Experiences of Doctoral Candidates

Kristin Müller started her doctorate at Leuphana in the winter semester 2022/23. Here she reports on her impressions from the Doctoral Research Group in Engineering.

Why did you decide to do a doctorate at Leuphana?

I decided to do a doctorate because I wanted to work scientifically and do research more freely than in my previous job in industry. I chose Leuphana because I expected a different way of thinking, especially when it came to sustainability. In addition, the field of engineering at Leuphana is still very young and in the process of being established, so I saw an opportunity here to be able to play a greater role in shaping it.

When did you first think about doing a doctorate?

During my Master's degree at RWTH Aachen University. At that time, however, I hadn't yet found "THE" topic for my doctorate. Besides, at that time I didn't want to study any more, but wanted to get to know the industrial world first. Today, the doctorate is less of a study for me and more of a normal job, which offers me a lot of freedom in research that is not available in industry. An industrial company naturally focuses on research for its own company or for its own products. At the university, the focus is not on the benefit of an individual company, but on advancing the state of the art as a whole. This creates a completely different social obligation for research and I can achieve a greater reach with my research results and bring about more change.

What is different now from when you did your Master's degree?

Everything - I completed my Master's degree at RWTH Aachen University in 2017 and then gained a lot of practical experience in industry. In the meantime, I have understood that today you can only really think freely about sustainability at university, as companies usually pursue their profitability as their main goal. Furthermore, I find it very enriching for my research to bring in my practical experience and to deal with it scientifically.

What do you benefit from most in the doctoral phase?

From the many opportunities on the one hand through the resulting freedom in research and on the other hand through the many opportunities for my personal development.

What would you say is different at Leuphana than at other universities?

I don't even know where to start... An important point for me is the supervision ratio in the field of engineering at Leuphana. In our team, we currently have 5 research assistants who are supervised by one professor. At other universities, one professor supervises around 100 doctoral candidates. So I get much closer supervision from my professor here than at other universities.

Another special feature of Leuphana in my eyes is that the topic of sustainability is a major focus of the university and is also focused on in the engineering sciences. Leuphana set this focus very early on and thus has a pioneering role and also a completely different self-image on this topic.

What expectations do you have of doctoral courses?

I expect to learn things that will support me in my doctorate and to meet people with whom I can critically question things.

Do you have plans to go abroad for a research stay?

I don't have any concrete plans yet, but I can imagine it very well. I already did an internship at a Spanish research institute during my Bachelor's degree. That was a great experience. So I think that another research stay abroad during my doctoral period would be very inspiring for me and my research.

Do you already have plans for what to do after your doctorate?

I have some ideas, but no concrete plans. There is a lot going on in the job market at the moment, so I want to remain flexible and not fixate on a concrete plan.  

Should it be an academic career after the doctorate?

I can well imagine it. I definitely want to continue to do sustainable research and advance the field of sustainable production and rethink things in the process. I also want to reach as many people as possible with my work. That works very well in the working environment of a university.

Thank you very much for the interview!

Why did you decide to do a doctorate at Leuphana?

The doctorate was a good opportunity for me to combine two things: my interest in dealing with subject areas in more depth and over a longer period of time and to get to know other professional fields besides school. I chose Leuphana because I already knew many professors through my studies and work as a student assistant (SHK) at Leuphana, and Leuphana offers good support opportunities for doctoral candidates.

When did you first think about doing a doctorate?

During my work as a student assistant, I worked closely with doctoral candidates, so my inhibitions about entering academia diminished. Since I enjoyed the SHK job and writing and researching during my studies, the idea of doing a doctorate myself came up more and more often. While writing my Master's thesis, I pursued this idea and exchanged ideas with professors and other doctoral candidates in order to better inform myself about doctoral courses.

What is different about the doctorate compared to the Master study times?

As a doctoral candidate, you have more time for your own research. However, this also requires greater independence and organisation, which is why it is important to structure your time effectively and prioritise your own tasks. Compared to the Master's,  you focus much more on a specific research area, which you work on in greater depth.

What do you benefit most from during the doctoral phase?

