NETWORK FOR EMPLOYEES AT UCPH INVOLVED IN RESEARCHER CAREER DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES FOR PHD’S AND POSTDOCS
In January 2019, University of Copenhagen (UCPH) established a network for employees at the university involved in researcher career development activities for PhD’s and postdocs. This initiative was launched as a part of UCPH's Talent and Collaboration - Strategy 2023, related to the Academic Career Development Programme (VIP Karriereudviklingsprogrammet), which has a particular focus on supporting young researchers in their career development.
This network started with 25 members and currently there are over 60 active members, representing researchers and administrative staff from all faculties at UCPH.
Records show that a vast majority of the young researchers may not be able to pursue a career within academia. A large number of the PhD’s and postdocs are therefore compelled to take up a career beyond academia.
This network serves as a platform for knowledge sharing in the area of career development for researchers. A main objective of the network is to brainstorm and discuss the topic of career development of young researchers at UCPH. Moreover, the members share knowledge, in-house and out-house experiences, best practises, and local, national and international initiatives regarding career development and career clarification for PhD’s and postdocs.
The members of the network include PIs, head of departments, admin staff, Phd’s and postodocs at UCPH who, either directly or indirectly, are involved in working with career development at UCPH. Their work include e.g. developing career workshops, courses, events, career programmes, mentor programmes or other career development and clarification activities targeted PhD’s and postdocs.
Moving forward, we know that access to information, knowledge sharing, career clarification and advice is crucial for our employees in order to create transparency on possible career paths within and beyond academia. We hope this network can serve as a knowledge bank, and can give inspiration and support to its members.
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27th October 9:00 -12:30 (including lunch) University of Copenhagen Krystalgade 25 - 1172 Copenhagen
Career Consultant International Consultant |
Career opportunities and employment patterns for younger researchers; data, trends and international focus! Why might young researchers consider pursuing a career beyond academia? Which jobs exist beyond academia and what skills are in demand? How can you prepare for an alternative career path applying your research skills? These questions and many more will all be answered, at this unique career event where you will have the pleasure of meeting Career Consultant Morten Esmann & International Consultant Heidi Ås - both from IDA - a Danish professional organisation and trade union for +150.000 STEM professionals. Why focus on the careers of younger researchers? We are aware of the demand for the skills acquired during PhD and postdoctoral experiences. Employers frequently emphasize this need. Statistics reveal a significant rise in the number of PhD positions in Denmark over a span of more than 10 years. Simultaneously, there's been an increase in temporary academic positions and a decline in the count of permanent academic roles within universities. Despite these trends, it's noticeable that many PhD students often feel ill-equipped for alternative career paths and express uncertainty about how their skill set can translate to different contexts. Enhancing early decision-making and focusing more sharply on career options during the Ph.D. phase could aid candidates in understanding their relevant skills and recognizing the diverse pathways available to researchers of various kinds. These observations underscore the importance of managing expectations concerning career opportunities outside academia, taking into account the acquired competences and the process of finding one's own unique path. Moreover, IDA's most recent PhD analysis from 2023, based on responses from 250 PhD students, highlights various challenges within the working lives of PhD scholars. These challenges encompass the conditions and framework of the PhD program, as well as overall satisfaction with it. PhD students represent a crucial segment of IDA's membership, contributing significantly to society through their scientific endeavours. Notably, IDA represents one out of every ten PhD students at Danish universities. Workshop focus: The objective of this workshop is to provide valuable insights into the data concerning PhD students in Denmark, encompassing their professional experiences, and the prevailing trends in career possibilities that emerge after completing a PhD. This workshop is designed to assist participants in refining the presentation of their own research background, while also offering a comprehensive understanding of the present labor market dynamics for emerging researchers within Denmark. Furthermore, we will delve into the present emphasis on the international labor force within Denmark and engage in discussions about effective strategies for individuals who are international and are aspiring to establish a career in this context. After this workshop you will:
Feel free to attend this unique event and get inspiration on how you pursue your career outside academia. This event also provides you with the opportunity to network with other like-minded professionals.
We will be serving a light lunch after the workshop. Facilitators: Career Consultant Morten Esmann & International consultant Heidi Ås have extensive knowledge on career and working life in Denmark. IDA - a Danish professional organisation and trade union for +150.000 STEM professionals advises its members on a wide range of issues regarding working life and have different offers - e.g.
