On the 3rd of March 2023, we, the Congress Committee of Labyrint, organized the annual Psychologist and Future Perspective (PFP) Congress. This year’s theme was Envision Tomorrow, Explore Today. After three years online, the congress could finally take place at the Faculty of Social Sciences again! Like every year, the event – which attracted around 200 attendees – aimed to familiarize psychology students with a variety of work fields where they might end up after their studies. Twenty-five professionals in various fields of psychology spoke at the congress, each giving details about their work and career paths.
The preparations
Of course, such a large event can be complicated to organize. In the weeks and months leading up to the congress, the committee worked hard to manage this. For instance, finding 25 speakers turned out to be quite the challenge. The search began in November, and the final speaker was arranged only about a month ahead of the congress! Especially in the final one or two weeks prior to the congress, we ended up in a sort of whirlwind. Doing the final chores, sorting out the final details… Stressful? Definitely, but the feeling of being part of such an organization and being able to contribute to the success of the event made for an amazing experience!
The opening speaker
The PFP Congress consists of five rounds with five speakers in each round and is usually kicked off with an opening lecture before the first round. For this, we came into contact with Prof. Dr. Dick Swaab, who is primarily known for his books about neurobiology. We were thrilled that he would be giving the opening lecture, but only a few days before the congress, we received a message that he would no longer be able to speak due to illness. However, thanks to Prof. Dr. Swaab’s vast network, a new opening speaker was quickly arranged: Prof. Dr. Erik Scherder, who was perfectly willing to change his plans as a favour for his colleague. Thus, with Prof. Dr. Scherder, the opening lecture was a success after all. And thankfully, in June, Prof. Dr. Swaab is still going to give the lecture he had initially planned!
The day of the congress
The day of the congress brought an early start for the whole committee. At half past 7 in the morning, we were already present at the faculty! The congress wouldn’t start until 9 o’clock, but we had to go over the itinerary again and cross out t’s and dot our i’s before that time. Before we knew it, it was already time for the opening lecture. Aside from the odd setback (which was handled well), the day went smoothly; thanks to the itinerary, everyone knew what they had to do, and the attendees seemed to have a good time. The lunch was good and well-catered, the presentations were informative and interesting, and the information market in the late afternoon was well-attended. To end the day, the committee and the board went out for dinner together, where we all raised our glass to a successful PFP Congress!
