Hi,  I recently read an article in Times Higher Education titled “Surge in interest in European jobs despite ‘structural barriers’”. It describes how several European countries are actively trying to attract international researchers, especially from the US. Given what’s happening in the US, this...

Hi everyone, I want to share a thought with you that might be controversial, but that has been on my mind for a long time. In academia, women are sometimes the greatest enemies of other women. Let me explain what I mean. When I was a student, the women professors around me often talked about how ...

Hi everyone, Recently, one of my clients realized something that I think many academics can relate to: You cannot change the past. It sounds simple, but more academics struggle with this than they admit. I work with PhD students who grieve the fact that they are now in year six and did not finish...

Hi everyone, This week, I coached three PhD students and in two of the sessions we kept coming back to the exact same topic: Introductions. And even though these conversations happened in PhD coaching, this issue shows up at every career stage. Whether you are writing a thesis, a habilitation, or...

A recent Science|Business article caught my eye this week, which found that fixed-term academic contracts discourage radical research. Honestly, that didn’t surprise me at all. If you’re on a short-term contract, the incentives are very clear: You want a project you can finish within the contract...

Hi there, Welcome to the very first edition of my new newsletter. It’s something I’ve been meaning to start for a while now, and in the spirit of “progress over perfect,” I decided to just begin. For those who don't remember me: Hi, I'm Melanie Sindelar, and I'm a professional writing and career ...