but also assist young scientists in career development, SystemsX.ch organises an annual retreat. For the second time in a row, hfp consulting was supporting the SystemsX.ch retreat earlier this month with specialised workshops for the participating scientists. Reflecting the highly interactive character of SystemsX.ch, this year’s retreat programme was focused on principles of good scientific collaboration – a crucial factor of successful science, particularly in interdisciplinary fields, such as systems biology.
At this year’s retreat in Engelberg, we offered an interactive workshops on:
• The art of choosing a good scientific problem
• Managing heterogeneity in a group
• Managing conflicts
• Stimulating creativity and mastering “the cloud”
• Presenting own work to an audience from a different scientific field
We hope we could contribute to the future success of this Swiss systems biology initiative in general and to the personal success of the participating scientists in particular. And if you are wondering what “the cloud” means, watch this excellent Ted Talk from Uri Alon at Tedx-Lausanne.
