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Transcript

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0:01Who are the characters behind science? This is Science Behind the Glass, Illuminating the Human Side. In this podcast, we unveil the human side of laboratories and science. Scientists share personal experiences and will discuss their meanings from different perspectives and fields of research. Hello, I’m Linda Hernandez. Welcome back to our podcast, Science Behind the Glass, Illuminating the Human Side. Here, we delve into the human side of scientists and researchers. We interview individuals really involved in the scientific and academic field, discussing the paradigm of academia and science through their human experience.

0:41Hi Linda, it’s nice to be back. Today we have a very interesting episode. We’ll be talking to graduated students who are often overlooked as scientists or researchers by universities and institutions. However, they have spent several years pursuing scientific careers and engaging in research process. We’ll hear about their personal experiences and insights gained through their… graduate students. We have interviewed students from different parts of the world, some studying locally while others have to migrate from different parts to complete their postgraduate studies.

1:12We will listen to their responses to a series of questions we have prepared for them and discuss the contrasts and commonalities that come with being a graduate student in various circumstances. That’s right, let’s dive into the interviews. Hello, thank you for being here. What is your full name? My academic name, I guess. I didn’t say it in any way. My name is Oscar Humberto Alvarado Sanabria. My name is Amanda Sofía Arana González. My name is María José Brito Vera. What is your postgraduate program and why did you choose it? At the moment, I’m doing my PhD in medical and molecular science. Mainly learning about the medicine itself, about the drugs, and also specific compounds that we can find from different sources of natural products that we can use to treat different kinds of diseases.

2:17Doing a PhD in James Cook University in Cairns. My research is focused on looking at how infrastructure development facilitates land colonization. massive land cover change and the impacts mostly on like it from the environmental side but also there is some scope to extend that to socio -economic side of things and the reason i chose this was because i love nature and being into nature conservation I am currently studying the doctorate in agricultural science at the National University of Colombia and the emphasis is in crop physiology. There are two reasons. One is because I always like to continue studying and researching. and how to solve problems related to plants and the agricultural part. Always seems interesting to me. And the other one is more academic versus job, a work issue. Sometimes when you don’t have a job, it is easier to get scholarships than to get a job.

3:27So in this case, it was a series of events that a scholarship came out and a project came out, and I liked the topic. I’m pursuing a master’s degree in the Biological Sciences postgraduate program at the National University of Mexico.

3:54And I chose it because it seems like a suitable program for the field I wanted to work in, which is conservation genetics. My postgraduate program is in biological oceanography. I completed my master’s degree and after a while I didn’t want to continue doing a PhD. But then I realized that this is what I really love, the academy, research. Are you a domestic or international student? Do you move from your city or home country to do your postgraduate studies? I’m from Indonesia.

4:45I went to Australia in 2020 to start my PhD journey here. I’ve been living here for nearly four years. I am originally from Townsville in North Queensland. I’ve lived about 400 kilometres, but in North Queensland, that’s like the distance between the… like any town that is more than 10 000 peoples The part of taking classes is taken in Bogota but I live in Tunja Tunja is relatively close Bogota is two hours away from there but I generally travel between these two places Fortunately, I live in Mexico City, where the central campus of UNAM is located, so I didn’t have to move, and that was quite beneficial for me. Yes, I moved to Puerto Rico to start my PhD, but I’m originally from Guayaquil, Ecuador. It is English, your first language. Did you have to learn a second language to study your postgraduate program?

6:11Why? Mother tongue is actually Japanese, not Japanese, Japanese. But then I also speak Indonesian, which is the national language in my home country. I’m still learning how to speak English properly. So my English is not perfect. let’s say, demonstrable, so that’s enough. So, as such, there is a requirement during the doctorate, which is to have a certification of English, but in the case of the doctorate, it is not something mandatory. yes i don’t remember the level of english they require but both when you enter the doctorate and when you leave they ask for a level of english so actually when i enter i already have a demonstrable level a b2 that is considered enough so as such yes it’s a requirement during the doctorate but in the development of the doctorate it is not something that is mandatory but how to say it you are supposed to know enough in the language for academic purposes but it’s not as limiting as when you are in another country that you have to When I moved to Puerto

