Events beyond maths

MM Spotlight, MM Connect and more...

Mathematics Münster regularly hosts talks, seminars, and workshops on non-mathematical topics such as academic skills, career planning, equal opportunities and diversity, and knowledge transfer and science communication to complement the mathematical education and broaden the horizon.

  • Highlights (Summer term 2026)

    • 23 - 27 March 2026 -  MM Spotlight Week on professional competences 
      - Constructive feedback in academia
      - Preparing great slide talks (with JProf. Theresa Simon)
      - Science pitch: presenting your work on a spot
      - Coping with academic pressure: Managing stress and fostering well-being
      - Neurodiversity - every brain is different!

    • 16 April 2026 (2:15 pm) Postdoc Colloquium
      with Catrin Mair, Stefan Schrott, Mathias Sonnleitner, Alexander van Werde and Ferdinand Wagner
    • 18 May (11:30 am): Welcome Session for new MM members
    • 1 July (14:00): YAM Seminar with David Jean Baptiste Bilong, Gilles Jordan Pedieu Tcheuha, and Miarisoa Elalie Rasamimanana.

  • Highlights (Winter term 2026/2027)

    • 28 October (9am - 6pm) Postdoc Retreat - Building a strong research profile. 
      A day for MM postdocs to prepare for the next step, exchange and connect with other postdocs on career-and maths-related matters.
      (1) Research Statements and Proposals (with Eugen Hellmann and Angela Stevens) - A session on preparing a research statement for applications or proposals for grant applications or permanent positions: What is important, tips+tricks, which level of specificity is needed, ...
      (2) Scientific Profile (with Hendrik Weber and tba) - A session on what is important in the postdoc profiling phase.

    • October  Postdoc Colloquium
    • November : Welcome Session for new MM members
    • December: Ada Lovelace Seminar 

MM Spotlight Sessions

MM Spotlight complies trainings on academic skills and career planning.

  • Spring 2026  - MM Spotlight Week on professional competences

    23 - 27 March 2026

    In the last week of March 2026 Imke Franzmeier will host a week on professional competences. 
    5 sessions on various aspects on working in academia. You can pick and choose: either one, several, or all sessions.
    Open to all! All sessions are open to all MM researchers, regardless of their experience level, as all input and exercises are designed for individual needs.
    Where: The MMGS room (Orléans-Ring 10, 1st floor)

    Workshops of the MM Spotlight week

    • Mon 23.3 9:30 3h  
      Constructive feedback in academia
      In this workshop we will discuss what constructive feedback is, and how to give/receive feedback in an academic setting. We will practice dealing with feedback, mistakes and critisicm and work on implementing a positive feedback culture.
    • Tue 24.3  10:00  2h  
      Preparing great slide talks (with JProf. Theresa Simon)
      In this workshop we will focus on how to make a great talk (with slides): tips, tricks and common mistakes. It will be packed with examples and there will be time to reflect you own (slide) presentation style.
    • Wed  25.3   10:00  1,5h  
      Science pitch: presenting your work on a spot
      In this session you will prepare you own Science Pitch.
      With your Science Pitch you can present your scientific research in a brief, clear, and engaging way, thus sparking interest. Typically lasting just a few minutes, a Science Pitch is a perfect starter for conversations at conferences, application processes and possibly even telling your favourite aunt what you have been working on.
    • Thu  26.3  10:00  2h  
      Coping with academic pressure: Managing stress and fostering well-being
      In this session Kristina Wensing will focus on mental health and well-being in academia. We will discuss common stress triggers in academia and develop strategies how to cope with pressure in a competitive environment.
    • Fri  27.3   9:30  2,5h  
      Neurodiversity - every brain is different!
      In this session we will learn about differnt types of neurodiversity and focus on how neurodivergent people can improve their well-being and productivity at a workplace and how to support neurodivergent colleagues.

MM Connect - Connecting Early Career Researchers

Event series by and for doctoral researchers and Postdocs

The event format "MM Connect" offers young scientists of the Cluster the opportunity to exchange ideas regularly. They can present themselves and their research project (MM Arrival), say goodbye when the next career step is due (MM Departure) and exchange tools, concepts and experiences (MM Impulse). With MM Common Ground experienced researchers can contribute to MM Connect by sharing their insights into life in academia and providing personal advice for early career researchers. With MM ReConnect former members provide insights into their career paths in and outside academia after leaving Mathematics Münster.

