2024 He­x­KoP

I probably could not have picked a better conference to get a first glimpse of what research in practice looks like. It was a very familiar down-to-earth kind of conference with around 40 people in total. I did feel slightly out of place in the beginning as everyone else was already in the first years of their PhD or post-docs or (assistant-) professors.

But that feeling went away as I started talking to people about their talks and them being genuinely interested in the kind of topics I do during my master in Human Factors Engineering at the UT. The presentations themselves were somewhat challenging to follow on the first day. Mainly because of the different research areas other universities focus on. After the first day I slowly adapted to the speed and complexity of the talks, and it was uphill from there.

It was really fascinating to see outside of the UT’s research bubble and see what kind of contraptions or experiments they were using like a setup to test basketball fake outs or highly specialized Simon tasks to compare different dimensions of stimuli.

Overall, I would highly recommend going there if you are interested in going into research after your studies. It is FREE compared to pretty much all other conferences and you can attend as a student meaning you do not need to present a talk/poster unless you want to. Despite it being a conference of “German” psychologists it is full held in English!

Attending the HexKoP 24 was an exciting and enriching experience. As my first scientific conference, it was far beyond my expectations—in the best way possible. The presenters were not only passionate about their research but also patient and eager to explain every detail about their studies, which I found incredibly helpful, as I mostly did not understand everything right away.

The research presented was highly advanced and quite different from the more applied psychology I’m familiar with at the University of Twente. It focused on fundamental cognitive mechanisms, providing a new perspective on psychology for me. This contrast made the presentations even more captivating.

Most of the participants were either well into their PhDs or had already completed them, making it a valuable opportunity to learn about academic careers and get advice on navigating the world of research. The informal evenings with food and drinks provided a relaxed setting for deeper conversations, both professional and casual. The atmosphere at the conference itself and in the evening felt more like a friendly gathering than a formal conference.

If you ever get the chance to attend HexKoP, I highly recommend it. It offers a unique insight into the world of academia and is an excellent way to connect with passionate researchers while broadening your understanding of psychology.