Students immersed themselves in everyday work at IDOS. In an interactive simulation, they stepped into the role of researchers and explored additional professional fields.
At this year’s Girls’ Day, we had the pleasure of welcoming eight participants to IDOS and spending a diverse and inspiring day together. The aim was to give the girls a realistic insight into the daily work at our research institute—and to actively involve them in the process. At the heart of the programme was an interactive simulation in which the participants took on the role of researchers. To begin, they got to know the institute and their new colleagues in a playful way under the guidance of Carolin Scheibel. This was followed by speed interviews—based on a speed-dating format—where they gained insights into various professional fields. In short, five-minute conversations, Katharina Schaarschmidt and Senem Berfin Kaya from communications, Birgit Sandow from administration, Carolin Scheibel from project coordination, Sarah Löpelt and Lena-Marie Putz from research, as well as trainees Jan Hendrik Feldes and Andra Steinbach, shared insights into their work. The students recorded their impressions in an organisational chart, helping them better understand the structure of the institute.
Under the guidance of Lena-Marie Putz and Sarah Löpelt, the participants then worked in teams on their own research project on the impacts of gas flaring from oil production in the Amazon region of Ecuador. Working independently in two groups, they explored both human and economic dimensions. Based on their findings, they subsequently developed their own interview guidelines.
Since a research project involves much more than just academic work, the students were also introduced to organisational and administrative processes. Using game cards—designed by Katharina Schaarschmidt—the new researchers were prompted to report to Jana Pawlak in the travel office and plan their business trip to Ecuador. Along the way, they also gained insights into human resources with Isabelle Boley, symbolically signed their own employment contracts, participated in a safety training session with Mareike Walbröl, and went through the process of an ethics review with Paula von Haaren. This highlighted how diverse and interconnected scientific work is in practice.
A particular highlight was the conducting of interviews. For this, the IDOS researchers Dr Jean Carlo Rodríguez de Francisco and Dr Andreas Stamm took on the roles of an Ecuadorian farmer and a representative of the Ecuadorian Ministry of Environment and Energy, delivering impressively realistic performances. The participants were able to demonstrate their empathy and communication skills while gaining practical experience. Afterwards, their findings were compiled and presented on a pinboard using visual materials.
In the final feedback session, it became clear how well the programme had been received: the students particularly appreciated the opportunity to work independently, the variety of activities, and the interviews—which they had initially believed to be real.
Once again, Girls’ Day at IDOS demonstrated how important it is to inspire young people at an early stage to engage with scientific and socially relevant topics. We are delighted by the participants’ strong interest, curiosity, and commitment—and hope that the day has inspired them to continue pursuing their own paths toward research, policy, and international cooperation.
Special thanks go to the wonderful Girls’ Day Team 2026—Sarah Löpelt, Lena-Marie Putz, Carolin Scheibel, Birgit Sandow, Senem Berfin Kaya, Katharina Schaarschmidt, and Lisa Stefanutti—for the careful planning and implementation, as well as to all contributors—Dr Andreas Stamm, Dr Jean Carlo Rodríguez de Francisco, Mareike Walbröl, Isabelle Boley, Jana Pawlak, Paula von Haaren, Andra Steinbach and Jan Hendrik Feldes—for their great commitment on the day.
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