Please join the session on the day of the event by using the following link:
https://wzb-eu.zoom.us/j/83137067256?pwd=c0QzR2t5Z3IrZVhob1Y2b0tTN3EyQT09

Event description

Quitting academia is initially unimaginable for many researchers. But in the course of one's career, one is inevitably confronted with the question of whether one cannot find the same level of fulfillment outside of basic research. After all, not everyone has the opportunity to make it through the bottleneck of the academic job market to a professorship. Last but not least, in Germany in particular, the clock of the Wissenschaftszeitvertragsgesetz is also ticking. Together with Dr. Juliane Kampe from the Helmholtz Association, Philipp Rotmann from the Global Public Policy Institute and Dr. Annika-Elena Poppe, who works at IsrAID Germany e. V. as well as a freelance coach, we will discuss possible alternative career paths. Moderated by Dr. Gregor Hofmann from the BR50 office, we will explore together with the audience the question of how knowledge-based careers can look like beyond the "typical" academic career oriented towards basic research. What qualifications does the more applied research in a think tank require and what are the recruitment requirements for applicants there? What does one actually do in science management, and what skills from one's time as a researcher are useful for working in a research organization? And how does it feel to switch sides from analyzing political and social processes to managing humanitarian projects and advising experts oneself?

About the event series "Post-doctorate Pathways: academic and non-academic career trajectories"

With 7 Clusters of Excellence, the Berlin University Alliance and the BR50 as joint initiatives by Berlin’s universities and research institutes, the capital is becoming increasingly attractive for junior researchers in Germany and abroad. Opening with a roundtable on academic career paths, the series attempts to showcase career paths in different disciplines, specifically the social sciences, inside and outside of academia. This is specifically dedicated to junior researchers on the verge of choosing their career path after their doctorate. The purpose is not to showcase glamorous careers, but rather have an open and honest conversation with helpful recommendations and pointers. This includes workshops on funding formats (e.g. funding schemes in Germany and Europe) as well as in-depth workshops on how to write applications for funding and which criteria to consider to strengthen an application and set it apart (e.g. diversity).