MM Connect will be held every two to three weeks on Fridays at 2 pm at the MM Conference Centre.

  • Guiding questions and topics for your MM Connect talk

    (These questions are only ideas/suggestions for your talk. You are welcome to find your own topics. A more exhaustive list of questions can be handed out in advance to (potential) speakers).
    • MM Arrival: getting to know the newcomers
      - About me/Who am I?
      - What have I done prior to my new/current position (master's, doctorate): where and with whom have I studied/worked with?
      - What am I looking forward to with regard to the upcoming doctoral/postdoc period?
      - What am I good at and could teach others? Which knowledge/skills could I share with others?
      - ...
    • MM Departure: Getting to know what others were doing at MM and what they are up to next.
      - What have I done during my doctoral/postdoc period here at Mathematics Münster?
      - What were my highlights during my doctoral/Postdoc period?
      - What have I achieved in the last year? What were the challenges? What did I do well and with what did I have difficulties?
      - What’s next: Which city am I moving to and why? How did I get the new job (experiences in job hunting)? Which challenges am I expecting for the next steps?
      - ...
    • MM Impulse: Conveying knowledge, tools and experience that can help to succeed in academia and structure or improve work routines.
      - Project management
      - Handling procrastination
      - LaTeX or GitLab tricks
      - Networking
      - ... 
    • MM Common Ground
      Finding a common ground of advanced and young researchers beyond the borders of one’s own mathematical research field. Professors can share their insights into academic life regarding the way of thinking and working, challenges and motivation.
      - What would I have liked to know as a doctoral/postdoctoral researcher? I wish someone had told me that ...
      - My experience living and working in different countries ...
      - Which idea/concept motivates my research? What is the "core idea" or leading question of my field of research?
      - How does my research relate to the terms: Dynamics – Geometry – Structure?
      - I feel stuck, when ... Usually I attempt to get unstuck by doing ...
      - The most beautiful aspect of my research is ....
      - ...

Knowlegde transfer and careers outside academia

Fireside Chat
In the fireside chats, individuals who have earned a doctorate in mathematics and subsequently pursued an exciting career outside of the university are given a voice. The aim of these discussions is to open up perspectives and look beyond the horizon of academic research in mathematics.

Mathematics meets Business
Members of the MMGS and other institutes at the University of Münster meet executives from leading technology companies in the Münsterland region at "Mathematics meets Business". The event is a building block for long-term knowledge transfer, from which companies in the Münsterland region and the Cluster of Excellence Mathematics Münster are expected to benefit equally.

MaIn Perspectives
At MaIn Perspectives, three companies present themselves each evening. The premise for their presentations is that they must be given by a graduate in mathematics or computer science and highlight the specific problems mathematicians or computer scientists can expect to face in the respective company. This event is intended to assist doctoral reasearchers of the MMGS in their future planning and provide the opportunity to explore the next steps after completing your doctorate early on.

Past Events Beyond Maths

Academic Skills | Career planning | Equal Opportunity & Diversity | Knowledge Transfer & Science Communication

  • Past Events... 

    Academic skills

    • 5 November 2025 10:00 MMGS Welcome Event and 14:00 MM Spotlight on Shaping the Doctoral Phase
    • 25 April 2025: MM Spotlight on "Science Pitch"
    • 6 November 2024: MM Spotlight on Feedback Culture
    • 23 October: MM Spotlight on Shaping the Doctoral Experience (using Supervision and Mentoring) - as part of the MMGS Welcome Event
    • 27 June 2024: MM Spotlight on Progress review: preparing and making use of the conversation by Dr. Kristina Wensing
    • 19 June 2024: MMGS poster design marathon
    • 8 May 2024: MM Spotlight - Shaping the doctoral phase (Supervision and Mentoring) by Dr. Imke Franzmeier & Dr. Kristina Wensing
    • 24 November 2023: Talk "Abstract and concrete advice for PhD students" by Azul Fatalini
    • 10 November 2023: Talk "A Scientist's Primer on Mental Health" by Dr. Olga Vvedenskaya (Dragonfly Mental Health)
    • 30 October 2023: Bystander Intervention Training with Anoushka Dufeil and Lauraline Michel
    • 10 February 2023: Miniworkshop - "Do's and Dont's of personal websites" with Simone Ramello
    • 9 December 2022: Talk "Resources for (first-year) PhD students" by Azul Fatalini
    • 7 December 2022: Miniworkshop "Impostor Phenomenon in Academia" with Dr. Brooke Gazdag (University of Amsterdam)
    • 17 May 2022: Talk "MaRDI - Mathematical Research Data Initiative" by Christiane Görgen and Tabea Bacher (Max-Planck-Institut für Mathematik in den Naturwissenschaften Leipzig)
    • 5 +12 November 2021: Online Workshop "Mikropolitik" with Doris Cornils (via Münster University's Gendermittelpooling)
    • 26 May 2021: Workshop "Female leadership" with Imke Lode
    • 18 November + 02 December 2020: Online Workshop "Erfolgreich präsentieren (auch im Online-Setting)" with Dr. Elisa Franz

