Barbara got her PhD from CERGE-EI in 2011 and she is currently a postdoctoral fellow at Aarhus University, Denmark. She is married to her former classmate, with whom they met at CERGE-EI.

Why did you decide to study at CERGE-EI? What were your other options?

During my last year of master studies I started working in a consulting company. When designing a pricing strategy for our customer, I have realized that I miss econometric skills. So I looked for post-graduate studies in economics. Originally I was thinking about studying over weekends or attending an intensive summer school, but I changed my mind once I came across the PhD programs offered by CERGE-EI and the Central European University (CEU). I recalled my earlier dreams about a career in academia and applied to both places. CEU put me on a waiting list, but CERGE-EI invited me to the preparatory semester. So I came to Prague…

Why did you stay in academia? Did you know from the beginning that you would follow this path? What is the chance that you would switch to politics/ business sometime in the future?

As I said before, a career in academia has always been an option I have seriously considered. This is probably because both of my parents work in academia (although not in economics). When applying to CERGE-EI I knew that if I manage to get a PhD, I will look for an academic job.

Did your background in management help with your course work in CERGE-EI or with your research? What were your advantages compared to students with a more technical background?

I studied management at a technical university, which means that I was exposed to mathematics and physics quite a lot, but I did not gain much experience with economics. During my first year at CERGE-EI I had problems with economic intuition, but my mathematical skills helped me to get through. When solving home assignments, I usually worked in a group of students. Some of us had strong economic intuition, others were better in mathematics. Together we were able to solve the majority of problems. This cooperation was very helpful.

How did you manage to balance your studies with your social life? Do you have any advice for the current students?

We had a very nice cohort. My husband (whom I met at CERGE-EI) was my classmate. I think that this explains a lot 🙂 When there are great people around, it is easy to combine studying with social life. We solved home assignments together and then went for a beer. We celebrated our birthdays and the end of each exam session. I also took part in sport events organized at CERGE-EI – softball practices, ski trips, squash tournaments. This was a good occasion to integrate with students from older cohorts. One can learn a lot from them.

I would advise the current students to take advantage of all the social events organized at CERGE-EI. It is a good opportunity to relax and refresh your mind; and a good chance to get to know your professors and colleagues. It is much easier to cope with coursework and dissertation-writing when having friends around.

You went for mobility to Berkley in your 4th year. Was it a proper timing/ place? Besides your research, did it also help you with finding a job in academia?

Going for mobility was a great experience. First, I could consult my work with well known professors. They gave me many invaluable comments and made me believe in my ideas. Second, I talked a lot with local students. I learned how the job market for academic positions works. Third, I attended many inspiring research seminars. While listening to these perfectly-structured presentations and the follow-up discussions, I got an idea about how to sell a paper. Fourth, I had a chance to travel around California and the surrounding states, which had been my dream for a long time.

For me mobility meant spending four months in a strongly motivating environment. It gave a “big kick” to my research. During the mobility I gained confidence in my work and I finally felt that I know what research is about. From this point of view it would be good to go for mobility a bit earlier.

And yes, I think that a research stay at the University of California at Berkeley helped me with getting a job and it is also good “signaling” shown in CV. I learned a lot there.

I see you attended quite a few conferences. How does conference participation help you in developing your career and shaping the research ideas?

Attending conferences is useful for at least three reasons. First, presenting a paper on a conference motivates me to work strong on this paper. The mechanism is simple: by signing up for a conference I commit to a deadline. Second, as I said before, during conferences I often hear inspiring presentations, which help me formulate future research ideas. And third, going to a conference is a great occasion to meet people who might give a couple of good comments on your research, who might later become your co-authors, or who might help you get a job. The latter has actually happened to me. Two years ago I presented my paper on a PhD conference where an invited professor gave comments to our presentations. This year that professor was looking for a post-doc to join his project. After getting the job I have learned that he has remembered my presentation and that gave me a big plus!

From your point of view, what makes a paper successful? Should students put any effort in publishing before being awarded their PhD degree or should they focus exclusively on their thesis?

There are several components of a successful paper: good idea, simple but robust methodology, good presentation. However these may fail if the researcher does not like his/her research. I have learned that a paper can be successful only if its author truly believes in it. This is why I would advise to present, discuss, and publish your papers during the PhD studies. This process will give you confidence in your work.

What role does the advisor play in your career? Do you have any advice for students at the point in their career when they have to choose their advisor?

I had, or actually have good relationship with my advisor and I would like to work with him again if I was starting my dissertation from scratch. He was very critical, but in the end I knew that whatever was approved had a reasonable quality. I also consulted my research with other members of my dissertation committee and that was very helpful. I learned different approaches towards the same issue and I also realized what I do not want to do.

I would advise to choose a supervisor with whom you feel comfortable and at the same time for whom you feel respect. Do not forget that research is also about discussing. Choose a diverse dissertation committee so that they can give you different comments.

Mona Moldoveanu, 1st year student

Editing: Tetyana Holets, Nargiza Alimukhamedova