Resilience in International Transitions for Academics Abroad / 26-6-IT-4

TitleTimeRoomTeacher
Resilience in International Transitions for Academics Abroad / 26-6-IT-422.06.2026 09:30 - 17:00 (Mon)Dahlem Research School, Hittorfstraße 16, 14195 Berlin, Room 004 (Directions: S1, M11, U3, M48)Wichert, Amanda

Content

Whether it is navigating daily life in a new country, balancing your own cultural expectations against those of your new environment, or experiencing a shift in or loss of support structures - there is a lot to manage in cross-cultural transitions. Researchers and doctoral students who have relocated from abroad to work in a new environment arrive with high expectations for their own productivity, and along with their colleagues and employers, they often expect themselves to hit the ground running once they have found an apartment and unpacked their belongings. The stressors inherent in international transitions can make it feel harder to manage your research project successfully. You might feel like you have hit an invisible wall, or find yourself questioning your work patterns or project structure. When challenges arise  (issues communicating with your supervisor, a snag in collaborating with a colleague, or a global pandemic), it is easy to feel even more overwhelmed then you might have felt back home. Developing an understanding of typical transition stressors and building a toolkit of sustainable strategies to manage stress in transition can help you build resilience and cultivate work habits that support mental health.
In this workshop, we will explore common transition stressors and their impact on researchers in their work and daily lives. We will share our experiences, develop strategies to reduce and manage stress, and explore work habits that can make the difference between surviving and thriving in the increasingly global academic job market.
• What challenges might international doctoral researchers encounter? How can a deeper understanding of the stressors and challenges I am dealing with help me to develop resilience?
• What strategies exist to help me manage the stressors and challenges that I am facing while researching abroad? What methods exist to help me?
• How can I build a (new) network and find support during difficult times while also maintaining the workload of my doctorate?
• How can I communicate problems and challenges to or with my colleagues and supervisor(s)?
• What resources exist to help me with my international experience? What do I do if I feel overwhelmed or if I am not moving forward?

 

Participation

 

Doctoral researchers (all disciplines) of the Berlin University Alliance.

 

Before booking a workshop: please make sure that you can attend for the entire duration to receive a certificate. Check our terms and conditions.

 

  • Need to cancel your participation? : possible up to 14 days in advance
  • Log into your DRS account on our booking platform www.drs.fu-berlin.de
  • Click on "My course list"
  • Choose the course in question andgo to "course details"  
  • Click on "cancel booking". 

 

 

Further Information 

 

Doctoral programs calculate credit points based on the number of work units earned through workshop participation.
Each work unit represents 45 minutes of workshop time, and 8 work units equal 0.5 credit points.
For mini workshops (less than 8 work units), credits are calculated proportionally based on the work units.
Please note: To be eligible for credit transfer, you must accumulate enough work units from short workshops.
For example, attending two 3-hour workshops results in 8 work units (2 workshops x 4 work units each), which equals 0.5 credits.

 

 

 

Updates on available places, events, calls, announcements and more: register to our DRS Newsletter.

Workshops free of charge at the BUA partner institutions: Graduate Studies Support Program.

 

BUA-module on Research Integrity: You can take the module online at your own pace, free of charge, and earn a certificate upon completion.
Further information under:
https://www.berlin-university-alliance.de/en/commitments/promoting-talent/projekte/gwp/index.html. 

Regardless of on-site or online workshops, we would like to refer to the rules at Freie Universität Berlin, which can be found in the Code of Conduct

 

 

Course Format: 
on-site
Course Capacity: 
13
Course Language: 
English
Work Units: 
9
Budget Points: 
8
PDF template: 
BUA (en)
Instructor: 
Amanda Wichert
Type: 
Workshop