Isabelle Kohler
Isabelle Kohler is Assistant Professor at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam and founder of NextMinds. She writes in C2W International in her column “Exploring Academia with Isabelle”, where she gives tips and tricks to young scientists to navigate the academic jungle.
Isabelle is passionate about teaching. She didn’t expect that teaching and mentoring the younger generation of scientists would be so rewarding (and fun). After 15 years in academia, she realized it was time to explore this talent further, and founded NextMinds, next to her job in academia.
With NextMinds, Isabelle provides knowledge and tools to early-career scientists (students, PhD students, postdocs), to make them well-equipped to conquer the academic world.
She loves telling stories – on academia, science, career development: as long as she can write (with a good cup of coffee), she’s happy.
Contactinformatie
- Email:
- i.kohler@vu.nl
- Website:
- https://www.nextminds.net/
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.
InternationalHow to stay creative in academia?
Isabelle Kohler reveals the dual system that has kept her ideas flowing: creating deliberate space for the mind to wander through low-key activities and implementing practical capture methods to store ideas when they emerge.
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 ...
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.
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.
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.
Mens & Loopbaan10 tips om je loopbaanopties in kaart te brengen
Je hebt je helemaal gestort op je promotieonderzoek, soms nog gevolgd door een postdoc-project, maar op een dag is daar die grote vraag: Wat nu? C2W International-columnist Isabelle Kohler loodst je door het carrièredoolhof.
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 ...
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
PartnerbijdragenAccelerate your career at HPLC2025
Are you a Master’s student, PhD candidate, or postdoc wondering about your next professional step? Join the Career Accelerator Program taking place at HPLC2025 in Bruges (15-19 June 2025) and explore what your future could look like.
Opinie & Columns‘We moeten PhD studenten beter voorbereiden op de arbeidsmarkt’
Hoewel universiteiten claimen dat ze hun promovendi voorbereiden op de volgende stappen in hun loopbaan, ziet Isabelle Kohler een kloof tussen wat die academische training biedt en wat early-career onderzoekers nodig hebben om goed voorbereid de ‘echte’ wereld in te trekken.
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.
InternationalAccelerate your career at HPLC2025
Are you a Master’s student, PhD candidate, or postdoc wondering about your next professional step? Join the Career Accelerator Program taking place at HPLC2025 in Bruges (15-19 June 2025) and explore what your future could look like.
InternationalCutting language support is cutting the future of the Dutch research landscape
Isabelle Kohler contemplates how local decisions, like cutting language support, risk undermining national goals for integration and long-term talent retention. She calls on institutions and policymakers to invest in those people already committed to building their careers in the Netherlands.