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Doing a PhD in Europe vs. the US

Are you thinking of doing a PhD abroad? There are some considerable differences between European and American PhD programs that you should know about before applying. Read on to determine which program is right for you.

Qualifications

It is often not possible to do a PhD in Europe without first earning a Master’s degree. In the US, many PhD programs accept applicants who only have a Bachelor's degree. Students usually earn a Master’s as part of the PhD program after they have completed a few years of coursework and passed certain exams. This doesn't mean that all doctoral candidates in American PhD programs have entered the program straight from undergrad. Several still choose to do a Master’s first before applying for a PhD. In some programs students who already have a Master's might not be required to take as many courses as students with just a Bachelor’s, but this isn't always the case. 

Time to Degree

European PhD programs are shorter than those in the US. For example, it takes three years to complete a PhD in France, Norway, the UK, and Germany. Across Europe, a three to four year PhD in common. In comparison, six years is the average time to degree in the US with many PhDs in the humanities taking seven or eight years to earn their degree.

Thesis Topic

PhD candidates in Europe must choose their thesis topic and supervisor during the application process. Students apply for specific vacant doctoral projects that are usually tied to a professor’s research. As part of their application, they must create a research proposal for this project. It is also possible (in the UK for example) to apply to a department rather than a specific position, but applicants must still include a research proposal and are advised to contact potential supervisors before applying. In the US, candidates apply to a department’s PhD program, rather than a specific PhD project. While they have to discuss their research interests and identify potential supervisors in their applications, students do not decide on their thesis topic until their second or third year. In fact, many science and engineering programs have students rotate between different labs in their first year before deciding on their supervisor and dissertation project.

Teaching Requirement

PhD candidates occasionally have the opportunity to teach in Europe, although teaching is not a requirement in many countries. In the US, PhD candidates are often required to teach undergraduates, often as teaching assistants for a large lecture class. A teaching assistant leads smaller tutorials for 20-30 students and grades their exams and papers. Most PhD students will TA one class each semester for two to three years. Several American PhD programs also have mandatory pedagogy courses for graduate students.

Many European PhD programs require students to do little to no coursework. Candidates start working on their dissertation projects right away. American PhD programs, regardless of the field, require students to take two to three years of courses and seminars about topics across the discipline before they being working on their dissertation.

Funding and Salary

In several European countries, PhD students are seen as employees and have work contracts. As employees, PhD students pay into health insurance, pension, and unemployment insurance. In countries where PhD students are not employees (such as the UK and Italy) students apply for university scholarships, external fellowships, or research grants for funding. Tuition fees are drastically lower in many European countries compared to the United States. Funding at American universities varies widely, as do tuition fees. Private universities have higher tuition than public state schools (though international students usually higher tuition at state schools). The top schools offer five-year funding packages which cover tuition and fees and provide a monthly stipend. They also often include health insurance and conference travel. At other schools, students must compete for fellowships at the university, state, or national level to fund their PhDs. In some departmnets students will be paid and receive partial tuition credit for take teaching assistantship or research assistantship positions.

Comprehensive Exams

Most European PhD programs do not require students to pass qualifying exams to progress through their PhDs. There are some notable exceptions, like Sweden, where PhD candidates do an oral and written exam at the halfway point of their PhD. In the US, students usually have to pass a series of comprehensive exams before they can start working on their dissertation. The exams test the student’s knowledge of the major fields within their discipline. While every university will have a slightly different exam structure, there is usually an oral and a written component. Sometimes students also have to orally defend their dissertation proposal. After the candidate has completed their coursework and passed all the required exams they are considered ABD (all but dissertation).

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• 10 Things You Didn’t Know About PhD Study in Europe

All PhDs have to be unique (that’s kind of the point) but aren’t PhD qualifications pretty much the same? Well, no, actually.

Studying abroad isn’t just a way of accessing different facilities, sources of expertise and research opportunities. It’s also a means of accessing very different approaches to PhD study as a whole. Nowhere is that more true than Europe, with a wide range of higher education systems and many of the world’s top universities.

This post isn’t about all that though. This post is about some of the things I’m pretty certain you don’t know about studying a PhD in Europe.

Some of them are interesting and thought-provoking. Some are a little more surprising and – dare I say – slightly odd. Together they all paint a picture of the kind of unique opportunities Europe offers for PhD study abroad – a picture that differs in interesting and attractive ways from the UK, USA or other destinations.

So, if you’re thinking of a PhD in Europe , read on. If you aren’t, I think you should be, so read on as well.

