For a reunion with old colleagues, more than 20 alumni from all corners of Germany travelled back to Bochum. In the most glorious summer weather, they and the current PhD students and postdocs enjoyed a lovely evening event.
After warm words of welcome from RESOLV spokesperson, Prof. Dr. Martina Havenith, several alumni presented their career paths in short, stimulating talks. It quickly became apparent that a wide range of opportunities awaits RESOLV graduates after completing their doctorates. The path that might seem the most obvious - staying in academia as a postdoc - is just one of many options. For example, it seems quite surprising that a chemistry doctoral student from Bochum ended up working for a major German soccer club. “Certainly not as a professional soccer player but as a data analyst!”, as was laughingly stated. At second glance, it makes perfect sense that skills acquired during doctoral studies are versatile and highly sought after outside academia as well.
All speakers agreed: regardless of the career path a PhD student chooses to pursue, the education at RESOLV provides the ideal foundation for a successful life and career.