In 2017, MSc GCE students felt an absence of a centralized hub through which the GCE family could stay connected. This inspired students to propose beginning an alumni association. Through the support of GCE coordination, students, and many others, Friends of GCE, or FroG, was established. The primary motivation of FroG is to serve as a centralized networking platform through which the GCE family can stay connected, especially considering the international nature of current students, alumni, associates of the study program and the program itself!

According to two current FroG representatives, formally certifying FroG was an unexpectedly long process involving paperwork and legal guidance. The statues of the organization had to be outlined in advance as well as a clear statement of the requirements and roles of FroG. In 2018, the effort paid off and FroG was officially certified as an organization. Immediately outreach initiatives were planned as was drafting membership options for the GCE family’s involvement.

Board Elections

In November 2020, FroG hosted its annual members meeting during which new board members were elected. All positions were open for re-election including chair, vice-chair, secretary, and treasurer. In 2021, this new leadership team, among other things, aims to host online “fireside” networking events to connect alumni and students, work with the coordination to further advance email and LinkedIn pages for GCE alumni, continue to support the Klimawald Bayreuth initiative, and, depending on the situation with Corona, host an excellent conference at the Summer Fete.

Other long term  goals of FroG include serving as a liaison between the GCE Student Board and alumni in order to connect current and past students. This would support another of FroG’s long-term goals, which is to include mentorship programs within the GCE family, host a FroG conference for members to present their work and exchange ideas, and to build financial support for hosting additional programs.

If you are interested in learning more or getting involved with FroG, please check out their website here (http://www.bayceer.uni-bayreuth.de/friends-of-gce/) or contact them at friends-of-gce@uni-bayreuth.de.

Thank you to FroG representative Kiely Doherty for their support in writing this article!

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The current Summer Semester 2020 has been a peculiar semester for everyone in the academic community. An important time for learning, being comprehensive and active, at the same as being responsible about the global pandemic. Adaptation was required as our lives switched from having the fulltime campus way of life to teaching and learning from our households. Like the education process, the way of interaction between our colleagues had to change – and so did our plans, as the annual GCE Summerfête was cancelled for the first time.

As the scenario regarding the containment of covid-19 spread improves in Germany, social gatherings became possible and the first GCE Get Together event of the year came to fruition: The GCE Hike 2020! The starting point was the Bayreuth Hauptbahnhof, where all of us met and we had the chance to do some catching up before the beginning of our journey. Joined by GCE students from years 2017, 2018 and 2019 along the GCE coordination, we were a group of fifteen people. We followed a path of approximately 7 km, walking through the Bayreuther forest by the Grüner Hügel towards a Biergarten in Bindlach. It was a nice hike on a beautiful day!

Besides being a gathering for the GCE community, it was also a moment when we could cherish and honour the presence of GCE coordinator Anja Jaeschke, who is now leaving the Universität Bayreuth. Anja came to the Uni Bayreuth in 2009 for her PhD, and following that, in 2013, she started teaching modules for the Global Change Ecology Master Program. Some of the courses she was responsible for are “Spatial Ecology”, “Concepts in Biogeographical Modelling”, “Academic Working Methods and Skills” and the “Global Change Ecology Overview” module. She has been doing a great job as part of the coordination alongside Stephanie Thomas since 2015, but now she heads to a new and exciting phase of her life to work at the Bayerisches Landesamt für Umwelt (Bavarian Environment Agency) in Augsburg.

There is nothing like being around your favourite people, and this GCE gathering was very much in demand! We could enjoy each other’s presence after being apart for around four months of online courses, and appreciate the day and nature. While some of us are already free of lectures, others still have courses, assignments and exams, and this day of togetherness offered a much-needed day of stress-relief and connection. All in all, one thing is for sure: We stay emotional as Anja departs from the Uni Bayreuth and the GCE coordination, but we are all excited and wishing her all the best in this new moment of her life!