I benefit most from the scientific discourse with my colleagues and at conferences. Getting feedback on my own work is important for me and also a reassurance that I don't lose focus. At the same time, I learn to justify my own ideas and projects to other scientists and to stand up for them.  

What would you say is different at Leuphana than at other universities?

Leuphana is committed to personal and academic (further) development with various offers from the Graduate School. In addition, Leuphana supports doctoral candidates financially with conferences, stays abroad, etc. through the Qualification Fund.

What do you benefit from most as a doctoral candidate?

I have improved my time management and task prioritisation skills. The doctoral phase also offers the opportunity to exchange ideas with other doctoral candidates from different disciplines and learn from their research areas, perspectives and experiences.

To whom would you recommend a doctorate in your subject?

People who are interested in working on topics in detail and enjoy learning about new topics (e.g. statistics). In general, you should have a certain degree of self-organisation and time management.

Do you already have plans for the future after your doctorate?

At the moment, I am exploring the different options after my doctorate and weighing up what I like best. One option for me is to do the preparatory service, complete my teacher training and gain practical experience in schools. To explore other options, I am participating in the Graduate School's career coaching and development programme and continuing my education in various areas.

Thank you very much for the interview!

Why did you decide to do a doctorate at Leuphana?

I choose a doctorate because of the academic freedom and my interest in the topics related to sustainable development goals and more specifically sustainable energy. I was lucky to be part of junior research group “SteuerBoard Energie” which further provided me avenues to merge my academic background of public policy with regulations and financing under the leadership of my supervisors here at the Institute of Sustainability Governance.   

When did you first think about doing a doctorate?

Since years I carry a dream of helping humanity in getting their social issues resolved but never knew how. Thanks to DAAD for providing me an amazing opportunity to be part of Helmut-Schmidt Fellow for Public Policy and Good Governance where I got the chance to meet many internationals and we often used to discuss issues of governance in our respective countries. It was during my apprenticeship period at the University of Passau I found Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as the key indicators to resolve the development related issues across the globe. Germany being at the forefront of renewable energy inspired me to choose renewable energy (RE) as my focus area and that was one of the motivations to work on topics related to energy (SDG-7) and resolve the issues of energy poverty, energy access by guiding policy makers as well as inspiring youth in the sector. This might look very optimistic, so I am.

What is different now compared to the Master's times?

Being a doctoral candidate is different from being a master’s student. You need to be very focused and concretely deal with some topic in details. Being a doctoral candidate itself feels like you are the expert in the field (if not now may be in future). While working with your colleagues in a team you learn a lot about research, scientific communication, cross cutting themes and different methodologies of research and of course you read a lot.

What do you benefit from most during the doctoral phase?

During the doctoral studies you learn how to present your research problem and find different ways to resolve the jigsaw puzzle. Besides academics, you also get multiple opportunities to present your work, share your ideas and get feedback from the experts in different formats i.e., conferences, symposiums, and summer schools etc. All these platforms also provide you with ample opportunities to network and identify your “the scientific community”.

What would you say is different at Leuphana than at other universities?

I am not sure about other universities, but one aspect that I like the most at Leuphana is “sustainability consciousness” be it in the form of different courses, degree programmes, in the architecture as well as the student community.

What do you expect from the doctorate at Leuphana?

I am expecting to develop my niche in the research and together with my mentors lead the discourse beyond academia.

Do you have plans to go abroad for a research stay? Have you spent a research period abroad?

I recently experienced the first ever research stay abroad when I visited beautiful northern parts of Pakistan. During my PhD field research, I met the off-grid rural communities and explored different forms of community energy models. I was amazed to see the way rural communities together with the help of local NGOs as well as multilateral donor agencies build and manage the hydroelectric power projects. At the same time, it hurts when you see those rural off-grid communities have not been focused through policies and regulatory framework. 

Do you already know whether you want to pursue an academic career after your doctorate?

This is the question that I ask myself and still not sure whether I would stay in academia. But you never know, on the one hand I enjoy academic freedom and on the other hand I want to create a direct impact in the policy circles by joining some political elites or think tank(s), or it could be mix of academia and political leadership.  

Thank you very much for the interview!