We Present our Alumna Eva Zschirnt

“Doing my PhD in the framework of the nccr – on the move was a great opportunity and experience.”

Eva Zschirnt, a highly mobile researcher, was part of the first cohort of doctoral students to complete their PhD within the framework of the nccr – on the move. She obtained her doctorate in human and social sciences at the University of Neuchâtel with a thesis entitled “Ethnic discrimination in the Swiss labor market – Ethnic hierarchies in correspondence test results” in November 2018. As she hoped to pursue an academic career, she applied for and was selected for a Max Weber fellowship at the European University Institute in Florence. This highly selective program is designed specifically for junior PostDocs to prepare them for a long-term career in academia. It gives them the opportunity to concentrate on their own research, to build up their networks, and to acquire teaching skills, all prerequisites for eventually becoming a professor.

Interview by Ellen Weigand

When Eva Zschirnt began her university studies, she was not yet thinking of moving on to a PhD or pursuing an academic career: “I like to explore the opportunities that life presents. I had always been interested in social sciences, so choosing the Bachelor of European Studies at Maastricht University was a great opportunity to receive an interdisciplinary and internationally focused degree and it allowed me to study in English,” she recalls. She then focused on migration studies, completing a MA in Migration and Law at Queen Mary University of London. “It enabled me to keep on working in an interdisciplinary environment and focus on a topic I was passionate about.” After graduating from her Master’s program, she decided to apply for PhD positions to continue her academic career. While she initially focused mainly on positions in the UK or the Netherlands, having previously lived and studied in both countries, she was quick to seize the opportunity that her discovery of the nccr – on the move presented. The availability of multiple positions for doctoral students in the field of migration studies led her to apply in Switzerland, too: “The focus of migration and mobility and the interdisciplinary focus were just a perfect match – I felt it would be foolish not to apply.” She does not regret her decision to move to Neuchâtel for her PhD.

Migration, a Topical Field

The German PostDoc’s interest in migration studies began during her bachelor’s degree, and following her graduation she began to focus on development policy and migration. She deepened her interest in these topics through various internships, including an internship at the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees in Nuremberg (Germany), before completing her Master’s degree in Migration and Law. Today, she is more convinced than ever that this was the right choice, even though some of her colleagues were surprised at the time, believing the research topic to be too “limited” compared to that of development policy. “But I think I made the right choice. It’s an exciting field, one that has recently become very topical.”

That is also the reason why she encourages those who are interested to embark on research in this field: “It will certainly remain relevant for a long time and discussion of migration issues can only benefit from a more informed debate. It is a topic on which many people express their views, especially in the media, but often without the necessary in-depth knowledge,” she notes.

nccr — on the move: An Opportunity for Interdisciplinary Research and “Networking” in Different Areas

Being a doctoral student at the nccr – on the move was certainly a rich academic experience. It began for her as soon as she arrived: “Newcomers were immediately introduced to a large academic network of other doctoral students, postdoctoral fellows, professors, and administrators.” Belonging to a “community” is the first positive point highlighted by Eva, who knows many people for whom completing a PhD thesis was a very solitary experience with little support from their supervisors.

The interdisciplinary nature of the nccr – on the move is another point that our alumna especially appreciated: “While it is definitely challenging to work in an interdisciplinary manner, I really liked the exchanges with specialists from other disciplines.” She believes this aspect could be developed further by the NCCR: “Interdisciplinary work should not only bring people from different disciplines together on a single project, but it should also have all of them – economists, lawyers, etc. – work together in a very concrete manner.”

The nccr — on the move also offered a valuable communication infrastructure, which Eva relied on to disseminate information about her work, for example, through its blog and social media channels: “We had the option of participating in media training, and it was very interesting to learn about ways to present and share our work and knowledge as a researcher, as we are often criticized for not communicating with the broader public.” She was also involved as a PhD representative in the NCCR’s Knowledge Transfer Committee, which planned the communication and knowledge transfer strategy for the nccr — on the move.

As a woman embarking on an academic career, Eva also appreciated the Peer Mentoring Group (of which she was one of the leaders), which allowed the women of the NCCR to meet and participate in different activities aimed at improving their career prospects: “It was an interesting opportunity to share and exchange experiences with other women in a scientific context and to compare my own experiences with theirs.”

One of the big challenges when it comes to the early stages of an academic career is the often limited duration of the contracts. “Having contracts that only last for one or two years, without any security after that, can be a very high risk.” Often these short contracts require a willingness to be mobile, which makes it hard to make long-term plans for one’s personal life. “In this respect, the NCCR PostDocs are great, since they allow you to settle in one place for four years.”

The Max Weber Fellowship at the EUI: Italy, a New Challenge

For Eva, discovering Florence is a great new experience: “I love to meet new people, learn new things and discover other cultures.” A key challenge, and this is the flip side of the coin, she admits, is the distance and separation from family and friends. “You cannot spontaneously pick up the phone and suggest going for a coffee or drinks; instead, you have to plan a little more in advance and make the most of your time. But Skype, WhatsApp, etc. have made it much easier to stay in touch regularly, even if they cannot replace being with someone in person.” That is why she often spends her holidays in Germany, where most of her long-time friends and family live. In addition, she uses conferences, which she attends regularly, as an opportunity to organize meetings and network with her “academic” friends.

As a logical continuation of her work at the nccr – on the move, her current research theme in Italy still focuses on discrimination in the labor and housing market. Given the great effort involved in the data collection process during her time in Neuchâtel, “it would have been a great pity not to continue to use the mountain of data we collected during these four years.” At the EUI she is involved in a research group on Experimental Methods in the Social Sciences, which allows her to continue the work in this area and to extend her knowledge in the field of experiments.

As she loves new challenges, Eva has also started to focus on gender and gender discrimination, motivated by her mentor at the EUI, who has a special interest in this area: “It is always interesting to enlarge your field of research, knowing that there is also a lot of overlap between this domain and migration.”

Academic Mobility: A Rich Experience, but with a Price

From Germany to the Netherlands, the UK, then Switzerland and now Italy – for the sake of her academic career, Eva has not hesitated to move and migrate herself and to get to know different academic systems. Her mobility has also contributed to building and enlarging her international academic network – a very important aspect that is crucial in the field of migration studies.

Although she is already thinking about it, our alumna is not yet sure which country will represent her next step toward an academic career after finishing her postdoctoral fellowship next year. The one thing she is sure about is that she will be looking for another postdoctoral position or an assistant professorship, which is the very purpose of her current fellowship. Though she would prefer to find a more permanent position in Germany, the Netherlands or Switzerland, she does not want to focus on any one country. This is because she knows very well that, although being mobile is not a precondition for an academic career, it makes it easier, especially in the migration field, where many of the potential positions are international.

Eva Zschirnt’s thesis “Ethnic Discrimination in the Swiss Labour Market – Ethnic Hierarchies in Correspondence Test Results”