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28.04.2019 – 04.05.2019, Paris (France): 36 GCE students participated in the seventh plenary session of IPBES as “observers”.
For more information click here

22.06.2019, Regensburg (Germany): GCE sent a football team to the “EliteCup” 2019.

29.06.2019, Bayreuth (Germany): The traditional GCE Summerfête took place in the Ecological-Botanical Garden of the University of Bayreuth.
For more information click here

14.10.2019, Bayreuth (Germany): GCE students from the previous years welcomed the new “GCE 2019″ students generation during the GCE Welcome Meeting. 29 new students were expected to start the master´s course in the winter term 2019/20.
For more information click here

25.10.2019 – 27.10.2019, Wallenfels (Germany): GCE students from different years spent a weekend together to get to know each other better.

09.11.2019, Munich (Germany): A group of the new GCE 2019 students travelled to Munich and took part in the “Get Together” of the Elite Network of Bavaria.

09.12.2019, Munich (Germany): 21 “old” GCE students were part of the graduation ceremony of the Elite Network of Bavaria.
For more information click here

13.12.2019 – 14.12.2019, Bayreuth (Germany): The training workshop “Global Diversity” was conducted. The voluntary workshop was organised for 30 GCE students.
For more information click here

We wish everyone a happy new year and look forward to the future together!

The post 2019 – The GCE Year in Review appeared first on Global Change Ecology.

At the beginning, the GCE student board 2019 is welcoming the guests.

The guests are comprising lecturers, alumni, the latest generations of students, friends and offspring of GCE.

Before the buffet is opened, the programme continues with speeches of the lecturers.

Also “Friends of Global Change Ecology e.V.”, an association for current students, alumni and associates of the study program GCE, is presented.

Subsequently, an entertaining game is played in which, this time, the lecturers have to find the answers …

… which leads to a lot of fun.

With the help of a self-timer …

… a group photo is taken.

Then, the rich buffet with dishes from all over the world is opened …

… and the important people responsible for the barbecue have a lot to do.

People are coming together and are having a lot of cheerful and interesting conversations.

“PowerPoint Karaoke” (a PowerPoint slide is randomly shown and voluntary students have to give a spontaneous presentation about the topic) is played …

… and photos on a given topic are taken.

With further games, conversations and dances, the GCE Summerfête 2019 continues into the night, accompanied by fireflies.
After that wonderful GCE Summerfête, everyone is looking forward to the GCE Summerfête 2020 when the GCE family will have grown again …

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Friends of Global Change Ecology e.V.

One highlight of the evening was the announcement of the foundation of “Friends of Global Change Ecology e.V.”. The association aims to connect alumni and current students more closely, providing internship and job opportunities for students and an overall closeness of the “GCE family”. Another objective is to provide financial help for students, who cannot afford to come to Germany and study GCE. Everyone interested in GCE can become a member, supporting the Friends of Global Change Ecology with a small annual membership fee (10€ for current students, 25€ for everyone else).

Find out more: http://www.bayceer.uni-bayreuth.de/friends-of-gce/

PowerPoint Karaoke

After the international barbecue, it was time for some games. As giving presentations is second nature to GCE students, the student board decided to play PowerPoint Karaoke. Students, who volunteered to participate got random talks about random topics and had to give a spontaneous presentation. Whether talking about the importance of commas, the breeding of sheep (cuteness is the key!) or the fashion of the 1960s – it was a lot of fun to listen to the presenters struggling with unknown topics. But their struggle was rewarded: All participants had the chance to win carnivorous plants.

When the sun was setting, the band was playing and a lot of people danced into the night. Some were watching a football match of the World Cup, others had another beer and a nice chat, others wandered to the buffet again to sneak another piece of tasty food. Everyone had a good time. This wonderful evening would not have been possible without the incredible organisation of the GCE students board and the GCE students of 2017/2018 – thank you so much for organizing such a great party! And we are all looking forward to another beautiful summer’s day in the Ecological Botanical Garden next year…

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