Impressions of our 5th International Student Symposium 2025

For the fifth consecutive year, DoSChem students successfully organized the International Student Symposium held on September 25–26, 2025, at the Carl Auer von Welsbach Lecture Hall. Taking full responsibility for the event, they managed all aspects of planning and execution — from the selection and invitation of the keynote speaker to coordinating catering services and organizing the career afternoon with industry partners. The symposium demonstrated the commitment, organizational skills, and professionalism of our students in delivering a high-quality academic event. 

A special note of thanks goes to the team of student representatives, whose dedication and initiative were the driving force behind the event:

Vanessa Partsch and Florian Call who run the organisation

with the support of  Venet Nici (student representative deputy), Ella Duvanova (student representative deputy), Noah Ratzer, Joshua Rieger, Slavica Zdravac, Alejandra Duran Balsa, Eszter Borsos, Tobias Pointner, Amirreza Dowlatti, Miriam Preissler, Lorenz Gruenewald, Hans Georg Gallmetzer, Robert Richstein, Paul Getreuer, Christina Brenner

The opening remarks were given by the Dean Prof. Christian Becker and Head of DoSChem Prof. Ellen Backus, who warmly welcomed all participants and set the tone for an inspiring symposium.

The two-day event featured a rich and diverse program, including excellent seven student talks, four invited speaker talks, and an impressive 94 poster contributions. In addition, we have invited our program alumnae to share their experiences abroad and highlighting the impact of our New Ideas and International Exchange funding programmes. Their key message was clear: grant writing pays off.

This year we had the privilege of hosting three distinguished keynote speakers: Dr. Andrea Patriarca (Cranfield University, UK), Prof. Henrike Müller-Werkmeister (University of Potsdam, Germany), and Prof. Jakob Albert (University of Hamburg, Germany).

In addition, Prof. Doug Stephan (University of Toronto, Canada) joined us as our Organic Chemistry Seminar Speaker. Their engaging talks spanned topics from biomolecular dynamics and sustainable chemistry to the frontiers of mycotoxigenic fungi and Lewis pair chemistry. Key insights included the valorization of waste streams for sustainable chemical processes and a humorous lesson on why one apple a day does not necessarily keep the doctor away, learned from Alternaria and Penicillium fungi species.

The Career Event with Industry Partners received special attention this year, bringing together representatives from AGES, Cytiva, mzio, Vienna Textile Lab, Grünenthal and Dr. Yasmin Dolak-Struss to discuss future opportunities in industry. The session provided valuable insights into diverse career paths and real-world applications of chemical research. Despite a brief interruption due to a fire alarm, which added an unexpected twist, the discussions continued in great spirits, highlighting the strong engagement between academia and industry. 

We extend our sincere thanks to all company representatives and organizers for their time, openess, and inspiring contributions to the Career Event. 

Throughout the symposium, students enjoyed interactive activities including DoSChem Bingo, a Braille Rebus challenge, and Speed Dating. At the end of the second day, the event concluded on a delicious note with a 25-meter-long pizza — a fun and fitting finale.

We captured the highlights of the symposium in our picture gallery, along with impressions from the talks, poster sessions, and career activities. Please give credit to the photographers if you intend to use the images elsewhere: Ella Duvanova (1st day) and Miriam Preißler (2nd day).

View all pictures here. 

Your opinion matters! Please take moment to complete the symposium feedback form. 

As in previous years, we celebrated outstanding student contributions with awards. 

Congratulations to all winners and participants for their excellent presentations and inspiring scientific exchange!

download the Symposium Programme. 

Finally we would like to express our heartfelt gratitude to everyone who contributed to making this years's symposium a sucess, from speakers and organizers to volunteers, industry partners, and attendees. 

Awardees

DoSChem Student Awards:

  • Best Talk:

Kirill Zhiliaev (Javier Mateos group, Panel C)

Cationic Selenuranes – Bench-Stable Sources of Se(III) Radicals

  • Best Poster Awards:

Eszter Borsos (Doris Marko group, Panel B)

Tracing the Mycotoxin Alternariol in the Human Body Using Physiologically Based Kinetic (PBK) Modeling 

Yasmin Fareed (Christopher Gerner group, Panel B)

Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) aggravate inflammatory responses in innate immune cells 

Sebastian Hummer (Alexander Bismarck and Robert Woodward groups, Panel A)

Breaking the Bonds: A Strategy for Unzipping Crosslinked Polyethylene 

Impressions

Student Speakers

Impressions Poster Sessions

Career Event with Industry Partners