April 23, 2026 @ 15:00 – 15:30 CEST
Academic environments thrive on the exchange of ideas through collaboration — yet the way we communicate profoundly shapes collegial relationships. From daily interactions and departmental dynamics to supervision, workload expectations, and difficult conversations, healthy communication — including the ability to set clear, professional boundaries — is an essential skill.
In this seminar, we will explore how to communicate with clarity, confidence, and respect — even in high-pressure situations. We will examine assertive communication and how it can meet passive, aggressive, and passive-aggressive communication styles in academic culture. We will discuss practical strategies for fostering healthy communication within research teams, navigating challenging moments that could escalate into conflict, and recognizing when a boundary is needed — along with how to set one constructively. This seminar offers actionable tools to strengthen professional relationships, negotiate workload demands, and contribute to a more respectful and collaborative academic environment.
We will begin with a ~ 20 min talk, held in Solna and over zoom. Then proceed with a reflection and discussion held on-site. We encourage other sites to form watch parties, by listening in together to the talk and then hold their own discussion afterwards. Hopefully seeding many local chapters of CSI.
To help facilitate discussion and reflection, consider the following starter questions:
Awareness: where do we experience rejection in our lives already?
Analysis: how well do I currently interact with rejection?
Alternative: how could we relate to rejection in academia, for ourselves and others?
Action: how will knowledge of rejection in academia change my decisions going forward?
sami.saarenpaa@scilifelab.se
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