NCCR SPIN Women’s Workshop
NCCR SPIN held a workshop exclusively for women scientists at the Biozentrum in Basel on the 16th May 2025, next to the physics department. It was led by Deborah Hefti from the company Speak!, which specializes in public speaking training. The event was well attended, with participants from nearly all NCCR SPIN institutions.
The workshop began promptly at 9:30 a.m. following a morning coffee and Gipfeli. The first session focused on the theory behind public speaking. To illustrate the importance of non-verbal communication, participants were asked to guess Deborah’s background based solely on her appearance. This exercise, and the following discussions, highlighted that less than 10% of an audience’s attention goes to the content itself, with the majority influenced by body language and tone.
After some short icebreaker exercises, participants were filmed introducing themselves. These initial recordings allowed for analysis of non-verbal habits, helping attendees become more aware of their presentation style, and how they appeared to an audience. Deborah then shared practical tips to improve posture and diction. Each participant chose one area to focus on in terms of posture and speech before being filmed again, this time talking about a personal hobby. The improvement in delivery was already noticeable.
At around 12:30, the group walked to the nearby Taverne Johann for lunch. The shared table setting encouraged further discussion and informal networking among participants.
The afternoon featured tension-releasing activities and diction exercises, including tongue twisters. For the final round, each participant gave a short presentation explaining the significance of their work, supported by an example. Watching the final videos, it was clear that everyone had significantly enhanced their speaking skills and gained confidence.
NCCR SPIN extends heartfelt thanks to Deborah Hefti from Speak! for delivering such an engaging and practical workshop. We also thank all the participants for their enthusiasm and mutual support, which made the experience so impactful. Congratulations to all!
