Exploring Academia with Isabelle
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InternationalYou can’t stop the rain – but you can control your response
Worry is a constant companion in early academic careers – about rejections, supervisors, career development, and much more. Isabelle Kohler offers help by introducing a simple but powerful distinction: the difference between what you can control and what you can’t.
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InternationalYour weekend is not a luxury – protect it
Working through the weekend seems to be treated as a badge of honour in academia. Isabelle Kohler argues that protecting your weekends is not a sign of weakness or lack of ambition – it is one of the most important decisions you can make for your long-term career and well-being.
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InternationalYou’re not supposed to know everything
Every early-career researcher knows the dread of standing on the podium: what if someone asks a question they can’t answer? Isabelle Kohler argues that this discomfort is the very essence of research – and that learning to cope with uncertainty might be the most important skill a PhD student can develop.
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InternationalThe scaffolding is the new career ladder
What if choosing the ‘wrong’ career path wasn’t really possible? Isabelle Kohler replaces the old metaphor of the career ladder with something more honest: a scaffolding, multidirectional and open-ended – and a space to explore for early-career researchers.
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InternationalPublishing papers or creating impact?
Source: Arian Khoshchin, canva.com As AI tools flood the academic system with manuscripts, the publishing world is under growing pressure. Isabelle Kohler argues that academia has drifted from asking why we do research to measuring how much we produce – and calls on researchers to shift their ...
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InternationalThe diversity we already have, the inclusion we still need
Despite growing diversity among students and staff, Dutch academia’s leadership and public platforms still lack inclusion. In her column, Isabelle Kohler argues that voluntary selection systems maintain exclusion and calls for concrete action to ensure decision-making reflects the whole academic community.
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InternationalThe virtuous circle of daring
A major barrier to professional growth may not be a lack of opportunities, but a lack of daring. Isabelle Kohler reflects on her year of taking calculated risks – from pursuing unconventional ideas to setting boundaries – and how daring creates a self-reinforcing cycle that transforms careers and builds lasting ...
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InternationalProtecting your focus time in academia
Between endless emails, meetings, and administrative tasks, finding time for deep work has become increasingly difficult in academic life. In her final column of the year, Isabelle Kohler shares the strategies she’s developed to protect time for the work that truly fulfills her: writing, reading, and thinking.
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InternationalShould you quit your PhD?
‘Should I quit my PhD?’ is a question many doctoral students face but few dare to voice. In her column, Isabelle Kohler explores why this decision feels so taboo, reflects on her own moments of doubts as a PhD student, and offers practical support for anyone wrestling with this question.
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InternationalExploring what’s next: 10 tips for early-career researchers shaping their career path
PhD students and postdocs highly specialise in research and scientific expertise. Something that’s often lacking is looking forward to career options. In this special edition of Exploring Academia, Isabelle Kohler presents ten tips to help you take actionable steps towards your career preparation.
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InternationalWill you become a researcher or an AI user?
Generative artificial intelligence (AI) has transformed the world in just three years. Isabelle Kohler ponders this rapid transformation and questions whether the focus on output in academia risks undermining the core purpose of PhD training. She argues that PhD students should develop skills and expertise, not just deliver results, and ...
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InternationalDealing with a disability in academia
Isabelle Kohler reflects on her own experience navigating health challenges while building an academic career, the crucial role of supportive supervisors and colleagues, and how both students and teachers can foster a more inclusive and understanding academic environment.
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InternationalCommitting to committees: strategic move or waste of time?
Isabelle Kohler explores the diverse types of academic committees, the skills and impact they can bring, and how to strategically decide which opportunities are worth accepting.
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InternationalShould I do a postdoc?
Isabelle Kohler shares her perspectives on the pros and cons of a postdoc fellowship and breaks down the decision that can shape a career trajectory.
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InternationalBreaking free from the validation trap
Isabelle Kohler explores how early-career researchers can develop internal validation skills to find genuine fulfillment and authentic career direction while breaking free from the pressure to constantly perform for others.
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InternationalHow to make student supervision and teaching work for you
Teaching transformed Isabelle Kohler’s career from an anxiety-inducing PhD requirement to her greatest academic passion. Here, she offers practical strategies to PhD students and postdocs facing increased supervision duties.
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InternationalFrom guidance to growth: join our mentoring program’s pilot phase!
Isabelle and the KNCV will join forces to launch a national mentoring program for early-career researchers. This column is both a reflection on the power of mentorship and an invitation to join the pilot phase of this initiative.
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InternationalRecalibrating your academic compass this summer
The summer break offers academics more than rest – it’s a rare opportunity to pause, reflect, and realign. Isabelle Kohler shares how a quieter pace can help you recalibrate your academic compass and make intentional choices for the year ahead.
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InternationalScience communication: your pathway to broader impact
Isabelle Kohler shares why science communication – in whatever format works best – might be one of the most rewarding parts of any professional journey.
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InternationalWhen your PhD becomes your identity
As academic work increasingly shapes personal identity, early-career researchers are especially vulnerable to over-identifying with their PhD. Isabelle Kohler shares how this dynamic affected her own journey and offers practical strategies to help PhD students and postdocs build a broader sense of self.
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