Building bridges for a fairer future

The Bridging Minds programme enables doctoral researchers at the Max Planck Society to organise workshops at African partner institutions. In September 2025, Giacomo Costalunga, Mahalakshmi (Meera) Ramadas and Carlos Gómez-Guzmán from the Max Planck Institute for Biological Intelligence organised a summer school in Gambia – and here they recount their experiences.

We had each participated in summer schools ourselves and benefited greatly from them, both academically and personally. We now wanted to pass on this wealth of experience to others. The call for applications for the Bridging Minds program therefore came at just the right time. Independently of one another, we knew immediately: We wanted to participate – and preferably together.

We work in the same lab and complement each other perfectly: Giacomo is passionate about field research, Meera and Carlos focus on evaluating field and laboratory data using a range of analysis tools.

We were united by the goal of passing on knowledge, albeit for different reasons: Giacomo wanted to give something back to the people in whose homeland he had already conducted extensive field research; Meera and Carlos, coming from developing countries, knew firsthand how transformative access to education and a supportive learning community can be. We all shared excitement of building an education and outreach initiative of our own.

The perfect location was quickly found: Gunjur, a rural village of 20,000 inhabitants in western Gambia, offered everything we needed for our summer school. In addition to theoretical sessions on bioacoustics and vocal communication research, we wanted to take the African students out into nature to experience biodiversity, record bird calls, and then evaluate the data in small groups using a variety of methods. Gunjur is perfect for this – close to the forest, the sea, and a lagoon.

Seven bachelor's students and three research assistants from The Gambia with very different fields of study participated in our workshop in September: from biology to environmental sciences to physics. Some had a stronger theoretical foundation, others more practical experience. What they all shared was a keen interest in understanding the sounds of the nature that surrounds them– and an impressive openness and curiosity to learn the scientific methods used to study them. This was also evident in the wealth of new knowledge that they all took away with them over the course of the week. Their questions also forced us to reflect on our own teaching: How do we explain things – and what do we tacitly assume?

Life in The Gambia follows its own rhythm. Sunlight, temperature, and energy levels dictated our daily routine: we started early in the morning with bird watching, followed by a long, leisurely breakfast. During the day, we worked through our program, interrupted by frequent breaks – not least because of the heat. Around 2 p.m., it was usually too hot to do much. Then we sat in the shady garden and continued our informal conversations with roundtable discussions about education and work opportunities. That may sound like a relaxing time. The opposite was the case: despite the calm rhythm, the week was intense. Our days were full, but never rushed.

Between lab work and power cuts

The projects in the second half of the week were at the heart of the workshop: working in groups of three, the students recorded bird calls in the garden or nearby nature areas, going through all the basic steps of a scientific project: from data collection and analysis to the presentation of a short scientific “story.” For some of the workshop participants, it was even their first time ever preparing and giving a presentation in front of a group. Witnessing this progress was absolutely inspiring.

Power cuts occurred at least once a day. Suddenly, the power would go out, sometimes in the middle of a presentation: no projector, no air conditioning, no light. We improvised, switched to the whiteboard, sketched ideas, and simply continued our discussion. The students were used to it; for them, power cuts are part of everyday life at university. We joked about the situation together, and even the constant opening and closing of windows became routine – depending on whether the air conditioning was working or not.

Humour played a big role throughout the week. During the hottest hours, we played card or board games. In these moments, the group dynamics became particularly clear: the students were ambitious and humorous and constantly teased each other – but always with great respect. It was easy to connect with them. They were open, warm, and spontaneous. This impression was confirmed outside of the workshop and continued in many encounters we had in The Gambia.

Throughout the course, we repeatedly emphasized the importance of exchanging ideas and networking. We shared our contact details and offered support beyond the workshop – such as feedback on applications, advice, and further exchange. For many students, access to such professional networks is not a given, but it is crucial for the next steps in academia.

We came to The Gambia to teach others and share our knowledge. What we took home with us in return was immeasurable.