Not everyone who has worked in academia decides to continue their career there. Recent research by Radboud University in Nijmegen shows that between 2008 and 2023, about 14% of academics in the Netherlands left the field. The reasons for leaving the academic world vary from person to person and can also be multifaceted. Sometimes academic work turns out not to be the right fit; sometimes it is simply different from what you expected. Some people entered with high ideals that did not come to fruition.
As part of the anniversary celebrations, De Nieuwe Utrechtse School, operating from UMC Utrecht in collaboration with the Journal of Trial and Error, is organizing a dialogue in which former academics are invited to engage in conversation about their experiences in science and share their reasons for leaving the academic field. We aim to identify what lessons the university can draw from these experiences to improve science and education. We hope that these insights will help make academia a more sustainable and attractive place for the next generation. This and more will be discussed during the public dialogue on May 7 from 20:00 in the university library in the city centre (Drift 27).
You can register via the following link: https://trialanderror.org/lustrum-ex-academia-2026