WS5: The Power of Analogies - Simplifying Complex Concepts through Analogies
Location: TBA
The Power of Analogies - Simplifying Complex Concepts through Analogies
Subtitle: Workshop on how analogies can help us in creating clarity, in decision-making, brainstorming, and motivating researchers in our research management work
Trainers: Eszter Ashlock-Kéthelyi, Heleen van den Heuvel, Natalia Loaiza Velasquez
Date: Tuesday 23rd April 2023 (12:45 -15:45)
Location: University of Southern Denmark (SDU)
Content
Understanding complex ideas becomes much easier when we connect them to simple, real-life situations. Our personal observations and daily experiences are invaluable resources for comprehending and clarifying complicated concepts. The main goal of this workshop is to illustrate how we can make complex ideas more understandable by using straightforward, real-life examples. We will explore how analogies can be a valuable asset in research and problem-solving and then we will invite participants to explore what examples from their life experiences can be turned into a powerful analogy at work.
Thanks to our particular history and education, each research manager carries around a personal "suitcase" full of possible sources of analogies. By relying on the use of these visual images, we can guide researchers in their idea development and decision-making processes. During this workshop, you'll gain greater awareness and insight into your own personal analogies, empowering you to use them effectively in reasoning, in decision-making and making ideas more accessible.
Target audience: individuals working in research management and consultancy in public or private settings
Workshop outline:
- Introduction to analogy: we will begin by understanding what analogies are and how they can help us in reasoning and simplifying complex ideas
- Examining analogies: we will dive deeper into the mechanics of analogies, exploring how they work and why they are effective
- Avoiding pitfalls: learn about potential challenges and mistakes that can arise when using analogies, and how to avoid them
- Unpacking your suitcase - practice in small groups: think of your mind as a suitcase that is a source of potential analogies. We'll help you unpack this suitcase, exploring the past experiences that can be turned into a useful analogy in your work or personal life settings. Apply what you've learned by working in small groups to create and discuss analogies for various scenarios.
- Exhibition of suitcases: share your analogies with others, so we can all learn from each other
Learning outcomes:
By the end of the workshop, participants will:
- gain an understanding of what analogies are and recognize their role in simplifying complex ideas;
- identify the elements of effective analogies;
- recognize potential challenges and common mistakes associated with using analogies
- gain insights into how analogies can be powerful tools in making complex concepts more accessible, in reasoning and in decision-making processes;
- understand the role of analogies in guiding researchers and enhancing idea development in a research management context;
- explore their personal set of experiences and apply knowledge gained by working in small groups to create and discuss analogies for different work scenarios;
- collaborate with peers and share their own analogies with others in the workshop;
- develop an increased awareness of personal analogies and their potential applications in reasoning, decision-making, and idea development.
Eszter Ashlock-Kéthelyi, the research project manager at Research BV, University Medical Centre Groningen in the Netherlands, brings a wealth of experience to her current role. With a background encompassing 10.5 years at an EU granting agency, she transitioned to an independent educational specialist role, assisting higher education clients in their EU grant application and management activities. Having joined Research BV, Eszter extends support to medical researchers, drawing on her extensive prior experience. Her tenure at the Erasmus+ granting agency was marked by mentoring over 40+ project teams, guiding them in developing project ideas through insightful questions. This experience highlighted her strengths in offering clear guidance and identifying project topics with significance not only in academia and science but also in broader social contexts. Furthermore, Eszter's responsibilities at the Erasmus+ agency included selecting and training external experts to evaluate proposals, providing her with a unique evaluator's perspective to assist researchers effectively. Throughout her professional journey, Eszter has consistently gravitated towards roles facilitating understanding between EU and national policy, professional perspectives, and lay audiences. Her overarching goal is to build bridges, create meaning and clarity in ambiguous situations, and support individuals and groups in their learning journeys. Eszter is enthusiastic about sharing her expertise in various areas, including defining the social, economic, and scientific impact of immediate research problems. She is adept at designing and facilitating enjoyable and meaningful experimental learning processes, encompassing proposal development processes, workshops, and training courses, where learners engage in action, reflection, and growth. Additionally, Eszter is eager to assist researchers in connecting to European knowledge networks and bridging the research gap between East and West, South and North through EU funding.
Heleen van den Heuvel is a research project manager at the Research BV, University Medical Center Groningen (UMCG), the Netherlands, and earned her PhD in Immunology from the University of Leiden, the Netherlands. She cultivated a robust background in project management through her subsequent experience in biotech industry and (pre)clinical contract research. Her primary focus as a project manager lies on contributing to innovation and research excellence by providing project cycle management and fostering sustainable knowledge organization. Her areas of expertise encompass pre-award consultancy for grant writing, as well as post-award project monitoring and evaluation. Heleen finds great motivation in connecting people, ideas, tools, and resources, actively promoting collaboration to propel ideas into the realm of everyday life.
Natalia Loaiza Velasquez is also a research manager at the Research BV, UMCG, the Netherlands. Her main motivation is to help researchers and their ideas reach their maximum impact on society. Therefore, Natalia’s focus lies on research proposals and projects at the interface of science and business, in which different academic and industry parties synergize to create social impact and valorization. Transitioning back and forth between academia and industry requires a great deal of adaptation, especially in terms of language, and her learnings from this context are reflected in “The Power of Analogies” workshop. She holds a PhD in molecular genetics of metabolic diseases from the University of Groningen, and gained project management experience while working in the commercial, scientific and regulatory areas in biotech and pharma. Her diverse background, covering fundamental academic research as well as industry experience, allows her to provide researchers with the support needed in pre-award and post-award work of research projects.
