By studying an Economics PhD, Mahreen gained the skills and knowledge to pursue a career as an academic. Mahreen enjoys how varied and flexible their role is – teaching, research, administrative tasks, and meetings.<\/p>\n
I studied for a PhD in Economics at Kent. The research portfolio of the department and the scholarship they offered attracted me to the course.<\/p>\n
I am a Lecturer (Assistant Professor) in Economics at the University of Exeter.<\/p>\n
It was instrumental in paving the way for a career in academia in two ways. One, I got the opportunity to teach at the undergraduate level which helped me understand how academia works in the UK. Second, I got valuable training in the process of conducting academic research and support for conducting primary data collection.<\/p>\n
My role is a combination of teaching, doing research, and fulfilling administrative or citizenship roles within the department. So on any day, I could teach a class, then attend a meeting with co-authors for a research project, write or review some code for analysis, and attend a meeting about the departmental seminar that I help co-organize.<\/p>\n
Being free to choose the topics that I do research on and the flexibility in how, when, and where to work.<\/p>\n
During my PhD, I focused on building a solid research agenda and presenting it at conferences and seminars. This paved the way for the Postdoctoral research fellowship at the University of Oxford which I did after graduating from the University of Kent. During my postdoc, I continued to invest in my research portfolio and network which enabled me to get the permanent academic post that I am currently doing at the University of Exeter.<\/p>\n
Perseverance. Research is not a linear process and can often be challenging and frustrating, especially in how long it can take. Therefore, it is crucial to keep trying and to not give up.<\/p>\n
Focus on your future but also enjoy the journey. Make sure to seize the opportunity of benefiting from the helpful staff, form a network of peers, and of course, build lifelong friendships.<\/p>\n
The charming city and campus!<\/p>\n
Mahreen Mahmud studied a PhD in Economics<\/a> and graduated in 2016.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"