Discussing the Lives of Postdocs and Eating Cookies

Come along to hear the results of two recent research projects on researchers' experiences of Austrian academia, and enjoy some pre-holiday cookies and community!

Sarah Wack and Kristina Kreimer have both recently been involved in research related to early career researchers, with Kristina Kreimer having completed her master's thesis in sociology and Sarah Wack having contributed to a project as a student research assistant in geography. Both projects included qualitative interviews with postdoctoral researchers. Sarah and Kristina will share commonalities in their results and there will be the opportunity for an open discussion, and a social pre-holiday get-together.

Common themes in the interviews conducted at several Austrian universities were

• issues around managing mobility,
• (in-)transparency of career progression,
• care committments and personal relationships,
• appreciation of efforts in teaching,
• use and perception of dedicated training offers at universities,
• accessibility of networks,
• (not) planning careers,
• hierarchies and leadership,
• and specific career goals (i.e. wanting to become a professor - or not).

Both studies also yielded results regarding individuals' coping strategies with the challenges of academia today.

Agenda:

1. Intro of the two researchers & their projects
2. 30 min presentation of common themes
3. Open discussion
4. Cookies! Coffee!

We're delighted that both the Vice-Rector for Research, Joachim Reidl, and the Vice-Rector for Internationalisation and Equal Opportunities, Mirelle van Poppel, will  be present for the presentations and part of the discussions!

About the two projects:

• Kristina Kreimer: "Challenges and coping strategies of Austrian postdoc scientists under the aspect of human vulnerability". In her master’s thesis, supervised by Dr. Frithjof Nungesser, Kristina Kreimer examined the challenges and coping strategies of Austrian postdoc scientists. A total of 8 interviews were conducted with postdocs from various disciplines, providing a deeper understanding of their living and working conditions.
• Sarah Wack: The research project “Gender and Geography in Austrian Academia,” funded by the Elizabeth List Fellows Program (coordinated by Heide K. Bruckner, led by Ulrich Ermann and Anke Strüver), examines career trajectories, gendered interactions in the workplace, and visions for creating inclusive working environments in Austrian geography departments. From 2023 to 2024, 20 interviews were conducted with 10 postdocs, 3 senior lecturers, and 7 female professors, providing valuable insights into the experiences of early-career researchers in academia. The project aims to contribute to more equitable and inclusive practices in the field.

Everyone is welcome to this event. Register here so we know how many cookies we need: Discussing the Lives of Postdocs and Eating Cookies

Location: Besprechungsraum im Universitätsarchiv (university archive, main building, opposite entry to GEWI Dekanat)