IDEA Seminar

The IDEA (Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Awareness) seminar series is an initiative of the Equity and Diversity Working Group.

With this seminar and discussion series we will host MPG internal and external guests to speak about topics relating to equal opportunity and diversity, within the postdoctoral community and beyond.

Upcoming Seminars: 

Gender Equality@Max Planck

Gender Equality@Max Planck

IDEA Seminar
DATE: Apr 22, 2024
TIME: 11:00  - 12:00 AM (Local Time Germany)
HOST: Equity and Diversity Working Group
CONTACT: equalitydiversity@postdocnet.mpg.de

What is the status of gender equality at Max Planck? What are the biggest obstacles to equal participation of all genders and where are the greatest inequalities? What is the research organization doing to make progress and what should be done additionally? How do gender and diversity goals and measures interact? And what are the tasks and role of gender equality officers?
No events

Still a stigma? Social background and careers in academia

IDEA Seminar
A person's social background has a profound impact on their career prospects—especially in academia. Students from non-academic backgrounds face tougher challenges when they try to build a career at university. They often feel “stuck-in-between” their families, who do not understand their wish to continue on a path of financial insecurity and the university sphere that has many invisible rules and often feels unwelcoming. I will also talk about these challenges as well as the ways our non-profit organisation "Erste Generation Promotion"/ "First Generation Doctorates" advocates for more equity in higher education. [more]

Causality for ethical ML: Promises, challenges & open questions

IDEA Seminar
In this talk I will give an overview of the role of causality in ethical ML, and in particular, in fair and explainable ML. In particular, I will first detail how to use causal reasoning to study fairness and interpretability problems in algorithmic decision making, stressing the main limitations that we encounter when aiming to address these problems in practice. Then, I will introduce some technical solution to address these limitations in realistic scenarios where the causal knowledge is only limited. [more]

Hierarchies. The Max Planck Society in Gender Trouble

"Coded Bias" Film Screening and Discussion

IDEA Seminar
The film will be available to watch freely the last week November, and then we will meet for a panel discussion featuring several researchers currently working in the area of algorithm development. [more]

ASTROMOVES: Astrophysics, Diversity, Mobility

IDEA Seminar
  • Date: Oct 12, 2022
  • Time: 12:00 PM - 01:00 PM (Local Time Germany)
  • Speaker: Dr. Jarita Holbrook
  • Host: Equity and Diversity Working Group
  • Contact: equalitydiversity@postdocnet.mpg.de

PREVAIL Meeting/IDEA Seminar - Family leave, parenting, law and practices

PREVAIL Meeting
  • Date: Sep 21, 2022
  • Time: 12:00 PM - 01:00 PM (Local Time Germany)
  • Speaker: Susanna Münich-Rieger and Dr. Alice Margaria
  • Host: Steering Group
  • Contact: steering@postdocnet.mpg.de
This meeting will be a talk followed by an interactive discussion panel. We will look at an overview of the legal regulations on maternity protection and parental leave in Germany, and following this have time for questions and discussion. [more]

Compatibility & Work-Life Balance in the Scientific Context

IDEA Seminar
  • Date: Aug 31, 2022
  • Time: 12:00 PM - 01:00 PM (Local Time Germany)
  • Speaker: Prof. Dr. Daniela Elsner
  • https://www.daniela-elsner.com/
  • Host: Equity and Diversity Working Group
  • Contact: equalitydiversity@postdocnet.mpg.de

Microagressions in Research Spaces

IDEA Seminar
  • Date: Aug 10, 2022
  • Time: 12:00 PM - 01:00 PM (Local Time Germany)
  • Speaker: Dr. Sonya Faber & Prof. Dr. Monnica Williams
  • Host: Equity and Diversity Working Group
  • Contact: equalitydiversity@postdocnet.mpg.de

Introducing MPQueer, the queer network of the Max Planck Society

IDEA Seminar
  • Date: Jul 13, 2022
  • Time: 12:00 PM - 01:00 PM (Local Time Germany)
  • Speaker: MPQueer Steering Committee
  • Host: Equity and Diversity Working Group
  • Contact: equalitydiversity@postdocnet.mpg.de

Unconscious bias in academia

IDEA Seminar
  • Date: Sep 8, 2021
  • Time: 12:00 PM - 01:00 PM (Local Time Germany)
  • Speaker: Kimberly Mason
  • Equal opportunity officer, NeuroCure/Charité Berlin
  • Host: Equity and Diversity Working Group
  • Contact: equalitydiversity@postdocnet.mpg.de
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