The event was held under sunny skies in the conference rooms and the outdoor grounds of the Fraunhofer Institute for Digital Medicine MEVIS, a member institute of the U Bremen Research Alliance. This year, the reception also served as the festive conclusion of the Research Ambassadors Workshop.

Dr. Mandy Boehnke, Vice President for International Affairs, Academic Qualification, and Diversity at the University of Bremen, welcomed the approximately 80 participants. She extended a particularly warm greeting to newly arrived researchers and their families, as well as to the Research Ambassadors who were in Bremen for the multi-day workshop. The Research Ambassador Program, organized by the University’s International Office, brings together international researchers who previously worked at the University of Bremen and now act as bridge-builders between their home institutions and the research landscape in Bremen. Dr. Boehnke expressed her admiration for the genuine passion of the research community:

“This year’s Research Ambassadors Workshop has shown me that science continues to build bridges. Science brings us together regardless of nationalities. Science still fosters ties across entire continents. And so I dare to remain an optimist.”

Given the current political challenges, she also urged her colleagues to keep an open mind, counter hatred, and make a conscious effort to appreciate science as the bridge-builder that it is.

Prof. Dr. Andrea Schenk, Deputy Director of Fraunhofer MEVIS, also addressed the guests. She briefly introduced the host institute and explained that Fraunhofer MEVIS develops practical software for image and data-supported early detection, diagnosis, and therapy – a core component for the advancement of modern medicine. In her introduction, she spoke about her area of research – computer-assisted diagnostics and therapy at the Clinic for Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology at the Medizinische Hochschule Hannover (MHH Hospital) – and emphasized how much she was looking forward to discussions among the researchers present about their exciting research topics.

Her speech also highlighted the U Bremen Research Alliance (UBRA) as an inspiring network that is characterized by its “fantastic members from all over the world” – and emphatically encouraged the participants to “use UBRA to make connections.”

Loviisä Mulanie, a doctoral researcher at the Leibniz Institute for Prevention Research and Epidemiology – BIPS – provided a personal perspective. She came to Bremen from Malawi two and a half years ago and recalled how her first days in this new environment were marked by an intensive cultural shock combined with huge excitement. She emphasized the support she received from the University of Bremen’s UBRA Welcome Center. “I received a very warm welcome from the Welcome Center.” She expressed her gratitude for Thomas Neumann, her “Grandpa Thomas,” a Senior Citizen who provided extensive support and accompanied her while getting settled in Bremen.

The evening provided many opportunities for discussion. Guests engaged in lively conversations over international cuisine and drinks while making new connections and deepening existing ones. Creative activities invited participation—from designing colorful postcards to crafting personalized bracelets. The open and welcoming atmosphere was further enriched by the presence of many partners and children, lending the event a lively, family-friendly vibe.

Once again, the reception proved to be a valuable platform for international academic exchange and intercultural engagement. It created space for dialogue, networking, and getting to know new people — and demonstrated anew how important and effective the hospitality embodied by the U Bremen Research Alliance is.