7:41Rico to start my PhD, there weren’t any English exams there. But what a surprise! All of my classes have been in English, the core classes, which includes oceanography, chemistry, physics, etc. And that has been my main stressor. Can you share some of the struggles you have faced during your postgraduate studies? You know, as a non -native speaker, studying in a country where English is the main language spoken by people, so we kind of have to do twice harder. At the time when we’re doing something, that’s the second barrier because it’s totally different from my own culture. My family, they’re all in Indonesia and I was separated for around three years during the COVID. And that’s the biggest challenge for me as a mother, especially. Challenge for me was probably my own creation in that I didn’t really plan a lot. And then I had to just…

8:41packed everything I had into my car and drove up here with no pre -arranged accommodation or job. But I guess like the main sort of struggles were money. We get a post -grad stipend in Australia, but it’s pretty low. We recently got it increased a bit, but previously it was like two thirds of the minimum wage or something. And with like the cost of living increases that have been going on lately, especially like massive increases in rent and things like that, for a lot of people it was barely enough to get by. For me, for while I was actually losing money after paycheck. but that project, the funds are given by a public institution, in this case, my sciences, to a university through the ICTex. But, between bureaucratic problems and practically the slowness of both institutions, the funds have turned. Until now, they will turn. So, really, I have not been able to start my doctoral project as such because of that. So, that is like one of the great limitations.

9:50The other is my scholarship. It is really a partial scholarship. At the same time, I have to somehow work. limitations are related to the economic part when i decided to start my doctorate a project was already accepted but that project funds are provided by a public institution. In this case, incidents between the university and this institution and bureaucratic problems have slowed things down, and they haven’t deposited the funds yet.

10:18So I already haven’t been able to start my doctoral project as such because of that. That’s one of the big limitations. The other one is that my scholarship is really a partial scholarship. I have to somehow work and study at the same time. I think I have several problems with organizing myself, with being able to organize myself as well. Yes, I think I have several challenges, such as issues with organization and being able to stay organized. Sometimes it is very difficult for me to concentrate and complete my task on time. So this has been a significant problem for both me and my responsibilities in the…

11:08postgraduate program. As I mentioned before, English is my main barrier. Other barriers could include, for example the extensive reading, but that’s not a big challenge. I can organize myself.

11:45How these challenges change you as a scientist and as a person? I’ve learned from this experience about the perseverance, both as a person or as a student, that that’s really important. And I think that will be useful for me in the future too. First thing, and the main thing for me, I don’t know with other students, but for me, Stay close to God is the main thing that I have to maintain because I feel like a peaceful life no matter what circumstances that I’m in. When I close to God, I feel peace and also get more strength to cope with any circumstances. Get a much better understanding of how difficult things can be for other people. I like to think that I have always had some sort of understanding.

12:34Some sort of amount of empathy for how difficult life can be for other people through no fault or choice of their own. Many of the international students here don’t have any real sort of support. And if they come from a country that is much poorer than Australia, they cannot get any support from family back home, even if they… you know, needed it. And many of the students also have to help support family back home. So to see the sort of stress that the low wage can have for people who are doing their PhD during the day and they might have to work for like Uber or Uber Eats or something at night, that has been sort of like a massive, I don’t know, just a real like reinforcement of sort of my understanding of how things can be for other people. And my partner also, who is a brilliant academic. amazing person but has struggled a lot recently with chronic illness and just seeing how like the health system doesn’t really provide a lot of support for that there’s not really that much that could be done so she kind of just battles through dealing with everything herself One of the pros is that you already know that things are not going to go as you think, so you have to be always prepared, go little by little, keep insisting, but be aware of how to predict that sometimes it cannot be given, then you realize that in anticipation of having another job, prepare psychologically to know that things are not going to be read at the same time. Let’s say that one forms it with a little patience and to be a little

14:06more recursive. comes to know that things are not going to turn out as you believe. So it is up to you to be prepared and go little by little, keep insisting, but be aware and anticipate these situations. Take that into account in order to have another job in advance or prepare oneself psychologically to know that the things are not going to be on time. Let’s say that that formed you with a little bit more patience and a little more resourcefulness when it comes to obtaining resources, for example. Well, I believe that having a space where I can work with friends or colleagues has been incredibly helpful. I feel that many times issues with organization or lack of motivation to complete tasks on time can be addressed by building a sense of community.

