What experience did you have during the online summer semester that might affect the winter semester?
Friederike Schlüter, Chemistry Ph.D. student in Research Group Ravoo
"At the beginning of the Corona Pandemic we were not allowed to work in our laboratories. During that time I analysed data, wrote my doctoral thesis and read lots of publications at home. We held our weekly research group meeting online, making it possible to stay in touch with our professor and colleagues.
As a chemist, I rely on being able to work in the lab and was happy that we were able to start working again, in shifts with masks and social-distancing, after four weeks. The number of workers allowed in in the labs was drastically reduced and was only slowly increased over time, where capacity and space allowed. Shifts were handed out – some colleagues worked after others had gone home. In the meantime we were eventually able to hold our group seminar in the large seminar room and, through some reorganization of our labs, offer lab training again.
Unfortunately, I have the feeling that the exchange of ideas so necessary for research was hampered by the pandemic. Less personal contact means less professional discussion – I'd like to see more of this again in the future."