Five years of postdoc pizza nights: What are to know the stand-out memories?
Since September 2021, the PostDoc Office, and later the RCC, has been hosting University of Graz postdoc socials. "Pizza evening" sounds trivial, though it's anything but!
It's our start-of-the semester gathering, where thanks to generous funding by the staff and organisational development unit (within the Personalressort) we can provide high-quality Italian fare to 20 researchers, many having recently arrived in town; others happily returning.
Our personal favourite "impact story" is about three international researchers meeting each other there and then re-meeting in the labour ward, thus forming a supportive network.
It's a chance for the RCC team to really physically feel the community spirit our postdoc population blesses us with: People want to sit together and give each other space to share their latest workplace challenges or joys, and sometimes their failed funding application sadness. They don't always have advice, but they all totally get it because they're in the same situation.
There have also been plenty weird, awkward and funny moments in the 16 editions of postdoc dinners and lunches; such as: Someone was feeling adventurous and ordering pizza with Kernöl, which dripped down onto someone else‘s off-white jeans. Someone got very outraged by our ice-breaker paper which has the task: „Find a person who likes filling out university forms.“ And the general chaos caused by dining out with a large group.
But: It‘s a privilege to be doing something for so long!
It’s awkward every time, making conversation with strangers, while also eating. But to get memorable experiences, we have to sometimes delve into the uncomfortable.
The next pizza night is on March 24, the week after the Fiasco Fest! See you there? Check out all our events: Veranstaltungen - Research Careers Campus Graz
(Report: Johanna Stadlbauer, 22.10.2026)
