Partners
Why a crossborder event?
Here is some feedback from the participants:
In 2015, the French Postdoctoriales was adapted to a cross-border format, including participants from France, Germany and Luxembourg. This international dimension shows the common questions that young researchers ask: the increasing scarcity of permanent posts in academia and the regulations limiting the number of fixed-term contracts in public research that are similar in most European countries.
The participants might already have some extensive experience of international mobility as PhD students, this is why this workshop helps them to design their next international mobility project suiting their new desires and expectations and to help adapt to new recruitment norms in the countries to which they are planning to go. By bringing together PhDs from three different countries, an intercultural dimension is created that gives an opportunity to learn from each other's differences, to share different opinions on living and working abroad.
Programme
The 3-day program aimed to prepare the participants for carefully choosing their career outside of academia and promoting the benefits of their PhD training and highly valued skills obtained during this training. The participants were invited to reflect on their career plan by connecting their past work experience with their personal and professional desires and values.
With the focus on France, Luxembourg and Germany, the workshop gave an overview of the job market and opportunities for PhDs in different sectors, the recruitment process and job applications outside academia, as well as tools to identify companies and job ads and to market their research experience.
The participants applied directly the concepts presented in various role-playing and individual and group exercises integrated into the program to launch a soul-searching and self-assessment process on what they really want to do next and to follow these ideas up afterwards.
The participants also had the opportunity to exchange ideas with professionals from different sectors and organizations (industry, consulting, public institutions…) that recruit PhD holders. The speakers provided valuable insights to the skills and qualities which recruiters expect and provided key advice to help candidates develop their network and communicate effectively outside academia.
ABG warmly thanks the speakers who took the time to share their experience with the group as PhDs who have successfully switched into careers outside academia:
- Marizela Kulisic, PhD in Molecular Biology, Scientist at Laboratoire National de Santé
- Charlotte Boitard-Chatté, PhD in Chemistry, Patent engineer at Office Freylinger
- Eugenio Fernandez-Alanis, PhD in Molecular Genetics/biotechnology, Head Of Regulatory Affairs at MaaT Pharma
- Vera Pukhkoy, PhD in Physics, Data Scientist at Intescia Group
- Alexander Raisch, PhD in Mathematics, Staff member at Generali
- David Santana, PhD in Sociology, Organizational Consultant at Montreuil Municipality
- Isabelle Naegelen, PhD in Molecular Biology, Project Manager at Luxembourg Environment Agency
testimonials
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More thoughts and feedbacks about this seminar
"We can do much more than we can think after a PhD. We have many valuable skills, and this workshop also explained very well how to talk about ourselves to others."
CONTACT
If you are you interested in organizing a similar workshop for PhD candidates or postdocs, contact us for more information:
Melike Riollet, PhD – Training and International Cooperation Manager
Kristina Berkut – Training and International Cooperation Manager