Kick-off! On July 8, the new class of the Software Campus met for the first time. Many thanks to the Forum Digital Technologies for inviting us to their facility.
Once everyone had arrived and been served snacks and drinks, our program director, Stefan Jazdejewski, welcomed the class and introduced the Software Campus team. Afterward, the 45 participants were briefed by the VDI/VDE-IT project management agency on the general and organizational details they would need for their research projects. Their projects, in which they collaborate with a research and industry partner, are funded by the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology, and Space (BMFTR) with up to €115,000 per participant. To receive this funding, each of our participants went through a multi-stage selection process, which included not only a statement of motivation but also a scientific and technical description of their research objectives, as well as a work plan, a budget, and a staffing plan.
After the coffee break, our participants—who had travelled from all over Germany—had the opportunity to get to know one another. In a workshop led by Dr Natalia Teixeira Silva, they worked together with three talented illustrators to create a short story that would present their research in a simple and entertaining way. At the end, a round of applause decided which story was deemed the most popular among the participants.
To wrap things up, we headed over to the Schleusenkrug beer garden.
We warmly welcome the new Software Campus class and wish you all the best!
©️ Anne Barth
