As a PhD candidate, social scientist Channah Herschberg investigated the ways universities select and exclude academic talent. Nowadays, she develops national policies on exactly this issue. ‘The perks of working in practice,’ Herschberg says, ‘is that I can change something.’

In this episode of Out of the Box, Herschberg compares working in academia with working in governmental organizations. Nowadays, she writes letters to parliament instead of conference papers and her calendar is crammed with meetings – something she actually likes. Yet, she still considers herself an academic. ‘The skills you learn as a researcher, I do take them with me.’

Channah Herschberg is a policy officer at the Dutch Ministry for Education, Culture and Science (OCW). Before moving to The Hague, she did research on the academic labor market and selection criteria for postdocs.

Out of the Box - Podcast with researchers who left academia and returned to it

Some left, others returned, but they all share one thing: they cannot stop being an academic. Radboud Young Academy and Radboud Reflects present a podcast series on scholars and scientists who take the road less travelled. They started companies, they managed large organizations, or they advised the minister on educational policies. What do they value in contemporary academic practice? What should change? And how do they view the role universities ought to play in society?

Also listen to:

Episode # 1: Floris Heukelom - Economist turned care farm owner

https://soundcloud.com/radboudreflects/outoftheboxflorisheukelom

Episode # 2: Kinga Matula - Physical chemist turned startup CEO

https://soundcloud.com/radboudreflects/outoftheboxkingamatula

Episode #3: Vincent Blok - Health care manager turned philosopher

https://soundcloud.com/radboudreflects/outoftheboxvincentblok

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Radboud Reflects organizes in-depth lectures about philosophy, religion, ethics, science and society, check our website for upcoming in-depth (English) lectures: www.ru.nl/radboudreflects/agenda/english-lectures/

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