FEEDBACK

Thank you for organizing this fascinating symposium. It was really nice to meet new people from different fields and also listen to the keynotes with different research experiences. This symposium was not only helpful scientifically but also was very friendly and warm. It was very impressive that people from most continents were coming together during the breaks to show the peaceful world at least in that corner. Thank you a lot for providing this opportunity.   

Arezoo Mirzaei (University Hohenheim)

The keynote presentations and the science slam presentations were very good and the speakers were all very impressive strong women. I liked very much the give- aways to remember the Symposium and the possibility to talk to other scientists and make new contacts. I wish the podium discussion had gone more into deepness and not only scratched on the surface.

Tamara Theimel (Universität Stuttgart)

In its interdisciplinary approach, brilliant technical participants and organisation, and in its very appealing design, it clearly highlighted the overall social task of making water available sustainably as one of the most important resources and, if possible, preserving it in its natural way. 

I also particularly liked the lively form of presentation of the female scientists through the announcement by the students of the University of Communication and Design, because it made the individual face of each female researcher visible and showed that behind the Research and respective expertise a person stands with individual interests and inclinations. The forum focused on the exchange of experience and the design was comprehensively geared towards this. I use the reclosable bottle every day and fill it with fresh water every time. This is sustainability in action, with this principle of give-aways based on inspiration and artistic design, Congratulations! 

Finally, I’d also like to praise the beautiful scientific and artistic framework of the symposium. With the Women of Music a unique musical experience was created, which also fitted the concept of the feminine very well. The female junior scientists drew attention to their research in the Science Slam in diverting entertainment. All in all, a completely successful symposium, which set new standards in the interdisciplinary question of water as a sustainable resource and presented itself as a “whole thing”, in the topics, the design and the artistic framework, which whetted the appetite for more.

Petra Enderle (Universität Stuttgart)

It would like to say it was a wonderful event that highlighted incredible female research professionals. I particularly enjoyed the speakers, the cross collaboration of coordination, organization, venue, catering and the band.

Overall a terrific experience!

James Nodwell Taylor (Universität Stuttgart)

Thanks for hosting this symposium. It was a great pleasure to attend this symposium and the whole schedule was clear and organized very well. I like the Science Slam section very much! The music was also very special for me and the dinner was nice. Overall, this symposium left lots of memory for me.

Yang-Hui CAI (KIT)

Thank you very much for organizing this wonderful symposium.

It was so positively different – from its design,  its personal and valuing approach to all participants, to the elegant and light-footed way to adress gender issues and the great music performance. Water research is very much male dominated and often rather conservative. This was an inspiring alternative of how water research, my domain, might develop in the future! 

The little gadgets from the symposium made their way onto my desk – and do fill me with warm memories. Also, the facilitation of the event was very successful, especially regarding the panel discussion, which is not an easy format. Clearly, the quality of the key note talks was heterogeneous, especially regarding presentation skills – but this made the event more human, more ‘real’. Time to talk and to network was rather limited, as for instance, the science slam took place during lunch – I would have wished for more interactive formats beyond the plenary. All in all: Congrats! To be repeated!

Hannah Kosow (Universität Stuttgart)

I really liked the whole symposium. I liked the science slams, because it was funny and got everybody in a good mood. The music was also very very nice and the conversations I had during the pauses with other participants were super interesting. I would be happy to join another symposium in this style and I am looking forward to watch again the presentations online.

Anna Mack (HLRS Stuttgart)

I was particularly pleased with the atmosphere of the meeting. The atmosphere was very personal, kind, and open. It was different from other meetings I have attended, in a positive sense.

I estimate the meeting has informed and inspired the younger generation of researchers. It was all very well done. I felt honored being part of the meeting.

Astrid Blom (TU Delft)

What I liked:

Input from many different research fields associated with water research. Smaller audience and possibility to talk to the keynote speakers in the coffee breaks

Comments:

Time for keynotes could have been a little shorter, and therefore more talks (e.g. only 45 min). A dedicated time slot for the poster session would have been nice

Eva Riehle (Universität Konstanz)

This was a great symposium that had a good balance between structured and relatively unstructured social time.  I think the incorporation of art and Pecha Kucha was an especially nice touch that personalized the science and made it easier to start conversation.  The music before dinner was another great conversation piece so cool to see a theramin played in person!  One suggestion I have is that it would have been nice to hear more from the students about their work.  I noticed some posters hanging in the coffee/snack room, but I think a more formalized time for students to describe their posters would have been nice.  Thank you for a great symposium!

Bridget Deemer (USGS)