    Career planning

    • MM Spotlight week on career development (October 2025) by Imke Franzmeier
      Mo 6.10, 9:30 - Career compass: my profile, my plan, my path
      Tue 7.10, 10:00 - Shaping your (research) profile: criteria for (the next) postdoc position
      Wed 8.10 - Third party funding
      Thu 9.10, 10:00 - Applying outside academia - preparing applications 
    • 26 November 2024: Fire Side Chat with Dr. Dirk Hartmann
    • 1 October 2024: MM Spotlight on Planning (the next) postdoc position - selection criteria and shaping profile by Dr. Imke Franzmeier
    • 25 June 2024: MAIN Perspectives
    • 5 July 2024: Fireside chat with Dr. Mirko Ebbers
    • 13 June 2024: MM Spotlight on Convincing applications for jobs outside of academia by Dr. Imke Franzmeier & Dr. Kristina Wensing
    • 30 January 2024: Workshops "Goals - finding and reflecting your own path" for postdoctoral researchers with Dr. Imke Franzmeier
    • 14 & 19 December 2023: Workshop "Goals - finding and reflecting your own path" for doctoral researchers with Dr. Imke Franzmeier
    • 27 January 2023: Fire site chat series on "Career opportunities for mathematicians in the private sector" with Dr. Dieter Wemmer
    • 15 October 2021: Workshop "Mein Karriereweg - Wie man einen passenden Job findet" // "Career styles: finding one's own career path" for doctoral and postdoctoral researchers (auf Deutsch!) with Dr. Imke Franzmeier
    • 24 February 2021: Workshop "Goals – finding and reflecting your own path" with Dr. Imke Franzmeier
    • 25 August 2020: Workshop "Reflecting goals" with Dr. Imke Franzmeier (at MMGS Retreat)
    • 5 August 2020: Mini-Workshop "Staying focused" with Dr. Imke Franzmeier
    • 27 May 2020: Mini-Workshop "Career Planning" with Dr. Imke Franzmeier

    Equal Opportunity & Diversity

    • 16 May 2025: MM Connect celebrates Women in Maths
    • Talk Series "Achieving Gender Balance in Science":
      9 May 2023: Prof. Eva Maria Feichtner (University of Bremen)
      25 January 2023: Dr. Jasmin Herr (German Chemical Society)
    • Lunchtime Lecture Series "Biases in Academia" by Dr. Lisa Horvath
      21 October 2022: "Implicit biases in academia"
      30 November 2022: "Group biases"
      10 May 2023: "Gender biases in academia and how to reduce them" 
    • 9 September 2022: "Gender Bias in Mathematics – Research and Practice" by Dr. Tanja Hentschel (University of Amsterdam)

    Knowledge Transfer & Science Communication

    • 20 March 2025: Mathematics meets Business
    • 22 September 2023: Talk "Talking about Talking Maths in Public" by Simone Ramello
    • 14 September 2023: Mathematics Meets Business in collaboration with the IHK Nordwestfalen
    • 20 April 2022: Talk "From science to start up" by Dr. Anne Vortkamp (REACH - Euregio Start-up Center)

Do you have ideas, suggestions, and wishes for talks or workshops with a non-mathematical focus? Great! Get in touch with Imke Franzmeier or Kristina Wensing ( mm.careers@uni-muenster.de)