Dr Valentin Clavé-Mercier and Dr A. Sophie Lauwers on Navigating Academic Careers Abroad and Applying for Postdocs

On 20 May we are joined on Microsoft Teams (link below) by two graduates of CISRUL’s ‘Political Concepts in the World’ PhD project, Dr Valentin Clavé-Mercier, who is is a Lecturer in Political Studies at Complutense University of Madrid, where he was previously a Juan de la Cierva Postdoctoral Researcher, and Dr A. Sophie Lauwers, an IASH-Alwaleed postdoctoral fellow for 2025-2026 at the Institute for Advanced Studies in the Humanities.

Both Valentin and Sophie have experience successfully translating their UK academic experience to secure academic positions abroad, and Sophie also has experience finding and crafting successful postdoctoral applications. We will begin with an informal overview and interview about their experience, after which we will open up to Q&A. Please bring along your questions!

This event is part of an online series of informal conversations with former PhD candidates from the Centre for Citizenship, Civil Society and Rule of Law (CISRUL), about their experiences navigating their careers following their PhDs. Led by alumnus and current CISRUL assistant, Dr Elise Boyle Espinosa, we will explore topics including turning a PhD thesis into a monograph, the importance of research impact, and navigating postdoc applications. Current CISRUL PhD students and staff are encouraged to attend, and are welcome to share with all who may find these sessions useful!

Microsoft Teams meeting

Join: https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/344265428068789?p=CGIjYzcjeGWIG69faf

Meeting ID: 344 265 428 068 789

Passcode: yb7tn97V