On November 13 and 14, the HCC research group gathered at Villa Engler in Berlin-Dahlem for our annual Research Days. Each member had the opportunity to present their current projects and receive valuable feedback during the subsequent discussion sessions. Because researchers selected their own topics, the range of presentations was broad: some sought guidance on their overarching PhD vision and long-term research agenda, while others focused on concrete questions related to their immediate next steps.

Taking dedicated time to discuss our work in depth proved extremely valuable, both for refining individual research paths and for strengthening our shared understanding of one another’s projects across the group. As a hands-on outcome of the event, each participant formulated concrete action items derived from the discussions, giving us all clear, actionable tasks to carry forward in the coming weeks.