The Career Development Initiative at the Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin

The CDI is an organization run by life science master’s students, doctoral students and postdoctoral fellows who envision a change in the culture of career development in the Berlin academic community. The CDI’s goal is to create a culture that empowers students and postdocs to explore their career options. We work closely with various Berlin-based partners to provide students and academics with resources for individual, scientific, and career advancement. Through setting up programs for mentoring, education, and networking, we hope to provide the stepping stone for our peers to define and take control of their futures.

Within the CDI, I am involved in enriching the curricula of existing graduate programmes. We work closely with the International Graduate Program Medical Neurosciences to adapt the MSc and PhD curricula to meet students’ needs. The goal is to help students recognize their potential and equip them with the necessary skills to build successful careers inside and outside academia. A particular focus of our mandate relates to the changes that the scientific landscape is undergoing, including increasing awareness of the importance of open and transparent scientific practice.