Beyond the Straight Path: Career Conversation
This initiative provides a platform for engaging in person interviews and conversations with PIs to discuss their career journeys, challenges, and insights.
What is “Career Conversation”?
“Career Conversation” offers members of our NCCR the opportunity to gain valuable perspectives from experienced PIs. Each session features an in-depth interview where the PI shares their professional trajectory, including pivotal moments, unexpected turns, and strategies for navigating the academic landscape. These conversations aim to inspire and guide individuals at various career stages—primarily postdocs and PhDs, though everyone is welcome.
Autumn semester sessions:
You can find all the dates in this flyer.
- September 29, 2025 (4-6 PM)- Prof. John Mansfield (UZH)
John Mansfield is a professor at the Anthropological Linguistics Group at the University of Zurich. His unusual professional trajectory—including a chapter in the private sector—offers a glimpse into a career path not often associated with academia. Flyer
- November 4, 2025 (12-12.30 AM) – Prof. Valentina Borghesani (UNIGE)
Valentina Borghesani is an assistant professor at the University of Geneva, FPSE, studying the cognitive and neural correlates of semantic knowledge in the NoCE lab. She has effectively broken the glass ceiling as a young female professor in STEM with a family. Flyer
- November 11, 2025 (2-4 PM) – Prof. Zegni Triki (UNINE)
Zegni Triki is a professor in behavioural physiology at the University of Neuchâtel. Although she started as a veterinary surgeon, she then decided to pursue a career in academia to study the physiological reasons behind the behaviours of animals – certainly not a common choice! Flyer
- November 20, 2025 (9-11 AM) – Prof. Paola Cerrito (UZH)
Paola Cerrito is an assistant professor in human evolution at the University in Zurich. Right after completing her PhD in 202A2, she had the chance to lead her own independent research project, at the Collegium Helveticum. How did this rare opportunity shape her career? Come and ask about it in this Career Conversation! Flyer