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The network meets approximately 3 times a year in different formats, varying from guest lectures, knowledge exchange workshops to actual networking sessions aiming to provide input and strategic knowledge to the UCPH 2023 strategy.
Mark de Vos and Mary K. Kobia, UCPH Network drivers
“Since the launch of this network in 2019, we have received a lot of positive feedback from the members. Many people have emphasised that there is a definite need for a professional network like this at UCPH, with a focus on transparency and information sharing regarding career development.
It is our impression, from the input we have been receiving that many people find this network highly beneficial since it creates a platform for networking and knowledge sharing about local initiatives regarding career development for young researchers. We hope that this network will create even more synergy across UCPH", says Mary K. Kobia and Mark de Vos, UCPH Network drivers.
Feel free to share info about this network with your colleagues or other network contacts that might be interested in career development activities for PhD’s and postdocs.
Please note that if you have any job search related questions that this forum is not for e.g. getting feedback on CV and cover letter, career clarification etc. This network is a platform for knowledge sharing in the area of career development for researchers. If you are a PhD or postdoc and have any questions related to your job search, please do contact Mette Fog Skriver - Career Consultant for PhD’s and postdocs at UCPH. See drop down 1:1 CAREER COUNSELLING PHDS AND POSTDOCS for more information!
Over the years, we have seen an increasing demand at UCPH for career advice for researchers at UCPH. In March 2020, the University has initiated a pilot project (ending spring 2021) linked to the UCPH 2023 Strategy. This pilot project offers individual 1:1 career counselling to PhD’s and postdocs tailored to individual needs on following topics:
- Feedback on CV and LinkedIn profile
- Transferable skills
- Tools for career planning and career thinking
- How to build and extend your professional network
- How to approach and contact future employers
- What to expect at a job interview in Denmark
Mette Fog Skriver is a Career Consultant and the spearhead of this initiative concerning early career development for young researchers. For more information on how to book a one-hour career counselling click on this KU-net link.
We are always keen to explore new formats to create more synergy across faculties regarding information sharing career development activities at UCPH. If you have any suggestions for the upcoming agenda or topics for our next meetings, please feel free to submit your input to us. This could for example be:
- Are there interesting facilitators or presenters who could be relevant to invite and share knowledge in the area of career development?
- Are you currently working on a specific project, you would like to introduce to this network?
We would appreciate getting any input or suggestions you may have on other topics for our upcoming meetings. We invite you to register your input via the following link: IDEAS ON TOPICS FOR UPCOMING UCPH NETWORK MEETINGS
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Better working lives for junior researchers and PhD-students!
Facilitator: Niels Glæsner - PhD in educational science and works as a Consultant for DM / October 3rd 2022 -
Best practice sharing of experiences in the area of career development for PhDs and PostDocs at Ghent University
Facilitator: Dr. Nel Grillaert - Career coach & career policy advisor for PhD & Postdoctoral researchers at Ghent University / May 20th 2021 - Webinar: Better working lives for junior researchers and PhD-students
Facilitator: Niels Glæsner - PhD in educational science and works as a Consultant for DM / March 24th 2021 - Preparing UCPH Phds and Postdocs for the next step in their career
Facilitator: Mette Fog Skriver - UCPH Career Consultant for PhDs and Postdocs / January 20th 2021
- In-house best practice sharing of experiences in the area of career development for young researchers
Facilitators: Hans Bräuner-Osborne - SUND, Ayo Wahlberg - SAMF and Jacob Juul Gade - SCIENCE / January 31st 2020 - Cradle to cradle: remaking the way we support young researchers' careers!
Facilitator: Ib Ravn, PhD, Associate professor from the Danish School of Education / September 19th 2019 - A focus on UCPH’s strategic project on researcher career development activities for PhD’s and postdocs
Facilitators: Mark de Vos and Mary K. Kobia UCPH Network drivers / May 14th 2019
- Kick-off: UCPH network for employees involved in researcher career development for PhD's and postdocs.
Facilitators: Mark de Vos and Mary K. Kobia UCPH Network drivers / January 30th 2019