When academia feels tough or uncertain | Academia et al

About this episode

Professor Richard Freeman discusses the challenges faced by researchers and offers supportive career advice.

Professor Richard Freeman joins Zeinab El-Khateeb to discuss the realities many researchers are feeling, and how easy it is to become pessimistic at times. But the heart of his message is supportive, reminding listeners that doctoral skills travel well and that people with doctorates often find satisfying work in many sectors, not only academia. His advice? Try not to lock yourself into only one definition of success, and stay open to what interests you as your career grows. Full show notes and links (including the MOOC - 'Is a PhD Right for Me?'): https://www.ucl.ac.uk/ioe/news/2026/may/when-academia-feels-tough-or-uncertain-academia-et-al More IOE Insights podcasts: https://uclioe.info/podcast UCL Institute of Education: https://ucl.ac.uk/ioe

People in this episode

Host: Zeinab El-Khateeb

Guest: Professor Richard Freeman

Topics covered

• academia
• career advice
• doctoral skills
• pessimism
• success definitions

Keywords

• academia
• PhD
• career
• success
• research

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: UCL Institute of Education

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