Speaker
Description
Academic success is often measured by publications, grants, and awards. Yet, the journey behind these achievements is rarely discussed. Academic careers often do NOT follow a straight line and comparison with others can be easily misleading and frustrating. As community we should rather focus on growth than on competition, because what matters in science is persistence and curiosity. But, this is usually not in line with performance records asked by institutions to get financial support for science (and a fixed position).
The narrative about my own career should therefore be only a start for raising discussions about empowerment in physics such as () robust mentorship programs that provide guidance and visibility, () targeted initiatives for early-career support to bridge the "leaky pipeline," and (*) institutional change through policy reform that embeds equity into the core of research organizations.