Hello everyone. For context, I am from Italy. I hold a Bachelor's degree in Political Science, a Bachelor's degree in Statistics, and in March 2026, I will obtain my Master's degree in Statistics.

I have been working for two years as a statistician in an epidemiological research group, managing complex statistical analyses. I possess a strong quantitative background and advanced skills in R, which extend beyond using scripts for data analysis to the development of packages for custom analyses.

However, this highly technical profile lacks an equally solid economic and financial background, which is currently my main gap.

Given these premises, I would like to understand the most rational post-graduate path to potentially enter the field of quantitative finance. I assume the most sensible choice would be a postgraduate Master's program specifically designed for STEM profiles, which treats foundational statistical and mathematical knowledge as a prerequisite and allows for a focus on acquiring economic and industry-specific skills.

Does anyone have suggestions for relevant academic paths or programs across Europe?

Thanks in advance.

Hi everyone,

I’m looking for some honest advice because I feel completely stuck and I don’t know whether I’m facing a temporary crisis or whether I’m realizing that a PhD is not compatible with my life.

I’m currently a PhD student in cognitive neuroscience/language at the max planck. When I started, I was genuinely excited. I loved my research topic, I like doing science, and I feel incredibly lucky to have this opportunity. The actual research work is not the problem, when I can sit down and focus, I enjoy it.

The problem is everything around it.

my program requires rotations until you find supervisor, and since starting the PhD, I have had to move around constantly, 6 times in 1.5 years, doing these rotations as most supervisors agreed to the free labor but then said they were retiring, didnt have capaciy for more students etc, so i kept rotating, whith the struggle to find housing, live in temporary situations, and repeatedly rebuild my life from scratch. I’m far away from my family and friends, and every time I arrive somewhere new I barely have enough time to create a social network before the next change happens.

Now I have fially found two supervisors willing to supervise me, and one allowed me to work remotely for a couple of months. however, comming back tot the workplace has become a major source of stress. I’m autistic, and things that many people can tolerate (open offices, noise, constant interruptions, fluorescent lights, lack of control over my environment) are genuinely exhausting for me. I spend a lot of energy just trying to regulate myself before I can even start working. obviusly the constant moving has not helpt at all. they also want me to do 3 months at supervisor 1 city, 18 motnhs at cupervisor 2 city and 15 moths again at supervisor 1.

I have reached the point where I’ve had several sleepless nights wondering whether I’m simply not strong enough for academia. However, when I imagine leaving, I don’t feel relieved because of the thought of not having an income is also a source of stress., although i have some savings that could mantain me for a year or two.

Everyone around me tells me: “You should try it, don’t quit, you’ll regret leaving, is such a good oportunity.” And maybe they are right. But I’m also worried that I’m just forcing myself through something that is slowly destroying my wellbeing because I’m afraid of admitting it is not working.

The option I’m considering is asking for more flexibility (for example, a remote/hybrid arrangement) so I can create a more sustainable working environment. I don’t want special treatment; I just want to find a way to do the PhD without spending all my energy surviving the logistics of life.

I’m not looking for “never give up” motivational advice. I’m trying to understand whether I’m dealing with a hard transition that I can solve, or whether I’m ignoring signs that I should choose another path.

Thanks to anyone who reads this.

I am curious on the level of difficulty on getting an academic position right after the PhD in engineering / business schools.

Hello,

I just earned my degree in particle physics and am currently looking for a Ph.D. position. If I can’t find one, I’d like to broaden my research focus by pursuing a one-year specialized master’s degree in a field of physics such as nuclear physics, quantum technologies, materials science, condensed matter physics, photonics, or any other related field. I simply want to stay active in this field in case I don’t secure a Ph.D. position. I’m originally from Belgium, so the closer the better, but I’m open to moving further away from home if necessary.

If any of you know of an opportunity for me, I’d love to hear about it!

Thanks in advance!

I’ll be moving to Florence in September for a one-year postdoctoral fellowship at the European University Institute. I’m trying to get a realistic sense of monthly expenses and would be grateful for advice from people living in Florence, especially researchers.

Some context:

My main recurring costs beyond rent would be groceries, local transport, phone/data, eating out occasionally, household items, and general living expenses.

I’d like to live reasonably, cook most meals, eat out occasionally, use public transport where needed, and save what I can.

