PhD Day 2025: a snapshot of our collective momentum
Dear all,
PhD Day on 26 May 2025 was nothing short of inspiring — a rare mix of thoughtful conversations, open reflection, and genuine connection. From the first moments of our morning session to the last laughs at Falscher Hase, the day felt like a shared breath of fresh air in the middle of our busy academic lives.
In our morning workshop on the future of research, we dug into the real tensions shaping the research of the future— from systemic barriers and political turmoil to the shifting expectations of who we are as researchers. The breakout discussions sparked bold thinking: What should we abandon? What needs reinventing? And who gets to imagine what comes next? It was challenging, creative, and at times beautifully provoking— in all the right ways.
The discussion with IOER’s Director, Prof. Marc Wolfram, gave us the opportunity to speak openly — and sometimes anonymously — about the institutional, professional, and personal questions that matter to us. We’re grateful for the time and space to engage in that exchange and hope to continue this dialogue in future sessions.
A very special thank you goes to IOER Research Associates, Dr. Neelakshi Joshi and Dr. Alexander Dunkel, for guiding us through the afternoon session on academic journal review comments. Their clarity, generosity, and real-world insights turned what is often a source of stress into something we can now face with a little more strategy — and a lot more solidarity. Now we know how to deal with the good, the bad, and the ‘ugly’ reviewer comments.
While this day was created with PhD fellows in mind, we know that many of the conversations — from shaping future research cultures to navigating academic systems —resonate more widely across IOER. Next year, we’d love to open the space further, and connect across roles and experiences.
Until then, let’s carry forward the spirit of the day — bold questions, shared laughter, and the commitment to do research that matters.
With warmth and appreciation,
The PhD Rep Team
Caspar Kleiner, Daniel Peter, Ersi Zafeiriou, Lamiaa Ghoz, Rayaan Sulieman, William Ying