15:15For me, it has been a beautiful journey and it has also helped me to forge many connections with other individuals within the scientific community. Strategies do you use to manage stress and prevent burnout? I love music. I play some musical instrument, so it’s kind of a… making me feel more relaxed. Many kinds of music, but especially the traditional one, traditional songs and also other great ones because here in Cairns, we have Cairns Indonesian Australian Association.

15:49What I found was when I meet people from my home country, it’s kind of meeting new family. I don’t really have any good strategies for dealing with stress and burnout. I don’t have a lot of free time. I don’t have any spare money, so it makes it a bit difficult to take any breaks or holidays or anything like that. I like to read a lot, but most of the things I read are potentially even more stressful than my PhD. So I can say things that you should do to avoid burnout, but I can’t really, you know, it’s more of a situation of do as I say, not as I do. Well, there are times that it is easier to implement them, there are other times that it is more difficult because it is not too good or immersed in the activities that one is doing. So when I have a cold enough head to think about it and decide that I am tired and I am not losing either at work or academically, I tell myself it’s time to exercise, I’m going out to drink something with my friends, say I’m not going to do anything today, just not do anything, literally spend time with the family. But sometimes it is difficult when you are not with that tension of time, of things to deliver or of activities, because that is when you are more stressed, like being aware that you are only physically and mentally worn out and like taking a break. in

17:25my work then i say it’s time to exercise or go out and have a drinks with my friend or maybe do nothing today or spend time with my family but sometimes it’s difficult when you are under a deadline or with pending things or activities to show result that’s when you are most stressed being aware that this wears you out physically and mentally and take that break sometimes it’s not as easy as i would like to be algo que me ayuda mucho es hacer ejercicio meditar Well, I think something that helps me a lot is exercising, meditating, ensuring I get enough sleep, and never, ever neglecting my mental health. Also, going to a well -being counselor is something that helps me a lot. I have tried and I have succeeded on many occasions. Disconnecting, bathing, sleeping, resting and doing different things than being in front of the screen, on a TV. For example, I love taking pictures. I like going out to take pictures, being on the beach for a while. taking a shower, sleeping, resting, and doing things other than being in front of the screen or a television. For example, I love taking photos. I enjoy going out to take pictures

18:57and spending time at the beach. During your postgraduate studies, have you lived with your family member or your partner? Yes, in addition to the Cairns Indonesian -Australian Association, me and my Christian friends, we have a monthly fellowship. And that helps me a lot because we are brothers and sisters in Christ. And so whenever we have problems, we will share our problems and they will support us in prayer. And that’s really strengthened me. I live with my partner. We’ve been together five years and we’ve lived together most of that time. So it has really helped to be able to share my life with my partner. She has been a massive help because we feel the same a lot about a lot of political things. So it’s a great relief to be able to go. I travel between Bogota and Tunja. So when I’m in Bogota, it’s usually because I have a job there, let’s call it that, in the middle of the day. And sometimes I have classes, either my own classes or supporting a subject, which is what the partial scholarship requires me. So when I’m there, it’s good. I’m relatively alone. I share with one or two friends from time to time. But on the weekends, I’m traveling to Tunja. So now I’m family, mom, dad, brother, girlfriend. I travel between Bogota and Tunja.

20:15So when I am in Bogota, it is generally because I have to work or I have classes. Either my own classes or a subject I teach, which is what the scholarship requires of me. So when I am there, I am relatively alone. So I share with one or another friend from time to time. But on the weekends, almost every weekend, I am traveling to Tunja to visit my family, my mom, dad, brother, girlfriend, all of them. Luckily, I’m with my whole family in Mexico City, but I feel that my mom has been a great support for me because we have a very good relationship and she has helped me a lot, I don’t know, in terms of transport, in terms of spirits, in being like a person with whom I can always talk. Yes. Fortunately, I am with my entire family in Mexico City. But I feel that my mom has been a great support for me.

