AIFMRM’s research retreat is a great success

AIFMRM academics and PhD students held a five-day research retreat at Kommetjie in March. The getaway saw participants present seminars, receive feedback, and connect over walks, swims, and communal dinners.

The scenic coastal village of Kommetjie near Cape Town was the perfect venue for the fifth AIFMRM research retreat held in March 2024. Attended by staff, postgraduate students and visiting academics, this year’s gathering again saw lively debates and discussions, as well as some swimming in the bracingly cold water of the Atlantic Ocean.

The retreat was enjoyed by all, including AIFMRM Honorary Professor Peter Ritchken, based at Weatherhead School of Management at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, USA, who visited the research retreat on one of the days. Professor Ritchken said he didn’t know of any other institution in the world where a department would organise a getaway like this for a group of researchers. “It is really extraordinary,” he said.

Adjunct Professor Andrea Macrina, who was in Cape Town for one of his scheduled twice-yearly visits from University College London, organised the programme. He made sure that not one moment of the day was wasted.

“I thought there might be some pushback,” he admits. “But really, everybody was quite happy with it. Besides, it wasn’t so strict as to say, on this night, this person cooks, and at this time, you are allowed to use the bathroom. When we worked, we worked. When it was time to be social, anybody could do as they liked.”

Days were scheduled as follows:

09:00 – 13:00, research work, individually or in teams.

13:00 – 14:00, lunch break, lunch seminar.

14:00 – 16:30, research work, individually or in teams.

16:30 – 18:00, seminar presentations and discussion

18:00 – braai, walk, swimming for those brave enough to brave the freezing waters—like Tanja Tippett, who swam twice.

At the retreat, PhD students and faculty members gave 30-minute seminar presentations on their topic of interest. They had the chance to discuss the challenges they were facing, the direction they would like to take, and receive feedback and questions from those listening in.

“We had invaluable sessions,” said Professor Macrina, who gave a lunch seminar with Benno Günther, an industry practitioner, on a new research project in mathematical climate finance. “It was an excellent space to test out ideas.” The retreat participants, including AIFMRM Director David Taylor, who joined for the day, contributed with many thought-provoking questions and constructive feedback.

The seminars often led to conversations and collaborations, which continued over dinner, where plans were made for future discussions and potential projects.

“The group was very cohesive,” said Professor Macrina. “We were eight people all effectively living with each other, and in such a scenario, it would be natural for some tension to arise, but there was none.”

For the first two years, the mountains of Cederberg made for an intensive work hub. But the last couple of get-togethers saw the venue move closer to the sea, with one hosted in Fish Hoek, another in Glencairn, and the last set in Kommetjie.

“I think, this time, the balance was right,” Professor Macrina said. “If it were a day longer or a day shorter, it wouldn’t be right – people would either be too tired, or we wouldn’t have enough time to have all the discussions we wanted.”

Although he is only in South Africa twice a year, Professor Macrina says that when he visits, he feels as if he is a full-time member. There is a common sense of purpose and academic interest, as well as collegiality and cohesion, an important reason why AIFMRM has the reputation of being an institute quite unlike any other.