Let's look back on the 27th KOKI DAYS!

The weather at the venue of our conference, Villa Park in Várgesztes, was a little cooler than last year, but last year we visited it in  September and this year we arrived on October 16.  The welcome was warm and friendly, the lines at the reception desk moved quickly, the food was plentiful and excellent, as was the service, and the houses awaited us with warm rooms. Everything was ready for a few pleasant days, which is what we had, despite and along with participating in an almost day-and-a-half-long scientific conference.

The KOKI scientific advisory board was represented solely by Professor Tibor Harkány, who, in addition to the conference, had another pending task as chairman of the international committee evaluating the institute's five years of scientific performance. It is perhaps understandable that the first three short questions were not related to the KOKI Days, but to this survey that affected us all. Unofficially, of course!

- What did the reviewers enjoy the most during the evaluation of the work of the institute's scientific groups?

- The most enjoyable part was the quality of science. It is quite rare to see an institute where differences amongst the PIs are relatively small, and the level of output even across disciplines is invariably high.

- Was there anything that is not typical elsewhere? You could say "Hungaricum" : ))

- Commitment, and the desire to discover. I am a strong believer in that the Hungarian schools of Neuroscience are strong because how students are trained for generations to appreciate and enjoy the process of discovery. Thus, curiosity leads to venturing into unconventional and unexpected fields. it is amazing to see how the 'KOKI community' is brought together by their infectious positive attitude under charismatic PIs.

- What was the general opinion of the committee?

- There is some variation across the board, but, by and large KOKI is internationally competitive. Members of the institute should be most proud of what they represent in terms of intellectual power.

- Would you like to work here?     

- This is a question for which I can only give a biased and subjective answer. Since I set foot to a lab as an undergraduate student in Hungary, KOKI was seen as the pinnacle of Hungarian neuroscience, a long mile ahead of any other institute in international standing and competitiveness. I certainly believe that KOKI remains an attractive place to work. As an outsides, I can see and appreciate the people, resources, funding, and opportunities that represent this institute.

-Thank you for your answers so far and let’s talk about the KOKI Days!
You've been here for the third time, so you can get an idea of what has changed and in what direction!

- Personally, I find it great that some continuity builds up. Instead of seeing snapshots, I can follow how projects evolve over time. Some faces remain, some change. Quite certainly, the external milieu towards research is changing quite negatively, challenges increase. But, the 'KOKI spirit' remains amazingly strong.

- What would you like to see next year?

- I would like to see some more 'internationalization', that the number of exchange students, visiting fellows, and PIs on sabbaticals increases. Every institute requires a healthy influx of knowledge and turn-over of people. KOKI is not immune to this either.

- Does the University or the department where you work have a similar event?

- Yes and no. We have similar retreats at our graduate (doctoral) schools, special research programs and national networks. Thus, our students certainly get the relevant exposure to international advisers and mentors. Or institute has its "science day" instead, in which we compress lectures and symposia so that both advanced investigators and students can present their work.

- What is the main benefit of such an event?

- To create and strengthen a team, which is inclusive and socially sensitive. Communities as large as at KOKI have a healthy level of diversity. Thus, it can take several occasions over years for members to embrace and appreciate what the KOKI days have on offer. But, there is no better place to gain their 'KOKI identity' than these days when blending science and social interactions, call it partying, can eliminate boundaries and bring people closer to one another.

After the words of Tibor Harkány, an internationally renowned professor, who has been an invited speaker at many conferences, it may be interesting to get to know the opinion of someone who participated in this event for the first time. How do they have the same opinion?

Here is the report by Noémi Csőre, a TDK student!

“Neuroscience conference". What immediately comes to mind when you hear this? Smart things. Things that cannot be understood at first glance, complex relationships that only expert minds can fully comprehend. And that's true. Partly. Because a conference is about much more than that. Of course, we read the posters, listen to the presentations, and take home ideas that we can ponder for days. This was the first KOKI conference I had the opportunity to attend. Although I didn't have my own poster, I helped prepare two posters for the lab. And I think this was the best possible outcome. Because this way, I was able to experience what a conference has to offer in a "stress-free" way. I had the opportunity to listen to every presentation, linger in front of every poster, and, like the others, ask questions. Then came the evening when all the researchers came to life. I found out who was behind the scientific results. I learned that there are excellent dancers, musicians, and athletes among them. And now that the researchers have become more human, I will be able to approach them more courageously and ask my questions. And I think that's exactly what a conference is all about: getting to know our fellow researchers in other labs and asking them all our questions. After all, there are no bad questions. Every question is worth considering, and it may even be that the question places the problem in a different perspective.

I am truly grateful to have been part of this conference, and I am already looking forward to returning next year."

Finally, let's see what KOKI Days meant to one of the final-year students of the PhD school, PhD student Boldizsár Balog, who gave a successful presentation and provided courageous and witty answers to questions!

"This was my third time participating in KOKI Days. This year, I heard a wide variety of presentations, from hormone measurement solutions to the latest two-photon microscopy and viral vector methods, from neuroendocrinology to cell electrophysiology, and even topics in systems neuroscience that I am familiar with. As a mechatronics engineer, it is always a unique experience to gain insight into the issues, methodologies, and answers of various fields of neuroscience. It was a particular pleasure to be able to give a presentation on one of our research projects this year. I was pleased with the questions and feedback I received, and surprised at how differently my colleagues/fellow researchers highlighted different aspects of the material, depending on whether they were the first or last author of their articles. 

The conference's social programs contributed significantly to the experience: the professional excitement of the daytime lectures and posters was balanced by soccer games, hiking, and sauna sessions. The only thing that could have made the pleasant weather even better would have been a communal barbecue. It was good to experience once again how sincerely interested, enthusiastic, and thoughtful my colleagues are about their own work and that of others. As usual, by midnight, even the most daring experimental ideas had emerged. 

I hope we will hear about some of them in next year's program."