HRA Karrieresprung on 10 October 20243 Quick Questions for Dr. Ijad Madisch

17 July 2024

Photo: Gene Glover

We are delighted to welcome Dr. Ijad Madisch as our keynote speaker at the HRA Karrieresprung 2024! Ijad Madisch, who holds a doctorate in virology, moved from academia to business while remaining closely connected to the scientific community: As founder and CEO of the renowned network ResearchGate, he created a platform that connects scientists worldwide and enables the exchange of research results. He was also a member of the German government’s Digital Council from 2018 to 2021, where he contributed his expertise to digital transformation. At our career day, he will share insights into his extraordinary career path and answer your questions in a Q&A session! As a little teaser, here are our first three questions:

Master plan or gut feeling: How have you made decisions in your career so far?

It depends on the situation. Both ways of making decisions are important tools. My simplified golden rule is: "If your gut says no to something, don't do it. If it says yes, do more research."

What skills did you acquire during your doctorate and postdoc phase that were most valuable for your later career?

The research itself. The ability to have a toolbox for a topic or problem, from which you select and apply the right tools to get closer to the solution, is one of the best things I learned during my research time.

What do you wish you knew earlier?

Nothing. I got used to the idea and learned to love the fact that you know things when you know them. It's hard to think about what you wish you had known earlier.

The HRA Karrieresprung will take place on 10 October at the Design Offices in Hammerbrook. Doctoral researchers and postdocs from HRA member institutions are warmly invited to register.