Group retreat
The Oslo and Helsinki nodes of the Kuijjer group met at Quality Hotel Expo in Fornebu on August 21-22 for the first joint group retreat!
- The retreat was attended by all current and two future core members, as well as former member and collaborator Daniel. We were fourteen scientists in total! Former group member and collaborator Ping-Han was also with us in spirit in the form of the latest addition to the crocheted NetZoo: CAVACHON (kindly gifted by Daniel).
- In the morning before the official start of the retreat, those of us who had already arrived at the hotel took a relaxing walk along the fjord.
- This was followed by a tasty lunch, after which the group gathered in the meeting room to kick off the retreat by establishing and discussing our collective core values.
- Important themes included honesty, trust, respect, as well as creativity, motivation, and responsibility. We discussed the overlap in meaning and the subtle differences between some of these values, as well as why certain values, such as finesse, did not end up in our top list.
- Next, Mariike presented how the group had come to life, sharing the history of the science and the people behind it, including some surprisingly unrecognizable pictures. This was followed by science sessions on network benchmarking and analysis. Coffee, softis, and popcorn energized us in the break. We ended the meetings of the first day with a brainstorming session to find ways to optimize the hybrid group setting. We learned the importance of informal connections, and found out that many of the challenges we have been facing so-far are things we can do something about!
- After dinner we gathered on the beach, where we took our new 2025 group photo.
- The second day started with a science session on new tools for network modeling, which was naturally followed by a discussion on future perspectives and strategies. Here, we also brainstormed about better ways to stay on top of developments in the field. In the final session on career development, Daniel drew parallels with between Munch's art and what is needed for a fruitful career.
- After lunch, we wrapped up the meeting with some action points, as well as a short discussion on opportunities of being part of a larger, hybrid group. Then, it was time to say goodbye, with the Helsinki team traveling back together.