PhD seminar 2026 - 2nd (Chem)₂forum
The entire seminar will be held in english to include all our international PhD students. Therefore, all information will be handed out in english only. If you have any questions, just ask us.
(Chem)₂forum – Connecting Chemists in Chemnitz
The (Chem)₂forum is an exclusive annual event designed for PhD and Master students working on chemistry-related topics at TU Chemnitz. This year we also invite the other saxonian JCFs and their PhD students. It offers a unique opportunity to present your research, whether through a talk, a poster, or simply by attending it as a listener. With the full support and approval of the professors (of the TUCs Institute of Chemistry), the forum encourages interdisciplinary networking across various departments, promoting collaboration and knowledge exchange. It’s a great platform to discover new measurement techniques, forge exciting new local partnerships, and expand your scientific network, all in an engaging, peer-driven environment - without the presence of supervisors.
To see the list of talks and posters from last years (Chem)₂forum, just click here.
To participate in this years PhD seminar at 04th of June 2026, you need to register at this google form first. Registration is open until 15th of April 2026. After this we will decide about the sessions and who will present a talk or a poster (including a poster pitch). You will be informed about your placement until 29th of April 2026. To be able to organize this forum, we also need listeners, who do not want to present something, to register as well so we get an estimation of the attendence numbers.
Who is allowed to participate?
All PhD student who have topics related to chemistry (For TUC this includes: the Institute of Chemistry, the Institute of Physics, the ZfM, MAIN, MERGE and the ENAS). Any other PhD students from other universities in saxony are also encouraged to participate. Also undergraduates doing their master thesis are invited to join with a talk/poster. If you are not sure you can join, just apply. Our comittee will notify you.
All other students (Bachelor, beginning of Master) may register as listeners.
We do not allow PostDocs or Professors to participate.
Which topic am I allowed to talk about?
We intend this forum to inform other PhDs about your research. So we'd like to have you talk about yor PhD topic (or Master thesis). Any and all contributions related to the field of chemistry are welcome. The programme committee will make the final determination regarding the suitability of each contribution.
What will my professor say, if I come to you instead of working?
This forum has been discussed with the professors (of the institute of chemistry at TUC) last year and was supported and approved by them. To make sure you don't get any problems, please ask your supervisors in advance.
How much does it cost?
The answer is straightforward: Since we are staying at TUC, the rooms are provided free of charge, and snacks and drinks will be covered by JCF. Therefore, the only expense you will have is your lunch, which can be purchased from the cafeteria or local food vendors. If you come from other universities, you also need to pay your travel to Chemnitz.
| Position | Person | Description |
| General Chair |
Martin |
Serves as the primary figurehead, overseeing sub-committees and ensuring fairness across all processes. |
| Programme Chair | Anna | Responsible for organizing programme sessions and managing the event schedule. |
| Publicity Chair | Aleksandra | Leads the promotion of the forum, manages social media content, and oversees post-event impressions. |
| Finance Chair | Aleksandra | Manages the budget, monitors expenses, and ensures financial oversight. |
Questions may be asked using our mail adress ( chemnitz@…). We will add information missing and provide it in this FAQ section as well.
| Q: | Do we get food and drinks? |
| A: | During the talks we offer free drinks and during the poster sessions we will provide some snacks. For lunch, you can go to the mensa at the Straße der Nationen 62 or visit some other local food stands around the university. |
| Q: | Do I need to print a new poster? |
| A: | No. You can 'recycle' older posters of your topic, even from other conferences etc. We like to point out that Chemnitz students can print posters at the physics department, Research Group on the Theory of Disordered Systems pretty cheap. This is NOT the Printservice, they have shut down in 2025. 'Currently the price of an A0 printout on standard coated paper is 12 EUR (and on glossy/semi glossy paper 20 EUR.)' - 10/10/24 |
| Q: | Where will this forum happen? |
| A: |
We did it! This year we use the Altes Heizhaus (A15.001). The adress is Straße der Nationen 62, 09111 Chemnitz. You can easily get here via train to Chemnitz Hauptbahnhof and take a short 2 minute walk to the "Veranstaltungszentrum Altes Heizhaus". (Google Maps) |
| Q: | How long is a talk? |
| A: | A talk slot is 15 minutes, consisting of 10 minutes talk and 5 minutes time for questions. |
| Q: | What is a poster pitch? |
| A: | At the poster pitch you can present your poster with 1(!) slide in 1 minute. These pitch talks will happen shortly before the according poster session. |
| Q: | When can I put up my poster? |
| A: | At 04th of June, from 8 a.m. to 9 a.m. or during the breaks. Please make sure your poster is put up before the session starts. |
| Q: | Do you provide a laptop etc.? |
| A: | Yes. To ensure a smooth transition between the talks, a Laptop with wireless presenter will be provided by JCF. All you need to bring is your talk on a USB drive in either .pptx (Powerpoint, preferrable option) or .pdf format. Alternatively, you can send us your talk via EMail in advance. |