21:07We have a very good relationship. And she has helped me a lot with things like transportation and keeping up my spirits. She is someone I can always talk to, which is fantastic. Yeah. Recién tengo un biz que me cambié con mi novio. Tenemos nuestros espacios, ¿no? Como que hasta esta hora se trabaja, luego, claro, si hay que estudiar o se tienen tareas pendientes, pues se las ocupa.

21:35Pero no es en la noche, yo ya estoy dormida porque me levanto ahora a cinco y media de la mañana. Porque tengo rutina para hacer ejercicio. Entonces como que más me doy el tiempo de estar bien, estar físicamente bien, estar saludable. Saludable en todo, ¿no? I recently moved in with my boyfriend. We have our spaces like until a certain time we are working. Then, of course, if there’s a studying or pending task, we take care of those, but not at night. I also have a routine. I try to get up by 30 a.m. to do exercise, and I try to take time to be well, physically and mentally healthy. I believe we all need that sense of tranquility and overall well -being, not just physically, but mentally as well. How is your relationship with your tutors? Can you rely on them for academic and personal matters? It’s a blessing when God leads me to meet them, to have them as my supervisor. It’s not a coincidence.

22:40It’s a blessing, really a blessing for me. They help me a lot, especially when I have to learn something new and they teach me, guide me how to learn those new things. I don’t really see my supervisors that much, but I am someone who’s like very self -motivated and I always have more questions. So that can get completely resolved in my work. don’t even like remember that i haven’t talked to my supervisor in a month or something but my my supervisors are very helpful when i need help like my main supervisor is pretty much like it’s me and him it’s our project essentially so he’s very helpful to get ideas about what direction to go how to communicate the work who to talk to to get like help on particular issues Fortunately, I believe in my way and what they have told me. They help me in my concept, so it gives me a lot of space. How do you want to do it? Here we are supervising, we are reviewing.

23:44They don’t pressure me much either. And more like, okay, you go to your realm, let’s say so too. Well, that’s it. I’m not one of those people who like to be asked what to do, but I already know what to do. I like to ask for advice more. So they accept that way and we work relatively well. One, let’s say, they provide me with a more logistical part and the other more in that academic part of knowledge. So it’s like a good…

24:22I mean… you can do it however you want and here we are supervising we are reviewing they don’t pressure me much and i can go at my own pace i’m not so much of that people that like who ask what to do but rather i already know what to do and i like it it’s more about asking for advice so they accept that way of work and it’s relatively okay one contributes to me in a more logistical part and the other one more in that academic part of knowledge we get along well but we are not like friends. But I know that in other cases, students may feel a little bit more alone and that person can share a lot more with their tutors. It also depends so much on the person. My relationship with my advisor is very good. Well, I think I have a very transparent relationship and I feel very comfortable with

25:53that because I have the confidence to always express my needs and be heard. So for me, that’s a huge step in graduate studies because I have had complicated relationships before and I feel that it is a significant limitation. advisory committee even though they are quite busy and I feel they may not be constantly monitoring or closely following my progress. I can always consult with them and they are always very open individuals. my current advisor who i have known for over 10 years explained the topic of the doctoral program to me and i decided to go to puerto rico i had had several moments where i needed his help with very personal matters especially regarding my health ahi has always been there for me how do you see the professional perspectives after finishing your postgraduate program i have to mention here that i’m actually a lecturer at one of the indonesian state universities i’m doing my study here as part of my job so as soon as I finish my study I will return to Indonesia and then continue my job as a lecturer. I’ve constantly tossed up whether or not I want to

27:25stay in academia or because I would like my work to have some sort of tangible on the ground benefits so I’m very interested in trying to get into a more practical sort of side of things where I can actually make things happen and be involved in that but also I have seen a lot of the constraints, NGOs and different conservation groups and government groups and how it can be absolutely impossible to get things done. Los que son investigadores, pues es en algunas instituciones particulares.

