This years’s Mental Health Awareness Days will take place from December 2 to 4! This series of events is jointly organized by the universities of Halle, Jena, and Leipzig, in cooperation with the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research and the German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research. Most of the workshops will be held in English.
The aim of the Mental Health Awareness Days is to inform and raise awareness among researchers at our universities and research institutions about how to cope with demanding situations and conflicts during their research activities. Particular attention is given to strengthening the mental health of doctoral candidates and postdoctoral researchers, highlighting strategies for stress management in both personal and professional life, and contributing to overall well-being.
For example, on Wednesday, December 3, from 9:30 am to 12:00 pm, the online workshop Leading up: Navigating challenging leadership-dynamics and promoting psychological empowerment with Fried Christopher Wilsker will take place. Participants will learn how leadership dynamics in academia affect mental wellbeing and what (early-career) researchers can do to respond with resilience and upward influence. Participants will reflect on power dynamics, psychological empowerment, and their own strategies for coping and self-care. Personal and collective resources are activated and initial concrete steps for implementation in everyday academic life are developed.
Registration is required to participate in the workshops. Registration for all events of the Mental Health Awareness Days will be open from October 21, 2025, at 9:00 am via the University of Leipzig’s website. Further information, links to individual workshops, and the complete program can be found here: Mental Health Awareness Days.
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