SymBioSE is a Symposium of Biology Students in Europe. It was founded in 1996 by members of a German student association. The basic idea was to connect all European biology students, allowing for the exchange of ideas, perspectives and experiences about student concerns. This led to the first meeting in Berlin in 1997. After a successful start with twelve European countries, it was continued as an annual event to be held in the different participating nations. Since then, every host country has built upon the initial idea and upgraded it with different aspects of their own cultural background. Thus far, every time this has resulted in a unique and enriching symposium.
“SymBioSE meetings have three major goals: to broaden the horizons of the participating students by lectures and excursions, to share information about current university matters and to connect people by discussions and cultural exchange”
From its earliest days, SymBioSE has always been more than a simple conference. A place for friendship to flourish, a chance for each participant to try something new, an open-minded, welcoming and inspiring community of aspiring scientists, passionate about their research, SymBioSE has influenced the lives of hundreds of young biologists in many (sometimes, unexpected) ways.
“In the long history of humankind (and animal kind, too) those who learned to collaborate and improvise most effectively have prevailed”