28:07AgroSavia, CENI Café, CENI Palma. Entonces, muchas veces lo que yo he notado es que, por lo menos en AgroSavia, los investigadores que ya están allá, es mucho más fácil que continúen con esa labor investigativa y que les tengan en cuenta su doctorado. Mientras que cuando uno es externo, ingresar es un poco más difícil. A nivel docente también uno ve bastante competencia. Entonces, como hay varios doctores, pues sí, son tampoco los escenarios. I see it a little bit complex because generally here in the country for that doctoral profile, I have seen that there are only two scenarios. One is to be a university professor and the other one is to be a researcher.

28:52But those who are researchers are in some private institutions. So many times what I have noticed is that at least for some private institutions, the researchers who are already there, they get it much easier for them to continue with their research and to have taken their doctorate into account. Whereas when you are external, trying to get a position in those kind of institutions, it is more difficult. In addition to these positions, there are the teaching level, but there is a lot of competition. Since there are several doctors, there are so few positions that sometimes many candidates are running for, and because there are very well -prepared people who could easily win those positions. I believe it’s a field that is continuously expanding. For example, in the realm of genetics and conservation, especially in the aspects of microbiota. But even so, I’m not well informed about what will happen after I complete the postgraduate program. So it is something that I have to start researching. In

30:29Ecuador, working in public institutions is a little bit more complicated than in private ones. And if you have a PhD, you are considered overqualified. It’s as if having a PhD, the perception is that they can’t pay you what someone with that… level of education should be paid. Can you give some advice for aspiring scientists? Would you recommend your postgraduate program? I think I would recommend this program to people that I know, especially in my faculty or in my university, because so far, the research that has been done in my university, especially related to medicine, they only limited to using… the extract, the crude extract from plants, especially because of the limitation that we have in our facilities.

31:14So that’s the best thing that we could do at the moment. I don’t know if I could recommend JCU specifically at the moment. because there has been a lot of changes in the last few years and a lot of them not necessarily have improved the situation for auto stocks or PhDs. I love doing research, so the PhD has been great for me. I’ve loved the experience. I would recommend a PhD to people if they love research. It’s not something that you should get into lightly because it can be a massive pain. It also depends, I mean, both the person and the area and what they expect. So, for example, mine, which is a doctorate, well, that’s the research area. So there are people who don’t know what to do and say, let’s do a doctorate or let’s do a master’s degree.

32:06But sometimes they don’t consider that, that research has a different approach than just labor. Yes, like the labor part, commercial, in short, it is investigative. I mean, the field, in quotes, is reduced or is specific to a sector. particular companies, so in my case I recommend it if you are an investigator and you work in an research institution, it is recommended, that is, I know that it would greatly enrich the activity as a researcher in those institutions. If you are not, and you go to Colombia, better not, that is, it is not necessary to do a doctorate. Let’s say that people when they go to do a postgraduate do not know those differences or the approach of each one and they are frustrated because they say, no, I thought the master’s degree was different, because they do not take into account that they are doing a research. Yes, for example, mine is a doctorate in the research area. Sometimes there are people who don’t know what to do and start a doctorate or a master’s degree, but sometimes they don’t consider that research has a specific focus, different from just work or business.

33:06If you are a researcher and work in a research institution, it is recommended. In other words, it is not necessary to do a doctorate. It is not necessary… and the doctorate or even the master’s degree. But if you want to do a master’s degree or a graduate program, you can consider programs that improve skills as a professional, not necessarily with research. So many times when people start postgraduate degrees, they don’t know those differences or the approach of each one of them. So they get frustrated.

33:35They said, nah, I thought that the master’s degree was different because they don’t take into account that they are doing research when they should have done other type of programs. puede adaptarse fácilmente a las necesidades y los intereses de cualquier investigación, entonces sí las recomendaría.

34:03Yes, I would definitely recommend my postgraduate program. I think it is a program that offers a wide variety of valuable courses, and I also believe it can easily adapt to the needs and interests of any research, so I would recommend it. Si te gusta la oceanografía, pues tienes que darlo, porque como dije, la oceanografía es… They give you Physics, Biological Oceanography, Chemistry, and Geology. For biologists, chemists, or geologists, I think anyone could enter. Because, of course, it’s not just biological oceanography, that’s what I’m studying. Because, in general, it’s the Doctor of Oceanography. And, well, they choose any of the lines. It’s a good program.

