Surrounded by vineyards, the retreat offered an inspiring setting to spark new collaborations. Held twice a year, the retreat is a long-standing tradition within CROSSING. This was already the penultimate retreat, making it a special opportunity to make the most of the remaining time in the CRC.

Research, resilience, and room for cultural exchange

The spring retreat kicked off with the traditional status updates from all CROSSING projects to learn about new and upcoming papers, other successes, as well as collaboration opportunities for the retreat. Beyond research discussions, the program also encouraged informal interaction: during a hands-on cooking workshop, researchers turned into culinary teams – a different kind of collaboration that made for a fantastic dinner experience.

On Tuesday, everyone was invited to give their input on speakers and program topics for the final event in May 2026. Later, two PhD students from Greece and Mauritius shared personal insights as part of an intercultural exchange session initiated by CROSSING assistant Stefanie Kettler, who organizes the retreats. The evening ended on a social note, with a fun program put together by the doctoral researchers. On Wednesday, the retreat concluded with a workshop on resilience, led by business trainer Sebastian Alefs. How can we maintain mental strength through stress, change, and times of uncertainty? A question that resonated far beyond the academic context.

Save the date for another chance to CROSS paths

The spring retreat once again demonstrated the value of in-person exchange and creative formats in interdisciplinary research. The last CROSSING retreat before the final event is planned for October 27-29, 2025. We encourage all CROSSING members to block the time.