Compiled and edited by Theresa Zugish with written testimonials from Daniela Evdokimova and Asma Kanon Hashi. Photographs courtesy of Zuzanna Bechler, Daniela Evdokimova, and Asma Kanon Hashi. Thanks to course co-organizer Alison Forrester (University of Namur) for her help coordinating and publishing this work, and thanks to all of the course organizers for their heroic effort in coordinating such an amazing and successful course!
Course structure and overview
Starting on 9 May 2026, 81 PhD students, post-doctoral researchers, and principal investigators (PIs) from 18 different countries made their way to the Anargyrios Korgialenios School on the island of Spetses, Greece. Over one week, these researchers immersed themselves in current research on membrane and lipid biology for the 20th anniversary of the Joint FEBS/EMBO Lecture Course on 'Membranes and their lipids and proteins in organelle biogenesis'. This course has been held biennially since 1985, and though the location has changed over the years, the commitment to creating an environment for junior and senior scientists to learn and laugh together has stayed the same.
This was a course that heavily emphasized participation from all attendees. On day one, everyone had to stand up and introduce themselves by name, university affiliation, and research area to the packed lecture hall. Every attendee was expected to present a lecture (senior scientist) and poster (junior scientists), with some junior scientists selected to give short talks based on their abstracts. The organizers gave the stage to young researchers at all levels of experience: first-year PhD students presented their ideas alongside experienced postdocs. The breadth of presenters made the intellectual atmosphere collaborative, and every idea was welcome. For one week, science was the only thing anyone had to think about, and that created conversations and connections that wouldn't happen anywhere else.
Numbers can’t tell the complete story of intellectual immersion, but we spent a lot of time learning from each other in both formal and informal settings. In total, we spent 25 hours listening to lectures and talks and 6 hours conversing together in poster sessions. Fun fact: we sat in the same lecture hall where Watson and Crick gave a lecture on the structure of DNA (though every time I went inside, I silently thanked Rosalind Franklin for her contributions, too). In addition to the lectures, we participated in three panel-based discussion sections addressing equality in science, sustainable practices, and career development. These sessions gave younger researchers an opportunity to listen to PIs reflect on changes that have happened during their lifetime and to share the changes they hope for.
As a female American student, it was fascinating to hear about how gender equality dominates diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives in Europe. I am not aware of any universities or scientific institutes in the States that have committed to implementing gender-based quotas on executive committees to ensure that women can participate in decision making. On the other hand, I am used to discussing how race, socioeconomic status, and sexuality should be incorporated into diversity programming, and it was really fascinating to hear about how those identities are not discussed in the same way in Europe.
First-year PhD student Asma shared her perspective on the lectures, writing, “One thing that I loved about the course was how informal and approachable everything felt. Conversations felt natural, safe, and easy-going, and discussion sessions were so friendly and engaging that they created space for everyone to join, speak up, and ask naïve questions without feeling intimidated.
"The lectures were designed in a way that presented the complete story behind each topic, making it easy even for people outside the field to follow the concepts and understand how everything connected. Although the lecture course was not completely plant-focused, I never felt lost as a plant major student. The career discussion session was extremely helpful for the participants, mostly at the beginning level as first year student, as it provided valuable insights into academic life, potential challenges, and how to plan future academic progression. Additionally, the specific discussion on women in science was another valuable aspect of the course. As a woman passionate about working in academia, I found it eye opening. It gave us a realistic picture of challenges that women face and offered thoughtful suggestions and advice on how to address them.”
Networking and social activities
To get through so much science, our day started with breakfast consisting of assorted pastries, fruit, yogurt, and coffee at 8:00 am. Our breakfasts, lunches, and most dinners were catered by staff at the school. Our first talk started at 9:00 am, and one of the organizers took it upon herself to ring an enormous handheld bell to summon us all into the lecture hall. We spent the first part of the morning listening to talks from senior scientists and concluded with short talks from junior scientists.
Lunches were intended to create connection between attendees and were either 'randomized' lunches or 'mentoring' lunches. For the randomized lunches, everyone drew a number and sat with others who had the same number. For mentoring lunches, up to 8 students signed up to eat with two PIs. In this way, students were guaranteed to have one meal with two different PIs every day. Lunch was followed by more lectures and a poster session before dinner.
Asma reflected on the uniqueness of the networking lunches, writing, “I enjoyed sharing meals with established PIs and hearing about their personal experiences. Our discussions focused not only on research but also on their career paths, challenges and personal stories. The engaging research discussions with PIs during the poster sessions and throughout the course opened potential collaboration opportunities.”
