“Not Just Visiting the School, but Being Part of It”
11 April 2014
18 doctoral students from Asia, Europe and Latin America are currently attending Santander International Summer School in Heidelberg
Photos: Rothe
At present, outstanding young researchers from Asia, Europe and Latin America are gathering at Heidelberg University to discuss current research issues in the field of neuroeconomics, an interdisciplinary amalgamation of the neurosciences and economics. The 18 doctoral candidates are participants in and grant recipients of the Santander International Summer School “Frontiers in Neuroeconomics – How Social and Individual Context Matters for the Biological Mechanisms of Behaviour”. Until 17 April, they will explore how social and individual factors influence biological mechanisms of behaviour and human decision making together with internationally renowned researchers. Scientific directors of the summer school are Prof. Dr. Christiane Schwieren from the Alfred Weber Institute for Economics, Dr. Malte Stopsack from the Institute of Psychology and Associate Professor Dr. Knut Schnell from the Center for Psychosocial Medicine at Heidelberg University Hospital together with Dr. Santiago Sánchez Pagés from the University of Barcelona. The summer school is being held with funding from Santander Universidades.
Three participants talk about their motivation for coming to Heidelberg, their expectations towards the summer school and their first impressions of Heidelberg and its university:
Lijia Tan
Experimental Economics,
Xiamen University, China
Motivation:
"There are two reasons for attending the summer school. The first one is that I am a Ph.D. student studying experimental economics. The Santander International Summer School is closely related to this field. The second reason to come here is that I am from China and want to get in touch with students from different countries and with different backgrounds.“
Expectation:
"I hope to gather new knowledge about neuroeconomics to promote my current work back in China. And of course it would be ideal to find networking opportunities for future international collaborations in research.“
First Impressions:
"I am impressed by the good support provided by Heidelberg University. On the very first day they picked me up when I came here from the airport. The location in the old town where the summer school takes place is also very nice.“
Nikhil Masters
University of Nottingham, Great Britain
Motivation:
"My research interests are in experimental economics. I have a strong interest in the neuroscience part, neuroeconomics and biology and fusing this with my knowledge. I wanted to come somewhere where I could gain skills in that area and also meet other researchers who also want to learn those skills.“
Expectation:
"My expectations are to collaborate, to meet other researchers and to build up collaborative networks with them and also to learn skills in this specific areas.“
First Impressions:
"My impression is that this summer school is organised very well. There is a feeling of inclusion in Heidelberg. The motto of 'semper apertus' seems to be transmitted throughout the university. From the beginning, when we were greeted by the organisers, me and the other students have felt that we are not just visiting the school, but that we are part of it. That was very impressive.“
Janaína Brizante
University of São Paulo, Brazil
Motivation:
"A friend from my university’s department in Sao Paulo informed me about the summer school. I truly believe that science is made together, that we need to share thoughts and put our ideas together to see what our peers think about them. So I thought that this would be a perfect opportunity to do so. To understand how people make decisions you have to have an understanding of different fields of research. That is the main idea of this summer school and that is why I applied for it.“
Expectation:
"Exchange ideas, meet people, collaborate in the future and get in touch with teachers whom I had only known by their articles so far.“
First Impressions:
"I like Heidelberg. It’s a small but lively town. In the group we are interacting with each other really well.“
