Buddy Programme

August 22, 2024

Are you joining the MPIMG/IMPRS-BAC and would like to be put in touch with someone who can help you settle in and get acquainted with your new life at the MPIMG/IMPRS-BAC and in Berlin? Or are you a member of the MPIMG/IMPRS-BAC and would like to get to know and support new colleagues in a fun and informal way? Then the Buddy Programme is for you!

Aims

The first aim of the buddy programme is to facilitate newcomers‘ start and integration at the MPIMG and the IMPRS-BAC, with a special focus on scientific life and work. The first days and weeks can be difficult for newcomers, as they have not yet established personal contacts and do not know the unwritten rules of conduct. Therefore, interested newcomers to the MPIMG/IMPRS-BAC will be assigned a welcoming buddy to assist them informally and offer guidance in getting started at the MPIMG/IMPRS-BAC and in Berlin and Germany in general. The buddy programme also aims at fostering a cohesive graduate and postdoc community beyond individual laboratories and departments by sharing useful resources and cultivating best practices for well-being.

How does the buddy programme work?

The welcoming buddy introduces new people to each other and helps to build relationships within the MPIMG and IMPRS-BAC. The welcoming buddy can also show the new person how the infrastructure works and help with other practical matters and daily life at the MPIMG/IMPRS-BAC and in Berlin in general. If questions or difficulties arise, the buddy will help to find the right person to talk to.

This is a voluntary programme. Nevertheless, the participation of both welcoming buddies and newcomers is strongly encouraged.

Duration and time commitment

There is no set time limit, but having a welcoming buddy can be especially helpful in the first weeks and months after the new person arrives (around the first 3 months). Both parties decide how often they want to meet.

Being a buddy should not be seen as a major time commitment and as such, buddies should not normally be expected to provide support in serious matters: newcomers requiring this type of support should approach the PhD coordinator or the Welcome Office.

How is the matching performed?

Ideally, the newcomer and buddy will be at a similar level (e.g., doctoral candidate/postdoc) and there will be an overlap in needs and requirements. In particular, interested new doctoral candidates/postdocs should be matched with volunteering more advanced doctoral candidates/postdocs, ideally in their second or third year and if wished from the same country of origin, to receive peer-to-peer support. There is no need for thematic overlap, as the buddy system is not intended to be a scientific collaboration.

The buddy system is intended for doctoral candidates, postdocs and researchers who spend at least 3 months at the MPIMG.

The procedure for assigning buddies is as follows: Volunteering welcoming buddies can register in advance. The PhD Coordinator will identify and approach a suitable welcoming bubby with the help of the STA and PDA. Ideally, a buddy will be assigned before the new person arrives, so that contact can be made before arriving.

Benefits for newcomers

Get to know MPIMG/IMPRS-BAC people and benefit from their advice and support
Receive useful information about their stay in Berlin even prior to arrival
Receive support when it comes to mastering everyday life at the MPIMG/IMPRS-BAC
Receive assistance when it comes to filling out paperwork

Benefits for welcoming buddies

Experience an intercultural and direct exchange with people from all around the world
Develop valuable skills (leadership and communication skills) and gain practical experience mentoring and guiding others. These skills will prove invaluable as you progress through your academic and professional journey
Have a very rewarding task
Make new friends
Receive a mentoring certificate

What to do as a welcoming buddy?

Please share (all or some of) the points below in the order you think will be most useful to the new person. Do this gradually so as not to overload the new person with information.

If possible, already contact the newcomer before arrival and offer help on arrival if needed.
Aim to schedule an appointment with the new person on the first or second day of their arrival and regularly meet with them in the first few weeks, e.g., have lunch together.
Give the new person a tour of the MPIMG (e.g., labs, office spaces, conference rooms, kitchen, different facilities).
Actively introduce the new person to others at the MPIMG.
Point to the different committees at the MPIMG: STA/PDA, work council, ...
Help with digital services if needed (explain how to apply for a holiday and find your payslip on SAP, register for a course on LMS)
Answer questions, tell newcomers what they can expect and how they can get involved with activities, tell them about the city of Berlin, what goes on.
You can give tips on how to find a flat, meet other people from the home country, …

In case of difficulties or needs that exceed your competence and knowledge, please contact imprs-bac@molgen.mpg.de.

For newcomers and welcoming buddies