Participants will experiment with collage, handwriting, drawing, cuttings and painting to create their own health story zine. They will creatively reflect on their understanding and experiences of health and combine visual, written and artistic elements to develop a personal narrative.

The workshop also offers an opportunity to explore the potential of zines as tools for learning, research, self-expression and communicating diverse perspectives.

The workshop is led by Prof. Dr. Melanie Böckmann, a Global Health researcher at the University of Bremen who explores how health is shaped by social, environmental and cultural contexts. With her interdisciplinary background and focus on diverse perspectives she invites participants to explore their own health stories creatively and discover zines as a powerful tool for reflection, expression and storytelling.

October 27, 2026 • 11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m • Room: Sportturm (SpT) C3140

Further information and registration details can be found on Virtual Campus.

Are you a researcher or research manager leading a research group and interested in developing your full leadership potential? Are you new to leadership in a research environment and perhaps unsure about your approach? If you are willing to broaden your horizon and exchange practices with colleagues in a similar role across YUFE universities, this is a unique opportunity to make the most of your leadership potential, to reflect on your approach to leading research projects, to learn about different cultural approaches and to expand your skillset.

What is YUFE offering for staff members?

The YUFE Alliance is based on the joint vision of ten young research-intensive universities and two non-academic partners in order to contribute to a more competitive, innovative and united Europe addressing European and global challenges.

The YUFE Alliance strives to support and develop all staff members with regard to their knowledge, skills and talents. Therefore, YUFE develops a variety of programmes aiming at different staff groups. The Research Leadership Programme is one of those.

What is the Research Leadership Programme?

YUFE universities are driven by research, but managing a team of researchers is a challenging job. Good leadership is a key ingredient for the success and wellbeing of the team. At YUFE, we believe that good leadership qualities are founded in self-reflection and agency. We encourage staff members to be curious about learning and to continue to improve their own skills. This Research Leadership Programme brings together researchers and research managers who are in charge of managing a research team and who want to go on a journey of leadership discovery together with YUFE colleagues. We especially encourage those research group leaders to apply who are relatively new in this role. 

This programme takes place between February and April 2027. There will be two online sessions, self-study material, and a two-day on-site training activity at the YUFE Central Office in Brussels (travelling required). Participants are strongly recommended to network in between the sessions and after the programme. There are two places per university available. 

Intended learning outcomes:

• Develop an awareness of how leadership theory could be applied in practice when leading a research team
• Identify approaches to effectively leading a research team
• Identify approaches in promoting clear team communication and effective performance within a research team
• Evaluate the effectiveness of your approach to leading a research team
• Develop an appropriate support network to be an effective research team leader
• Understand the team leader’s influence in promoting Equality, Diversity and Inclusion within a research team.

The programme content

How to apply

There are two places available for each YUFE university. Your own university selects those two participants. Selected participants will be informed about the decision on 11 January 2027. To apply, you have to take two steps:

1. Apply for the programme via the YUFE Virtual Campus: https://virtualcampus.yufe.eu/p/programme/76561193665938887

• You need to create a user account in the Virtual Campus, if you do not already have one. Once you have created an account, you can apply. If you face technical problems, please contact Jana Sievers.

2. Submit a short motivation statement to your university’s contact person. The statement should include:
   • Your name, department/faculty, and position
   • What is your experience with leading a research team?
   • In what way do you believe you could benefit from this programme?

Application deadline: 11 December 2026

Jaro: Anyone studying at one of the participating universities can also take advantage of offerings from the others. This could include, for example, language courses, classes in various subjects, opportunities for volunteer work, or entrepreneurship programs where you develop business ideas together with other students. Some of the programs are virtual, some are in-person, and some combine both. This way, everyone can gain international experience, whether it’s from their own room or during a semester abroad.

Rena: It’s also good to know that the opportunities are free for students. And if you want to spend a semester abroad with YUFE, you can study at one of the partner universities through a YUFE Minors. The YUFE Minors are 30-credit-point programs linked to various topics, such as sustainability, innovation, and inclusion.

What are your responsibilities as student representatives?

Rena: YUFE is all about the involved universities networking – and this doesn’t just mean researchers and staff from technical and administrative fields, but students as well. The YUFE Student Forum consists of three students from each university. We represent the students’ perspective within YUFE and meet online once a month and in person twice a year at the respective universities. We also contribute to the various areas of the alliance. I am the Student Forum’s vice president and work in the area of engagement. This involves thinking about how YUFE students can network better and how even more students can find out about YUFE. For example, we’ve introduced a virtual café where people can get to know each other better.

Kübra: That’s also an important topic in the Communication Task Force, of which I’m a member. I’m also active in BioYUFE – an association of researchers from the YUFE universities in the fields of biology and the life sciences. They also offer courses for students, and I bring the student perspective to the planning process. I’m studying biology myself, so I can easily combine this with my degree.

Jaro: I work in the area of entrepreneurship. YUFE has several initiatives, such as the YUFE Challenge Teams, where students can collaborate to develop entrepreneurial ideas. We’re currently working on expanding our connections with local companies and other organizations.

What motivated you to get involved with YUFE alongside your degree?

Kübra: I especially love the interaction with other students. At our meetings, I gain so many new insights into other countries and universities, through contact with students from all over Europe and a wide variety of disciplines. It’s also great that physical meetings aren’t strictly necessary – as demonstrated by our new Virtual Café format, where you can easily connect with other YUFE students digitally.

Rena: I strongly support the values that YUFE stands for – that education should be inclusive and open to as many people as possible, and that universities should be closely connected to their local communities, for example through programs for lifelong learning or social engagement.

Jaro: The universities in the YUFE Alliance are all relatively young. I think you can feel that in the collaboration. These are institutions that are open to change, where you can make a difference.

What specific steps do you need to take if you’re a student who wants to take advantage of what YUFE has to offer?

Rena: All students enrolled at one of the partner universities who have a good command of English can take advantage of YUFE’s offerings. It doesn’t depend on your grades or previous international experience. For the YUFE Virtual Campus, you can simply register with a certificate of enrollment and proof of English proficiency, such as your high school diploma. Then you just need to take a few onboarding courses on topics like equity, diversity, and inclusivity, as well as the YUFE Code of Conduct. After that, you’ll be officially accepted and can start taking advantage of all the programs. There’s also an official virtual welcome event.

Kübra: By the way, you can also get credit points for many things, such as courses or language classes, toward your own degree program. For this, it makes sense to speak with the respective program coordinators.

Weitere Informationen

YUFE Student Forum

Article is by Iria Sorge-Röder / Anja Rademacher (up2date)

Read this article on the up2date website.