Munich Postdoc Night

Amplify Your Career: Self-Promotion and Networking Skills for Postdocs

September 15, 2026

Bavarian Academy of Sciences and Humanities (BAdW) at Odeonsplatz, Munich
Alfons-Goppel-Str. 11 | 80539 Munich

Target Audience:

Postdocs from all research fields who want to:

Increase the impact and reach of their research.
Build confidence in self-promotion and networking.
Navigate career transitions (academia, industry, policy, entrepreneurship).
Connect with a supportive community of peers and mentors.

Event Aim:

The event focuses on actionable strategies. It is designed to empower postdocs with the skills and strategies needed to effectively promote their research, build a strong professional network, and enhance their visibility in the academic and industry landscapes. Through expert-led sessions, hands-on exercises, and peer discussions, participants will learn how to communicate their work compellingly and create meaningful connections that open doors to collaborations, funding, and career opportunities.

Why participate?

Gain Immediate Skills: Learn practical techniques to market yourself and your research
Build Meaningful Connections: Participate in structured networking to meet peers, mentors, and potential collaborators.
Boost Your Visibility: Discover how to use social media, academic platforms, and personal branding to stand out in your field.
Build Confidence: Overcome self-promotion challenges and present your work with clarity and conviction.

"Your research deserves to be seen and heard. Join us to learn how to shine a spotlight on your work and build the connections that will propel your career forward!"

Registration:

Registration is open until 14 September 2026

Click here to register for the Munich Postdoc Night 2026

Our Program:

Munich Postdoc Night 2026 - Program 15 September 2026, 17:00-21:00 CET “Amplify Your Career: Self-Promotion and Networking Skills for Postdocs”	Time
Registration opens	16:30
Welcome by Dr. Charlotte Wendland and MPN Organisation Team	17:00
Keynote by Dr. Kai Fehse (CEO Sparks University) Topic: "Why Visibility Matters in Science"	17:15
Practical Tips Session with Dr. Dagmar Sigurdardottir (Science/Life) Topic: "Mastering Self-Marketing & Networking"	18:30
Interactive Session: "Speed Networking" Focus: Connecting with peers, and potential collaborators in a supportive environment.	19:15
Q&A and Closing: "Next Steps & Resources"	20:30

Our Speakers:

Dr. Charlotte Wendland

Dr. Charlotte Wendland is spokesperson for the Junges Kolleg. She is an Academic Councilor and Habilitation Candidate at LMU Munich, specializing in Civil Law, Private International Law, and Comparative Law under Prof. Dr. Anatol Dutta, M.Jur. (Oxford). She is a 2026 ZukunftsWissen Prize winner for her groundbreaking work in these fields and a 2023 Doctoral Prize recipient from the University of Hamburg. Since 2025, she has been a member of the Young Academy of the Bavarian Academy of Sciences and Humanities, and a Lindemann Fellowship Fellow.

Dr. Kai Fehse

Dr. Kai Fehse is the founder and Managing Director of SPARKS University of Applied Sciences in Munich. His career spans advertising, brand management, entrepreneurship and academia: he has worked as a copywriter, served as CMO of renowned brands and led an international agency group. He earned his doctorate in communication science in New York and Munich before establishing a neurocommunication research lab at the Institute of Medical Psychology at Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München. His research focuses on cognitive neuroscience and the neural mechanisms underlying communication, persuasion and decision-making. He has authored or co-authored publications on topics including advertising effectiveness, framing, emotion, brands and aesthetic perception.

Dr. Dagmar Sigurdardottir

Dr. Dagmar Sigurdardottir is an international trainer, coach and consultant, specializing in the support of young scientists. She holds a PhD degree in Immunology with research experience in Germany, Great Britain and the USA and is a certified Career Counsellor. For more than a decade, she coordinated the International PhD Program at the Max Planck Institute for Developmental Biology (now Biology), bringing the insider knowledge gained as start-up manager of a successful ecotourism company to the academic research setting. She has shared her deep understanding of work and life as a scientist, combined with her experience in and curiosity for developments in the world beyond the doors of academic and research institutions, with hundreds of young scientists to help them develop their own paths.

FAQs

Is the event in English or German?
To ensure that the Munich Postdoc Night is accessible to all postdocs, the event will be in English.

Who is part of the MPN’s Organization Committee for the Munich Postdoc Night?
The Munich Postdoc Night is jointly organized by Camila Hernández Frederick (Max Planck Institute for Biochemistry), Daria Romanovskaia (Helmholtz Munich), André Lindoerfer (Hochschule München), Corinna Haupt, Nicolas Lutz, Irmak Sah, Serena Schwenkert, Lisa Wimmer (Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München), Tiffany Paulisch, Miriam Schwägerl (Technical University of Munich), Felicitas Schmidinger and Benjamin Schönfeld (Bavarian Academy of Sciences and Humanities).

I am a postdoc, but not based in Munich. Can I participate?
If you want to come to Munich for the Munich Postdoc Night, you are welcome join as a regular attendee. Registrations are binding and we do not cover travel costs. Please note that this target group of this event are postdocs in the Munich area. Hence, the event does not fund external researchers. Emails with related queries cannot be answered.

I am currently looking for a position. Is this the right event for me?
The Munich Postdoc Night is a networking event to bring current postdocs in the Munich area together. However, it is not a recruitment event and we will not provide information on postdocs opportunities at the participating institutions.

How can I join and be involved with the Munich Postdoc Network?
The MPN consists of enthusiastic volunteers and always welcomes new members. You can register for our MPN Newsletter to stay informed about our offers and to join our events. Furthermore, you could also join the MPN Board – just reach out to us by email!

What is the Postdoc Appreciation Week?
Find out more about the Postdoc Appreciation Week on the website. There is a joint and largely open event program that postdocs can join during the third week of September (21-26 September 2026). Last year, more than 100 events on networking, career perspectives, grants etc. were offered. The program for 2026 will released mid-July on the Website and LinkedIn.