Finding the right balance between academic career and private life may be a major career challenge within an increasingly competitive work environment. In the modern academic world scientists are increasingly exposed to different forms of stress resulting from time constrains, low job security, financial pressure or mental overload. While some people thrive and excel in this demanding system, many scientists end their careers in academia because of fewer perspectives to reconcile professional success with family life and personal social demands.
This interactive short course seeks to share experiences and discuss strategies in how to combine and improve academic career, personal and family life and wellbeing. For this, the short course will be split into two parts. The first part will focus on management and improvement of personal and employee´s wellbeing, creativity and innovative power, with keynote presentations given by a series of invited speakers from the private sector and sociology. After the talks the participants will discuss in smaller break-out groups the presented strategies and how to implement these ideas. In the second part, a panel of invited Geoscientists will share their own experiences of combining academic career, workload and family responsibilities. Following short presentations by the panellists, there will the opportunity for a Q&A session and discussion with the whole audience.