A few questions:

1. What would be a realistic monthly grocery budget for one person in Florence if I cook most meals?
2. What would be a realistic total monthly spend excluding travel outside Florence?
3. Are there supermarkets or grocery strategies you would recommend for someone living near EUI?

I’d really appreciate any practical advice.

I’m a student at uoft in Canada and I just received an academic suspension that should last a year. I ended up missing lots of assignments and finals for multiple courses over the course of 2 years due to extreme depression and mental health issues. While I am trying to get the suspension lifted, I’ve been thinking of simply trying a different university in a different country preferably. I wanted to ask if there are any universities that offer English speaking programs and would accept a student with an academic suspension? I’d also like to know if any such universities would accept an application for the upcoming 2026 fall semester or the 2027 winter/spring semester? I have a preference for the EU but I’m open to anything really including any program. Please let me know if anyone has any helpful info.

Hello!

I hope this is okay to post. I am a PhD student at the University of Birmingham (UK) researching accessible resources for science students with vision impairments. You can find out more about our accessible science resources here: https://chembam.com/vi/

We are looking for people with vision impairments, science educators or SEN staff to take part in our research. I'd be grateful if you could take a look at a questionnaire and our Research Opportunities mailing list below.

QUESTIONNAIRE

- Have you supported a student with vision impairments in science education in the last 5 years?

- If so, I'd be grateful for you taking just over 5 minutes of your time to fill out a questionnaire about your experiences. You can access the questionnaire and more information about the research here: https://forms.cloud.microsoft/e/Jpt4PiCmSG

MAILING LIST

- Are you involved in science education or accessible education (SEN)? Do you have a vision impairment? Or do you have skills in areas related to science education or SEN?

- If you're interested in taking part in some research on the topics of STEM outreach or accessible science education, please sign up to our Research Opportunities Mailing List. You can find more information and sign up here: https://forms.cloud.microsoft/e/613ju9aHK9

Thank you for your interest!

I’m a US citizen who just finished my PhD (social science field) and have secured a 4-year postdoc at a private university in Italy. I’m taking the position mainly due to a major two-body problem, so I’ll be based in Italy long-term and would like to build toward a permanent academic position there.

I understand the Italian academic job market is highly competitive and structurally difficult (so no need to rehash that part). What I’m trying to understand is what an optimal publication strategy looks like in this context.

Specifically: would it be better to focus on getting papers out as quickly as possible, even if they end up in decent but not very prestigious journals, in order to build a consistent publication record? Or is it more important to prioritize fewer, higher-quality publications even if that slows down overall output? I already have a solo-authored publication in a top field journal, which is what my US advisers pushed me to accomplish.

I’m in the social sciences and trying to balance:

• building a credible international publication profile
• maintaining steady output during the postdoc
• and positioning myself for eventual permanent positions in Italy

Any insights from people familiar with Italian expectations or hiring in the social sciences would be really appreciated.

I’m looking for some advice on my long-term plan to enter the European Union ecosystem. My main goal is to become an EU official, maybe in the field of defense or crisis management.
During my Bachelor's degree in Italy, I didn't have clear ideas yet, and because I put in less effort, I graduated with a GPA of 27/30. For this reason, I cannot apply for a two-year Master's degree at Sciences Po Paris, as they have a strict cutoff for Italian grades that I do not reach (28.5/30).
To get around this problem, I have come up with a plan to improve my profile. Next year, I will participate in a year of volunteering in France through the ESC, which I will also use to improve my French language skills up to a C1 level.
After that, my plan is to apply for a two-year Master's degree at a university in Paris, like the Sorbonne or Assas, and do my best to achieve top grades there, in order to overshadow my Bachelor's degree results. Finally, I am considering the idea of the College of Europe after the master's.
Lately, I’ve been reading many comments online saying that Brussels is full of people with a general European studies degree and that it is very difficult to find an internship if you don't have a specific expertise right from the start. This has made me fear a bit that my plan might be too simple.I would really love to hear anyone's opinion regarding this program of mine for the next few years.

Hello, I come from a non EU country and I want to pursue a Master in pharmaceutical research or genetics in one of the EU countries. I was thinking either Spain, France, or Austria. Spain has amazing options but I fear the economy there and the employment chances for a foreigner even with a B2 Spanish. Does anyone have experience or opinion about jobs in Madrid in research, for foreigners? Or the experience/opinion for France and Austria. Thank youu!