These lunches were one of the most surprising parts of the conference for me. Based on my previous experiences at cell biology meetings in the United States, I expected meal times to be more independent. As an introvert, I typically use my meal times to recharge before tackling the afternoon’s networking and talks. However, at this conference, sharing meals was an integral part of the communal experience. As it turns out, meal sharing was a very effective way to become comfortable around the other scientists. After I split a plate of apples and pears with a post-doc, I noticed that my fear of asking questions during lecture Q&As had evaporated.
For two evenings during the week, we visited restaurants in Spetses for a tutorial dinner. Tutorial dinners were similar to mentoring lunches in that groups of students signed up to eat dinner with two PIs. The first dinner was either at Patrialis or “Waters of Love”, two local seafood restaurants. The second was at Kaiki Beach Club. Both dinners featured a stunning view of the Aegean Sea at sunset, delicious food, and plenty of conversation and wine.
After the second dinner, we met up with attendees of another FEBS Advanced Course at a bar near downtown. Those attendees joined us for a Greek BBQ and end-of-conference celebration on Friday night commemorating the 20th anniversary of the course. The final dance party was quite the sight to behold. Suffice to say – if you think you know your PI, you don’t really know them until you see what they can do when a DJ starts blasting Shakira.
Halfway through the week, we had the opportunity to take a boat trip around the island with stops at the beach on the far side and at Porto Cheli on the Peloponnese. Around 50 of us put on swimsuits and braved the cloudy weather to take in the Aegean and the Greek mainland. When we arrived at the beach, the ferry captain introduced us to his dog (aptly named Captain) and allowed us to jump off the side to swim to shore. I chose to swim – when else would I have the opportunity to jump off a boat at a science conference? – and spent the rest of the afternoon shivering but satisfied. In Porto Cheli, we saw a beautiful orthodox church and got to enjoy each other’s company while taking a well-deserved brain break.
Natural scenery
In addition to the plethora of networking opportunities, our afternoons offered some time to explore the island. PhD student Daniela offered her observations of the natural beauty of Spetses from her adventures: “Spetses nature was very new to me. If you are from the North like I am, the Greek islands are worth visiting. The scent of blooming oleanders and hibiscuses greeted us upon our arrival, and I found an almond tree in the yard of the school, complete with some ripe nuts! Obviously, it's Greece, so the olive trees are everywhere by default, though I did not see any olive fruit during my time there.
"The school is located on the shore of the island, so we spent a lot of our free time near the ocean. Golden sunrises and burning sunsets, both reflected in the sea, created a charming sight both morning and evening. I took many walks along the shore, and I found at least five different shell shapes, a jellyfish in a small tidepool, the remains of cuttlefish and a sea turtle, and a lot of algae.
"It's very peaceful, and I did not notice many seabirds, though there were a few gulls and cormorants. I also encountered some chukars walking near the beach, clearly waiting for the food from the tourists. They are funny birds that prefer to run rather than fly, so if you walk on the same path with them, they will most likely run away slowly. They are pretty and make cute purring sounds, and I'm glad I had a chance to see them in the wild. While walking along the coast, I also saw a lot of cacti and other spiky plants, likely due to the hot climate. I was not always careful when exploring and a few bushes left some scrapes on my legs when I tried to find a better view.
"Before returning to Hungary, I spent some time in Athens and discovered other new findings. In the middle of a random street in the city center, I found oranges. Real ripe oranges just laying around an orange tree, with a few more were still hanging. Perhaps this would not surprise everyone, but I grew up seeing only apple and sour cherry trees, so seeing oranges grow in the city was very special. I also went to the botanical garden of Athens and discovered parrots and tortoises!”
Asma seconded Daniela’s assessment of the setting: “The venue of the lecture course, set on a coastal island in the Aegean Sea, was breathtaking. We were surrounded by pine trees and within walking distance to several beaches, which was amazing. It was an ideal place to focus on science. I felt genuinely happy to explore the natural beauty and local food in my free time.”
Takeaways
Leaving the course behind for the 'real world' was hard. After spending time building community together, it felt strange to settle back into the daily routine of university research. We made a WhatsApp chat that many of the PIs and attendees joined, and while we travelled back to our respective countries, it was swamped with photos and messages from everyone’s week. The prevailing sentiment was one of gratitude and deep appreciation for the time, memories, and ideas exchanged among the group. If I had to distill what I learned into one phrase, I would quote advice that Ineke Braakman, PI at Utrecht University, offered at the end of her lecture: “Be fearless.”
To that end, I have decided to conclude with a helpful decision tree in case any readers of this blog are wondering if they should apply for the (planned) 2028 Advanced Lecture Course:
Photographs courtesy of Zuzanna Bechler, Daniela Evdokimova, Asma Kanon Hashi, and the course organizers.