MINGZ funded international conference participation: a report

10. April 2025

Foto: UHH/Rentschler

The MIN Graduate Center supports doctoral researchers by travel grants for conferences and research stays. The experiences on these trips are diverse and very interesting. Here is a report by Christian Rentschler who attended the 49th 'International Conference on Infrared, Millimeter and Terahertz Waves' in Perth, Western Australia:

Participating in the 'International Conference on Infrared, Millimeter and Terahertz Waves' (IRMMW-THz) 2024 was an outstanding and memorable experience during my doctoral studies, which was enabled by the MINGZ travel grant. IRMMW-THz is the oldest and largest continuous forum devoted to the field of ultra-high frequency electronics and THz technology. In 2024, it was held at the University of Western Australia in Perth.

The aim of my conference stay was first and foremost to present my recent research work on 'Terahertz-induced modulation of a narrowband laser' to the community. We developed a method that can produce highly energetic trains of ultrashort laser pulses, which are required for the generation of intense narrowband Terahertz (THz) radiation. This radiation is interesting for spectroscopic applications and a prerequisite for THz-based electron acceleration.

Although I had hoped for a larger audience, I gained valuable experience in presenting my scientific results to a specialist audience in English and received some valuable feedback. The conference was rather small this time with around 600 participants making the long journey to Down Under. However, this proved to be an advantage as well, as many renowned researchers were much more approachable than at big conferences. One day before the main sessions, there was also a special student workshop with lectures by leading investigators and professors, who have made important contributions to my field of research. I was able to use this opportunity to get in touch with some of them, which is becoming increasingly important for me in terms of future perspectives as I get closer to the end of my PhD program.
The conference organizers did a good job in facilitating informal exchange by setting up a central marquee, where the participants gathered on all five conference days for lunch, afternoon tea and the poster session. This helped me a lot with socializing and meeting new people to extend my network. The wonderful university campus right next to the Swan River invited us to take walks together during in-depth discussions. At the beginning of major international events in Western Australia, it is common to also give the floor to a representative of the Aboriginal Australians to report on the fate of their people, raise awareness for their past and present deprivations and share a bit of their culture. We even got to enjoy a live performance of traditional didgeridoo music.

 Some valuable advice for fellow doctoral researchers:

Since outreach and networking are vital parts of scientific work, which every early stage researcher has to learn, I recommend every doctoral candidate to participate in international conferences. I am grateful that the MIN Graduate Center offers financial support with an uncomplicated application process to make this possible. In my case, the travel grant covered the cost for accommodation and a part of the flights. I was not staying at a place suggested by the hosting organization, which are usually quite expensive, but found a conveniently located accommodation on my own, such that I could take one of the free CAT bus lines in Perth to get to the conference venue.
I want to thank the MINGZ office for their guidance and support and my supervisors Prof. Kärtner and Prof. Matlis for encouraging me to attend this conference. I learned a lot about the advances in the field, got some inspirations for my own research and broadened my horizon in general by experiencing a different culture in a fantastic environment.

Finally, I advise my fellow students who are going on a similar trip to be well prepared in advance, not only in terms of their own contribution, but also regarding the selection of sessions they plan to attend and of whom they want to talk to. By now, many conferences offer phone apps for making a personal schedule, but the huge number of events can still be overwhelming. A good preparation helps to make the conference even more enjoyable and to get the most out of it.