Mastodawn

Here we go again… On my way to Bertinoro, Italy, to design the future of the International #SemanticWeb Research Summer School together with some of the top experts in our field.
#AI #KnowledgeGraphs #NeuroSymbolicAI #LLMs #summerschool #academiclife @AxelPolleres @tabea @sashabruns @fizise @fiz_karlsruhe #blackandwhitephotography #BlackAndWhite #Photography #trainstations

LeidenForce May 27

What makes a great PhD supervisor?

A Nature feature highlights small but lasting actions: giving confidence, protecting students’ time, encouraging independence and showing empathy.

Research culture is shaped one interaction at a time.

🔗 https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-026-00853-w

#PhD #AcademicLife #ResearchCulture #Mentorship #science

14 things our PhD supervisors got right and why it mattered

PhD students reflect on how their supervisors made a meaningful difference — from quiet acts of kindness to career-shaping guidance.

LeidenForce May 26

What predicts a successful scientific career? According to a massive bibliometric analysis, one of the strongest signals is simply publishing consistently early on. But the study also highlights the growing role of collaboration networks.

🔗 https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-026-00744-0

#Research #ScienceCareers #Collaboration #AcademicLife #OpenScience

Huge analysis of 320,000 careers suggests that productive researchers stay that way

Early publishing success, team size and international collaborations are some of the best predictors of future publication rates.

Serhii Nazarovets May 22

Science is often presented as something distant. Something that starts after a PhD, funding, or the "right" connections. But it doesn’t. I’ve put together a short presentation on how research actually begins – with a simple moment: "I don’t understand this."

👉 https://doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.23368.69126

#OpenScience #Research #EarlyCareerResearchers #PhD #AcademicLife #Science #HigherEducation #AI #Zotero #OpenAlex

LeidenForce May 22

Many scientists spend years optimizing experiments, papers and grants… while quietly running another long-term experiment: life itself.

A thoughtful reflection on mid-career research, leadership and balancing family with academia.

🔗 https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-026-00195-7

#AcademicLife #ResearchCulture #MidCareer #ScienceCareers #HigherEducation

The middle years of my life and career: balancing two experiments at once

When I found out that I was no longer eligible for an early-career grant, I took a moment to pause and reflect on my family life and my work.

Harald Sack May 21

Dark islands drift by,
Washed in gray, so far away,
Fading like a sigh.

#haiku #mediterranean #croatia #dubrovnik #blackandwhite #blackandwhitephoto #photography #bokeh #landscape #seascape #clouds #blackandwhitephotography #academiclife

Harald Sack May 16

Bright sea through the trees,
Hard to stand and turn away,
Home comes way too soon.

#Mediterranean #Haiku #blackandwhite #blackandwhitephotography #dubrovnik #Photography #ESWC2026 #seascape #academiclife

Christian Lins May 15

Bought a new webcam. Now I have to shave before every online lecture...

#academiclife

Eliza Ng May 15

Why spend 6+ years earning low stipends & critique from advisers, when you can join tech, automate your job & debate your career choice over artisanal coffee? 🤔👩‍🎓📚
https://www.eliza-ng.me/post/thetwosfromthep_86/
#PhDStruggles #AcademicLife

Disillusioned Scholars: Unpacking the Realities and Reimagining the Future of Ph.D. Journeys

In recent years, there has been a growing dialogue surrounding the challenges and realities of pursuing a Ph.D. and a career in academia. This conversation, drawing from insightful personal anecdotes and broader industry observations, underscores several critical issues within the academic landscape that are giving rise to disillusionment among Ph.D. students and recent graduates. The Prolonged Path and Opportunity Costs One primary concern revolves around the extended time commitment required to complete a Ph.D., which can often stretch to six or more years. This period is marked by grueling work and, frequently, disheartening experiences linked to supervisory practices and institutional demands. During this time, Ph.D. candidates are expected to cultivate deep expertise in their chosen fields, akin to an apprenticeship, which although valuable, comes at a significant personal and financial opportunity cost. Many lament the low stipends that barely cover living expenses, especially when contrasted with potential earnings in industry positions. This financial strain is compounded by the fact that, despite the advanced skills acquired, job prospects post-graduation remain uncertain.

Musings by Eliza Ng

Christian Lins May 14

Finished preparing slides for friday and saturday lectures just in time.
Feels like paving the way while running on it every time.

#academiclife