Hohenheim NextGen Scientists Symposium

16-18 November 2026, University of Hohenheim, Stuttgart, Germany

The Hohenheim NextGen Scientists Symposium provides early-career researchers with the opportunity to discuss their research ideas with leading experts from the University of Hohenheim and to explore Hohenheim as a potential destination for their future research and career.

The University of Hohenheim is internationally recognized as one of Europe’s leading centers for agricultural research and food sciences, while also being highly distinctive in the natural, economic, social, and communication sciences. This unique profile enables our researchers to focus on understanding complex interactions in a changing environment and on developing innovative solutions to pressing societal challenges such as climate change, biodiversity loss, and sustainable resource use.

With its compact, green campus and strong research infrastructure, the University of Hohenheim offers an inspiring, interdisciplinary environment for its research community. We are particularly committed to supporting the next generation of leading researchers and providing them with the best conditions to grow, explore new directions, and shape the future of science and society.

With the Hohenheim NextGen Scientists Symposium we invite outstanding early career researchers (up to four years after PhD completion) to discover the University of Hohenheim as a potential place to develop their next research steps and to advance their careers. Chaired by experts in the field, the event provides a forum for presenting current research ideas in the following areas and for exploring potential collaborations:

  • Microbiome Research in Livestock and Agri-Food Systems
    Chairs: Prof. Dr. Amélia Camarinha Silva and Prof. Dr. Jana Seifert
  • Diversity and Resilience Across Scales in Natural and Agro-Ecosystems
    Chairs: Prof. Dr. Karl Schmid and Prof. Dr. Andreas Schweiger
  • Data-Driven Transformation of Sustainable Agri-Food Systems
    Chairs: Prof. Dr. Thomas Dimpfl and Prof. Dr. Christine Wieck
  • Food, Nutrition & Health
    Chairs: Prof. Dr. Mario Jekle and Prof. Dr. Barbara Lieder

What do we offer?

  • An opportunity to present and discuss your research and future plans with experts and potential mentors at the University of Hohenheim
  • Networking and exchanging ideas with researchers from different disciplines and career stages
  • Explore the university’s environment, infrastructure and support services
  • Get information on developing and establishing pathways to individual research projects and junior research groups at our university
  • Receive personalized advice on funding opportunities (e.g. DFG Emmy Noether Programme, ERC Starting Grant)

Accommodation costs during the symposium will be covered for selected participants. In exceptional cases, travel costs can also be covered.

Program

Program Hohenheim NextGen Scientists Symposium (PDF)
 

16 November 2026

09:00–09:10Welcome address by the Vice President for Research, Early Career Researchers, and
Transfer
09:10–10:00The University of Hohenheim: An introduction by its three faculties
10:00–10:30Developing your career at Hohenheim: Introduction on research funding
10:30Break, followed by poster presentation
10:30–11:45Poster presentation: Hohenheim projects, structures and services
11:45–13:00Lunch break
13:00–15:30

Session on “Microbiome Research in Livestock and Agri-Food Systems”
(chaired by Amélia Camarinha Silva and Jana Seifert)

  • Nurdianti, Risma Rizkia: In vitro rumen fermentation and protein degradation: Roles of different microbial groups from different tropical forage mixtures
  • Shoaib, Muhammad: From Resistome to Mobilome: Genomic Insights into Antimicrobial Resistance in Livestock and Agri-Food Systems
  • Widenmann, Anna: Carbohydrate Metabolism and Microbial Niche Adaptation in Bovine-Derived Bifidobacteria and Lactobacilli
  • Wójcicki, Michał: From farm to food and gut: Phages as precision tools for microbiome engineering and pathogen control
15:30–16:00 Break
16:00–18:30

Session on “Diversity and Resilience Across Scales in Natural and Agro-Ecosystems”
(chaired by Karl Schmid and Andreas Schweiger)

  • Gerullis, Maria Katharina: Economics of Diversity: Ideas for the Governance for Multi-Scale Crop Genetic Resource Systems
  • Haleem, Ata Ul: From Genome to Field to the Researcher's Desk: Pangenomes and Machine Learning Approaches for Polyploid Crop Adaptation
  • Power, Candice: How local environments shape woody plant responses: From Arctic shrubs to agrivoltaic orchards
  • Tikka, Aapo: From Forest Structure to Biodiversity: Identifying Key Variables for Forest Ecosystem Modelling
from 18:45 Evening reception and networking
 

 17 November 2026

08:30–11:00

Session on “Food, Nutrition & Health”
(chaired by Mario Jekle and Barbara Lieder)

  • Daniloski, Davor: From genetic variants to particle packing: Understanding structure-function relationships in dairy systems
  • Graf, Britta: Novel microwave-assisted extrusion for structuring protein-based foods 
  • Moghadam, Maryam: Beyond Protein Nutrition: Exploring alternative protein sources and their potential in functional food design
  • Rugji, Jerina: Unlocking Whey Protein Phospholipid Concentrate (WPPC) for Next-Generation Probiotic Yogurt
11:00–11:15Break
11:15–12:45

Infrastructure tours

11:30 a.m. to 12:45 p.m.: Phytotechnikum
or
11:15 a.m to 12:45 p.m.: Dietetics Laboratory and Technikum

12:45–14:00Lunch break
14:00–15:30

Infrastructure tours

2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.: HolMir
or
2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.: CFH

15:45–17:00Research Funding Café at the InnoGreenHouse (Fruwirthstraße 24, 70599 Stuttgart)
19:30Dinner

18 November 2026

09:00–10:45

Session on “Data-Driven Transformation of Sustainable Agri-Food Systems”
(chaired by Thomas Dimpfl and Christine Wieck)

  • Khanyile, Sthandiwe Nomthandazo: From microbial ecology to prediction: integrating microbiome, environmental and phenotypic data for sustainable pest management in African food systems
  • Maleki, Reza: Towards Globally Generalizable Cropland Mapping Through Spatiotemporal Representation Learning
  • Mantey, Vida: Governance of sustainable agricultural transitions: Power, inclusion and innovation in smallholder agri-food systems
10:45–11:15Break
11:15–12:15

Session on “Data-Driven Transformation of Sustainable Agri-Food Systems”
(chaired by Thomas Dimpfl and Christine Wieck)

  • Mbah, Jasper: Prediction of Energy Consumption During Soil Cultivation Based on Scanning Methods (hybrid)
  • Oloyede Waliyat Olaide: Unlocking Underutilized Crop Value Chains for Food and Nutrition Security in Mpumalanga, South Africa
12:15–13:15Lunch break
13:15–14:30

Session on “Data-Driven Transformation of Sustainable Agri-Food Systems”
(chaired by Thomas Dimpfl and Christine Wieck)

  • Reich, Charlotte: Levers for Sustainable Diets and Food Systems: Experimental Evidence and a Future Research Program
  • Rangel-Guevara, Andrea: Awareness and Acceptability of Sustainable Policies for Agricultural Transformation, a One-Welfare Approach
14:30–15:00Wrap-up and Farewell

Contact

Dr. Xenja Herren
Research Officer for Collaborative Research
Research and Transfer Services Department (AF)
Excellence and Research Strategy (AF 4)
Email