34:55In oceanography, you encounter physics, biology, biological oceanography, chemistry, and geology for biology. I believe anyone could get into the program because, of course, it is not only biological oceanography. That is the one I’m studying. In general, it’s a PhD in oceanography, and you can choose from any of these lines. But like in anything, if you enjoy it, if you feel that oceanography is for you, yeah, this is a good program. Tell us a little bit more about your research. What is it about? And do you think that your research will have an impact in society or contribute to your field? My research is about herbal medicine for wound healing, both the normal wound and for diabetic wounds. So far, we have already got really good results. And at the moment, we are still doing an experiment in mice that hopefully will get good results. So that will be useful or bring advantage for people, not only to cure the normal wound, but especially for diabetic wounds that you probably know it’s really hard to heal. Yeah, so I have a lot of hope. that my research will contribute to conservation and conservation research so i guess to give like the really quick sort of summary i am trying to build better models of predicting the impacts of large road development projects so things like the like the br highways through the amazon and things like this that everyone knows that

36:27these roads were sort of built in and then there was massive land colonization that resulted in like mountains of deforestation and invasion of indigenous territories and all these sorts of things. At the moment, the models to sort of predict the impacts of these projects are pretty basic. They’re either just very rough estimates or they are very refined estimates of only a certain percentage of the impacts. So what I’m trying to do is build much more robust models. I see my project, which I am waiting for to start, for the financing, is, in a few words, to promote a variety of bees, to commit a variety of bees to hydrochloric stress and verify if those varieties of bees, in quotes, remember the hydrochloric stress. Then you realize that if I have a plant, I put a mild hydrochloric stress on it when the plant is young and then I put a slightly more severe hydrochloric stress when the plant is adult and my idea is to see if that plant que fue sometida a un estrés hídrico cuando era joven, recuerda cuando ella ya es adulta y tolera un poco ese estrés. Acá digamos que esa parte investigativa, y sería lo ideal en cada uno de los proyectos que se hacen, estuviera unida a una parte de extensión, lo que llamamos extensión agrícola acá en Colombia, que es llevar ese conocimiento al CAMP. En el proyecto hay un pequeño acercamiento, como una reunión con asociaciones y un documento a nivel de alcaldía, o sea, de un lenguaje. In short, it is to test

38:08some pea varieties Test their response to the water stress and verify if those peace varieties remember water stress. I put mild water stress on it when the plant is young and then I put a little more serious water stress on it. I test the plant as an adult and the idea is to see if that plant that was subject to the stress when it was young remember when it is already an adult and tolerate that stress. The ideal would be that the research in agriculture gets extended to the field. What we call agricultural extension. here in Colombia is bringing that knowledge to the crops and farmers. In the projects that I am doing, there is a small approach with meetings with associations and a document at the regional level that is bringing the knowledge to less scientific language. And it is expected, especially in that agricultural part, that what I do has an impact on the field. Here in the country, generally, there is science, but it is not applied. It doesn’t reach the field. I think working with no human primate microbiota is a significant step towards conservation, especially considering that these monkeys are heavily trafficked.

39:33in Mexico. Having more tools to aid interconservation properly could be a crucial step forward in addressing this issue. Mira, yo estoy ahora con los ensamblados de peces, que son comunidades de peces en realidad, en los arrecifes de coral. Esa conexión que pasan los peces de una etapa juvenil a otra etapa de la historia de vida hasta que sean adultos y pasan pues a veces hasta al océano abierto. Y esa conexión es tan importante, o sea, principalmente para la pesquería, aparte de turismo y todo.

40:10fishing because if we do not take care of what is inside this small, which seems very small, which is between the reef, the mangrove and the prairie, well, we are really going to have or it is already being seen that there is a decrease in the populations of fish that are of fishing importance. I’m working with fish assemblages, which are communities of fish in coral reefs. My research aims to understand what happens to a fish at different stages of life. This connection is crucial, especially for fisheries and tourism.

