Initiated by the Bonn based IDOS, the third meeting of the Science Dialogue Day took place at AIA this year. The networking and exchange event for invited representatives of leadership programmes in North-Rhine-Westphalia brings together professionals in research, training and fellowship institutions. Identifying shared interests and challenges is a main purpose of this meeting format, and the collegial atmosphere has fostered dialogue about such key issues as diversity and, at the most recent meeting, impact. How can the quite diverse actors like big research institutes such as IDOS, international study programmes at NRW universities and the United Nations University, the training programme at Deutsche Welle and AIA‘s own international fellowship programme generate sustainable societal and policy impact?

The group talked about efforts to constantly improve the conditions of their programmes, to identify and invite motivated individuals with the will to change their mindset, and about the benefits of hosting diverse groups with different knowledge and experience. The meeting reaffirmed the mutual interest in joint projects that will hopefully bring NRW‘s research and training programmes even closer together.