Transitions in Career Paths
ESCOP 2023 – WiCS-Europe Panel & Speed Mentoring
Conference: 23rd Conference of the European Society for Cognitive Psychology (ESCOP 2023)
Location: Porto, Portugal
Date: Wednesday, 6 September 2023
Session: Session 2a
Time: 14:00–16:00
Venue: Auditorium 1
Panel discussion: Transitions in Career Paths
Career transition experiences of cognitive scientists can involve changes across institutions, countries, roles, or work fields. These transitions shape not only academic careers but also personal lives, posing challenges for both early career researchers and senior academics.
Women in Cognitive Science-Europe (WiCS-E) invited participants to reflect on the opportunities and challenges of making career transitions both within and beyond academia. A diverse panel of cognitive scientists from different countries and career stages shared personal experiences and discussed how academic skills can be transferred to a range of professional contexts.
The panel presentations were followed by an open discussion with the audience and a speed mentoring session.
Speakers
- Marilia Carvalho, Science Manager, Center for Psychology, University of Porto, Portugal
- Sofía Castro, Jagiellonian University, Kraków, Poland
- Stravoula Kousta, Chief Editor, Nature Human Behaviour, United Kingdom
- Vanessa Loaiza, University of Essex, United Kingdom
Chairs
- Anna Soveri, University of Turku, Finland
- María J. Maraver, University of Granada, Spain
Speed mentoring & reception
As part of the event, WiCS-Europe hosted a speed mentoring session aimed at connecting junior researchers with senior faculty members. Participants met for focused conversations of up to 20 minutes, with the possibility of two mentor–mentee sessions depending on sign-ups. The session included a coffee reception.
WiCS speed mentoring has previously taken place at major international meetings, including the Psychonomic Society (US and Europe), APS, ICPS, and ESCOP.
Speed mentoring guidelines
- This is a one-time mentoring session and does not imply a long-term commitment.
- Mentees should prepare one or two specific questions.
- Mentees may send their CV and questions in advance, without expectation of prior review.
- All information shared during the session is strictly confidential.
The program was open to scientists of all gender identities, and feedback from previous editions indicates that both mentors and mentees found the experience highly valuable.
Participation & contact
WiCS membership is free and open to scientists of all gender identities.
For questions or further information, please contact:
wics.europe@gmail.com