A Research Stay That Made a Difference

What kind of international experience did you undertake during your doctorate?

I am a doctoral researcher at the Institute of Political Science (IPW) at Leuphana. At the beginning of 2026, I spent three months as a visiting doctoral researcher at the European University Institute (EUI) in Florence, Italy. I should add that I am originally from Brazil and moved to Germany five years ago to pursue a master’s degree. So, in fact, Germany was my first international experience.

What worked particularly well?

The EUI is a European university, as the name suggests. It is also very different from Leuphana or any other university I had known before. There are only doctoral researchers there; there are no bachelor’s or master’s students. It is therefore a very small place where everyone is a researcher. There are very few students in the courses, and it is easy to meet and talk to professors at the university. This proximity was very valuable and worked particularly well for me, as it allowed me to discuss the details of my research.

What challenges did you encounter?

I find universities to be very welcoming places all over the world. Nevertheless, going to another country always involves some challenges. Finding a place to stay, learning how to navigate a new city, and familiarizing yourself with a new university all take effort and time. During a relatively short stay, this matters a lot, and the time goes by very quickly.

I found the non-academic challenges more difficult to deal with. At one point during my stay, I needed to see a doctor, which raised a lot of questions: Is my health insurance accepted here? How do I make an appointment? Can I access the public healthcare system? Is my Italian good enough for a doctor’s appointment?

What did you gain from the experience, both personally and academically?

Academically, a lot. I went there for three months because I wanted to take a specific methodology course. I was not only able to take the course with a professor who had written a book on the methodology, but I also had the opportunity to talk to her, present my research, and discuss how best to apply the methodology. I also met other researchers who were using the same approach.

Personally, it was inevitable to think about whether I could live in Florence, or in Italy more generally, and how life there differs from Germany. I came from Brazil to Germany five years ago, and that was a major cultural adjustment. Going to another country in Europe allowed me to reflect on which traits are broadly European and which are specifically German.

What advice would you give to other doctoral researchers considering a similar step?

Do it! I know that every international experience is different and that this can vary a lot. But the process of organizing my research stay was surprisingly easy. The Qualification Fund covered a large part of my expenses, and the whole process with both universities was quick and straightforward.

My only advice would be to choose a place that makes sense for your research: because of a course, as in my case; an archive you want to visit; a professor you want to meet; or another concrete reason connected to your project.

Everton Carneiro has been pursuing his doctorate at Leuphana’s Institute of Political Science since October 2024. He is supervised by Professor Lukas Hakelberg, Professor of Political Economy. His four-year doctoral project examines why some places developed into tax havens while others did not. A particular focus is on the role of colonial history. The project therefore involves extensive archival research in multiple languages. Everton Carneiro primarily works on cases related to former Portuguese and Spanish colonies.