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Last week, we held the second IDEAS Research Colloquium of 2023 – our 26th session so far! The event was organized in a seminar format to debate on "Stay in Academia after your MA or PhD: Pros and Cons".

Dr. Sasha Boucher from Nelson Mandela University (South Africa), Jonas Klee working for Bündnis 90/Die Grünen, Dr. Gonzalves Nshimiyimana from INES Ruhengeri (Rwanda) and Robert Meyer from the SEPT Team joined us as panelists. Also, participants from around 10 countries logged in and exchanged about their experiences and prospective career paths.  

Jonas reminded us that working in academia comes with a heavy work load and thus, personal priorities need to be reflected, set and communicated. He also explained how skills acquired in an academic setting can be used in other fields. Dr. Sasha contrastingly, left banking for a life in academia drawing our attention to the way role models shape career decisions: “I was inspired by a professor who mentored me to enroll for a PhD and here I am enjoying life as a research associate and lecturer”. 

Seeking advice from peers and linking up in international networks can be a valuable source of motivation and inspiration in making such choices. Therefore, we are looking forward to continuing the discussions we started with our alumni network through our exclusive IDEA Summer School app.