Session 1 – Finding Joy in the PhD Journey (Panel)

Building on last years’ panel session on navigating challenges and failure within academia, this year’s panel shifts focus to the positive aspects of pursuing a PhD. There are various reasons why individuals get inspired and motivated to undertake a PhD journey, regardless of potential difficulties that are met along the way.

It is from this angle that we build a panel session driven by one main question: “How does doing a PhD bring you happiness?”. Through the experience of three speakers, each in different stages of their academic careers and each reflecting on their personal and professional experiences, we aim to highlight diverse perspectives on finding joy and purpose in academic research.

This panel is not just about sharing stories; it is an invitation to engage the audience in a broader, collaborative conversation. Attendees will explore what happiness means, and how we encounter and nurture it during our own research journeys.

Ismail Oubad

Ismail is a doctoral researcher with an academic trajectory spanning Morocco, Italy, and Belgium. Affiliated with the Center for Ethnic and Migration Studies (CEDEM) at the University of Liège and the School of Social Sciences at the University of Genoa, he is conducting PhD research under the ERC-funded SolRoutes project. His ethnographic work explores the (subversive) migration infrastructures that shape the dwelling and movement of illegalized migrants, combining activism and research. He will reflect on finding joy in academia by drawing on his PhD journey and the peculiar encounters and recognitions it has led to.

Carolin Schütze

Carolin Schütze is an Assistant professor at Malmö University. Her research is located at the intersection of studies of organisations and studies of ethnic and racial relations and migration. Her research includes topics such as discrimination, understanding racial attitudes, professionals attitudes and behaviour and diversity in organisations. Methodologically, she is specialized in quantitative data research with a specific focus on survey design but also survey experiments and analysis which she combines with qualitative data analysis, such as text analysis and interviews.

Swantje Falcke

Swantje Falcke is an Assistant Professor in Economic and Social History at Utrecht University, specializing in migrant integration and naturalization in both Germany and the Netherlands. Swantje has studied educational mismatches among migrants in the Netherlands, the effects of German citizenship reforms, and refugee integration policies. She is currently developing a new research line the long-term relation between environmental change and migration in the Netherlands. Swantje is a migration scholar with an interdisciplinary profile. She holds a PhD in Economics from Utrecht University and has held a postdoctoral position in Political Science at Maastricht University.

https://www.uu.nl/medewerkers/SFalcke

Sessions 2 and 3 – Exploring PhD’s Experiences: What Brings You Joy Within Your PhD Journey? (Two separate workshops: one on-site and one online)

This interactive workshop provides a safe and welcoming space for PhD candidates to connect, share, and reflect on their experiences. Centered on the theme of joy in academia, the workshop encourages participants to examine the factors that influence their happiness and overall well-being throughout the doctoral journey.

We focus on three topics that can significantly impact ones’ positive experiences within the PhD journey:

1. Work-life balance, and the importance of recognizing the importance of maintaining a healthy equilibrium between professional responsibilities and personal well-being.
2. Milestones and achievements, from the first read academic article, to the first presentation, all the way up to defending the final dissertation.
3. Relationship with colleagues and supervisor(s), and how to foster positive interpersonal relationships. 

For some, these themes will already feel positive, bringing them happiness, while for others these might resonate with difficult experiences and obstacles. Divided in smaller groups, participants will share their perspectives, discuss eventual challenges, and brainstorm on how these potential obstacles can be overcome to ultimately achieve joy. This collaborative process aims to draw the focus to the positive aspects of pursuing a PhD and to reflect on how obstacles can be turned around in something positive.