In support of the ongoing international collaboration, the newest cohort of trainees in the German GRK2101 program travelled to each Canadian institution participating in the partner CREATE Guided Light program from March 4-8, 2019. The GRK cohort, a group of nine doctoral researchers, was accompanied by the PIs Jens Limpert, Stefan Nolte, Giancarlo Soavi as well as the coordinator Anna Späthe. They were hosted by the CREATE Guided Light participants at INRS, Université Laval and the University of Toronto.
The local meetings facilitated a strong Canada-German trainee engagement to conceive and develop collaborate research projects as required by the third year of the program. At each institution the German doctoral students and the local Canadian students each presented their projects in short 5 minute pitches to introduce themselves. Lead PIs from Germany and the Canadian PIs at each institution presented on their research programs. Giancarlo Soavi, as a new PI in the GRK2101 program, introduced his field of research to the Canadian partners. In addition to the formal presentations, the visitors were taken on lab tours with overview of the research facilities at each institution. The Canadian trainees and PIs led demonstrations on their equipment setups, the methods used, the available facilities and equipment offered at each school. Trainees were also given time to socialize informally and establish a better acquaintance between Canadian and German students and PIs. We expect this engagement to improve the rate of collaboration as well as the quality of the collaborations.
