Science as Poetry
Last year, I wrote about my experience of leaving academia and working as a data analyst. I thought I would write a follow up piece, now that is has been two years since I submitted my viva and started my job. For one, a lot of life has happened. I married the love of my … Continue reading What’s It Like Post-PhD: Two Years Out?
It’s been almost two years since I finished my PhD and left academia. I don’t miss it and this documentary from German broadcaster DW Documentary, How Germany’s elite research institution fails young scientists, perfectly highlights why. While bullying can be found in many workplaces, the academic system is ripe for bullies to use and abuse … Continue reading The Persistence of Academic Toxicity
News articles are awash in the great baby bust, a noticed decline in fertility affecting a diversity of countries such as the UK, America, Japan, South Korea and Europe. If you thought the issue was only confined to rich, developed countries you would be wrong; falling fertility is also impacting growing economies such as China, … Continue reading Gone Baby Gone: Why Are Countries Having Fewer…
Science is an international endeavour. It is one of the few professions where its practitioners are encouraged to uproot their lives in search of fresh ideas and ways of working. Its mobile workforce is touted as part of its success – that the flux of people and their ideas is the critical component fuelling scientific … Continue reading Do Academics Know How To Collaborate?
The Times Higher Education (THE) brought news of growing discord amongst the faculty at the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology (OIST). OIST was established in 2011 with the backing of the Japanese government to attract foreign researchers and bring Japan closer to the international research community. With that government backing came the funds to … Continue reading What’s Up With OIST?
I thought I would kick off the New Year by writing about all the things I am looking forward to in 2025! I haven’t been regularly updating this blog (mainly because my weekends are super busy!), so I thought I would welcome in 2025 through a quick update on what’s happening (drumroll please…). My main … Continue reading What’s New in 2025?
It’s almost been a year since I defended my thesis and passed my viva. I thought I would take the time to reflect on how the year has gone, and what I’ve learnt. Like most PhD graduates, I worked during my corrections phase, which lasted around 4 months. I decided not to pursue a career … Continue reading What’s It Like Post-PhD: One Year Out?
I officially became a Dr last month. The experience is a bit surreal, to say the least. This journey has been a long one, not only encapsulating the four long years I spent on my PhD but also all those years as a graduate student doing my Honours and Master’s degrees. Nine years in total. … Continue reading So, I Finally Graduated…
What better way to spend your Easter break than visiting the Emerald Isle? I had quite a few holidays last year, exploring the Peak District, Isle of Wight, York, and a big trip back to South Africa. But sad say I hadn’t explored Ireland before (and nor had my happy fiancée either, so more reason … Continue reading Tales from Ireland
It has been almost six months since I passed my PhD viva, and almost three months since my minor corrections were approved. It’s only natural with my graduation date looming that the question arises – was doing a PhD really worth it? There’s no shortage of articles bemoaning the financial catastrophe of completing a PhD, … Continue reading Is Doing a PhD Really Worth It?