Focus and Community in the Countryside: PostDoc Writing Retreat

The 2025 Writing Retreat: Focus and Community in the Countryside

The PostDoc Office and the PostDoc Writing Group invite you to the lush Styrian countryside for three days! Focus on your writing while staying sane, enjoying the community of other researchers and being/moving in nature. This event is fully funded by the PostDoc Office. There is no cost to participants. Target group are postdoctoral researchers of all disciplines, career stages and genders who are currently employed by the University of Graz on a temporary contract. The retreat will be facilitated by an expert in academic writing and productivity, and like in the three years previously, there will be a melange of focussed work, exercise and leisure. The language will be a mix of English and German.

TIME SCHEDULE: Participants take the train together to Deutschlandsberg. The retreat starts with a lunch at noon. The programme finishes on Saturday at 5pm, and participants can take the train home to Graz together.

REGISTRATION & PLANNING: There are 15 spots available, registration is on a first come first serve basis. The registration window is open between June 2 (8am) and June 27, 2025 via email to postdoc(at)uni-graz.at. If you sign up, you need to make time for the mandatory preparation meeting in early July 2025 (in-person & online). After we confirm your place, we will send you forms which you need to submit before and after the trip. The full agenda will depend on the needs of the participants, so we will request some information from you for the facilitator at a later stage. 

FOOD, ACOMMODATION, COMPANIONS, WRITING SET-UP: Three meals a day are provided (please contact JUFA directly to alert them of any specific dietary requirements!); extra coffee/drinks can be purchased at the bar. Accommodation is in (large) single-occupant rooms. If needed, you can bring a companion and/or child (children must be supervised by someone other that you; extra charges and leisure activities are to be arranged with the hostel itself, not with the PostDoc Office). The location is the JUFA Deutschlandsberg. You'll get a standard desk, chair, and plug socket, bring a pillow for more comfort!

FACILITATOR:  Dr. Gayannée Kedia is a researcher and teacher in social psychology and neuroscience at the Karl-Franzens University of Graz, Austria. She has degrees in biology and psychology and has worked for several universities in France, the UK, Germany, and Austria. Parallel to her academic activity, she works as a writing coach. She is also the founder of abrilliantmind.blog, a blog aimed at helping scientists be more productive and happier in their professional activity.