Fiasco Fest 2027: Workshop-party to joyfully handle rejections and career setbacks

Target groups: researchers of all career stages from all universities

Register: Training und Weiterbildung - Research Careers Campus Graz

Professional fiascos are inevitable. The question is how you handle them in the moment and how you make use of them going forward.

The Fiasco Fest is a workshop-party for researchers about handling these career misfortunes. Participants share their “fiascos” in academia, snacks and drinks are served, laughs are had, and the group celebrates each other as the excellent researchers they are.

In the course of the workshop, facilitated by psychology researcher Sabine Bergner, participants 1) share with each other points of pride and setbacks in their career so far, 2) move on to analysing and exploring together what makes one's experiences into a "fiasco", 3) after which they are provided with psychological insights and tools that help with coping with setbacks, enabling them to handle their next fiasco with care, and 4) finally there is an exercise in letting go (involving some fire!).

It is a space to engage with others at a similar career stage, no preparation required! Just bring yourselves and an open mind. The event should take ca. 2 hours with participants welcome to stay on afterwards to network with others.

Come join us for an evening of fun, nibbles, reflection and some surprises!

There will be a maximum of 20 participants, from all the universities in Graz and career stages ranging from doctoral candidates to postdoctoral researchers to those in qualification and development agreement contracts.

Facilitator: Sabine Bergner, Institut für Psychologie, Universität Graz