40:43If we don’t take care of what’s within the reefs, mangroves, and seagrasses, there will be a decline in the population. Well, currently, we are observing this decline of the populations, and this will affect everybody, and economically important fish species and other fish communities as well. We heard about a wide variety of postgraduate projects that our guests are working on. For example, some of them are working on biomedical research, conservation science with a geospatial analysis, agricultural improvement, aristotelian populations, and wildlife communities. Although each field is different, all the students face similar challenges. What do you think, Danny?

41:22Yes, that’s right. Those of us in the field of science share many challenges in terms of, for example, intellectual demands and commitments to produce results. For example, the publications or the papers that we need to present. It might be related to how scientists are evaluated by institutions and founding entities. Additionally, pursuing a postgraduate degree demands a lot of time and universities often do not provide financial assistance that allows. proper survival, or at least live comfortably. Moreover, psychological services to cope with the burdens are readily offered. In my case, I was 35,000 kilometers away from home. And as Jason mentioned, the cost of living in Australia is very high. I had to send money to support my family. And unfortunately, I had an accident. Even though I have medical insurance as an international student, coverage for the international students was minimal. And I had to cover soldier expenses with the support of friends. Yeah, that’s true. There are many cases like that. While I was doing my master’s, the scholarship support was limited, and the university services for postgraduate students were scarce. However, the institution I am in now has various psychological support programs, which, despite everything, fall short for the volume of students who need them. Here in Mexico, there’s also a relative solid state scholarship program. that allows you to live without too much economic pressure. But yes, at the end of the day, students often persevere out of pure

42:54passion and commitment to science. On the other hand, we heard how students’ experiences vary depending on whether they are domestic or if they are international students or if they have to move far away from their place of origin. Yeah, that’s another topic. I think you and I can relate a lot to that, having to move from Colombia to pursue our respective doctorate. In my case, I feel that one gets used to constantly moving in search of opportunities, but I do think that… This is a burden assumed almost as necessary when you are trying to build a career in academia, and it involves heavy things like uprooting and leaving behind your personal support network.

43:36Personally, the advice I would give to people considering postgraduate studies, whether national or international, is to ensure good communication with their mentor. It is like a four or five year marriage. Communication and respect between both parties are essential. The chances one may need to make the thesis or the crisis experience are overcome with the help of mentors. In my case, this was essential. 90 % of the success of this postgraduate is due to this. Personally, I had the opportunity to study in Finland, but my communication with mentors was pretty poor, so I decided to resign from the PhD opportunity.

44:17It is essential to understand that resigning and finding a path that fulfills you personally and professionally is better than live four or five years of misery. This is how it reflects in the responses of our guests. For some, having a family or having their partners replaces the emotional support. But for others, their mentors become part of their family, as it was my case. Yes, also from the responses of the guests, I found it interesting how everyone has very different reasons for choosing their programs and very different perspectives after completing the postgraduate program. This shows us that there are many reasons to start postgraduate studies and all are equally valid. Often, we are led to believe that the only valid reason for pursuing postgraduate studies is that you are a super intellectual person who is crazy about science. We also see that everyone has very different ideas. about how to continue on the path of science after completing their studies, which is great because it seems like we are stepping a bit out of the box to think about different ways to apply our knowledge and skills in science. However, pursuing a postgraduate degree does not guarantee getting a job. In fact, without intending to discourage anyone, the competition is significant and job opportunities are not abundant. Therefore, it is also good to pursue an applied postgraduate degree or at the very least one that can be employed in the industry or working together with the industry. And to conclude, we want to thank our interviewees again and the audience for tuning in to this episode.

45:51of our podcast, Science Behind the Glass, Illuminating the Human Side. This episode was inspired by the articles Graduates, Students, Aspirations and Anxieties and Exploring Students’ Perspectives, How Graduates Students in a Life Science Department Define Success. We will leave this reference to these materials in the episode description. We’ll meet again in 15 days with the next episode. featuring more stories from the human side of the site. This podcast is self -funded, self -edited by its host. Find us on YouTube, Spotify, and our official website. Follow us on our social media on X, Facebook, and Instagram. The original music by our colleague and friend Bernardo Aguila.