Dr. Anne Schreiter

Nonprofit & Science Manager I Talent Development Advocate I Salon Host

Anne Schreiter is an ally and advocate for researchers, especially for those at the “bottleneck” in their careers. As Executive Director of GSO, a nonprofit based in Berlin, she and her team develop and manage innovative programs to promote leadership and independence in research, connect researchers across sectors and disciplines, and offer guidance through career development services. In her spare time, she hosts the “Salon Obskur”, a format that provides insights into the fringes of everyday life and fosters conversations beyond the familiar.

Keynote Lecture, Day 1: “So, what’s your story?” Why researchers should love to answer this question (and ask it frequently)

Research is driven by new ideas. But new ideas fall flat if you cannot develop them with others, raise funding to kick-start the project, or cannot publish the results. These challenges in your career are part of a system that is funded by mostly public, and sometimes private, sources. Doing research is not just an individual pursuit or a personal challenge – your research is woven into the fabric of a greater society. Your research, your ideas, and your career challenges are linked to society's expectations, progress, and limitations.

It is therefore not enough to be an excellent researcher and creator of great ideas. You must also communicate your research and ideas to different audiences, and at times you will have to justify them. In my talk, I will give you good reasons why you should become (more) comfortable with the best tool you have to communicate your research: Storytelling. We will discuss storytelling 

1)      as a building block for the practice of research,

2)      as a career booster,

3)      as a responsibility to society. 

Sounds like a burden? It shouldn’t be. Ideally, I will also manage to convince you that telling your story is something you will enjoy.