The three-day event brought together more than 250 members of the IMPRS-IS community for research presentations, interactive sessions, professional development, and celebration.
More than 250 doctoral researchers, faculty members, and guests from across the International Max Planck Research School for Intelligent Systems (IMPRS-IS) came together last week for the 2026 IMPRS-IS Boot Camp. The three-day event provided a platform for the community to exchange ideas, present research, learn new skills, and strengthen connections across the four sites of the doctoral program.
The program featured an inspiring keynote by Andreas Geiger on the future of Physical AI, more than 70 poster pitches and presentations, and 13 interactive tutorials. Across the three days, participants explored a broad range of scientific, professional, and societal topics.
Sessions addressed issues including the commercialization and societal impact of research, as well as power abuse awareness, with a dedicated session led by Andrea Kübler. The diverse program reflected the breadth of the IMPRS-IS community and provided opportunities for participants at different stages of their doctoral journeys to exchange perspectives and experiences.
Inaugural Outstanding Advisor Award A highlight of this year's Boot Camp was the presentation of the first-ever IMPRS-IS Outstanding Advisor Award, which recognizes exceptional commitment to doctoral supervision and mentorship.
The inaugural award went to Daniel Häufle.
The award was coordinated by Renate Sachse and Sara Sorce, whose work established the new recognition and helped make the award possible.
New Student Representatives The Boot Camp also saw the election of four new student representatives, representing the four sites of the IMPRS-IS doctoral program.
The newly elected representatives are Alexander Krauß, Tien Dam, Stefan Wahl, and Uros Zivanovic. They will work to represent the interests and perspectives of doctoral researchers across the program and will soon select their overall student representative.
Looking Ahead to 2027 The next IMPRS-IS Boot Camp will take place on-site at the Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems from September 22–24, 2027.
As the 2026 Boot Camp demonstrated, the annual gathering remains an important opportunity for the growing IMPRS-IS community to come together, share research and experiences, and strengthen the connections that span the program's four sites.
More information