#1 Germany invented the PhD

We have to start with this, really. You could be forgiven for assuming the PhD has existed since the dawn of time (or at least the dawn of Oxford and Cambridge) and that students have been researching projects and writing theses for as long as there have been universities for them to submit them to.

Actually, they haven’t.

The modern PhD originated with the founding of Humboldt University of Berlin in 1810. Previously academic experts had focussed on gaining mastery of existing knowledge and worked towards. . . a Masters degree. The new PhD reflected a new focus on adding to knowledge through original research.

The qualification soon spread to the USA (Yale University gets credit for awarding the first American PhD) and other parts of Europe, but it was Germany – and Europe – that set the standards that still define a doctoral degree (and made a pretty significant original contribution to knowledge in the process!).

#2 Some European countries don’t charge PhD fees

It’s true, several European countries don’t charge tuition fees for their PhD programmes.

There’s a good chance you have heard something about this, but whatever you’ve heard probably needs qualifying. Not having to pay fees doesn’t mean a PhD in Europe is ‘free’.

A PhD without fees isn’t the same as a funded one. You’ll still need to cover your living costs for three or more years (during which you’ll be far too busy to do much paid work). But, a lack of doctoral fees is still a very attractive proposition – and something that isn’t on offer from the UK, USA or other popular study destinations.

Countries that don’t charge PhD fees include Austria , Denmark , Germany , Sweden , Norway and Finland – though conditions may apply in some cases.

#3 Students are often examined in a public ceremony

You may know that a PhD usually ends with a ‘viva voce’ or ‘doctoral defence’. This is when the student discusses their work with examiners and answers questions about their methods, findings and conclusions. Being able to pass this test proves that your PhD is an original piece of academic research.

In countries like the UK this takes place privately. You sit in a closed room with a couple of academics. There’s some water. Your chair squeaks. Post-it notes keep failing out of your dissertation. Trust me, I’ve been there.

In Europe this exam is often part of a public ceremony. Instead of defending your thesis in a small room somewhere, you stand up in front of an audience (including fellow, students, friends and family) to discuss (and perhaps formally present) your work. That might sound a little intimidating, but the key word, above, is ‘ceremony’. This really is a celebration of the hard work you’ve done and a suitable finale for your research. In some cases it’s also literally ceremonial, with the real assessment taking place when the thesis is read and ‘passed’ for examination.

Either way, it’s more interesting than sitting in a small room with a squeaky chair.

#4 In the Netherlands, PhD students go to their exam with bodyguards

This is 100% true . They’re called paranimfen and they were traditionally there to protect the student if things got heated. These days, they’re part of the ceremony. Still pretty cool though.

#5 Lots of countries offer English-language PhDs

There are lot of languages in Europe (121, according to some really-not-PhD-standard research I just did on Wikipedia ).

However, it’s not uncommon for universities to deliver their PhD programmes in English. This is especially likely if the aim is to attract international students and sometimes these opportunities are specifically labelled as ‘international PhD programmes’ for that reason.

Things vary between countries, universities and subjects so don’t just assume that you’ll be able to study in English. But, equally, you might be surprised by how often you will.

#6 Some countries offer PhDs in lots of languages

A quick honourable mention to Switzerland here, which has four official languages (French, German, Italian and Romansch) and offers PhD study in three of them, plus English. Sadly, Romansh (a local language with roots in Roman Latin) isn’t generally used for academic work.

#7 Portugal holds an annual festival celebrating student life

Whilst we’re talking about individual countries, Portugal needs to be recognised for holding what – I think – is the world’s only national student festival: the Queima das Fitas (‘ribbon burning’) which is held in the country’s biggest university cities and features parades, serenades and. . . top hats. Google it.

#8 European universities sometimes give their PhD researchers jobs

I don’t simply mean that European university might employ you once you’ve gained your PhD (though many countries do offer generous post-study work visas).

I’m actually speaking here of work during your PhD. It’s not uncommon for European PhD researchers to be classified as staff rather than students. In fact, this is the standard approach in Denmark , the Netherlands and a few other places.

Being defined as a staff member usually means you’ll receive a salary and other employment benefits, in return for some teaching and administrative responsibilities. Exact conditions vary between countries, but, needless to say, this is a great option if it’s available to you: offering ‘funding’ for your doctorate as well as practical work experience alongside it.

#9 PhD programmes often include extra training

Having invented the PhD as a research qualification around 100 years ago, European universities are now playing a big part in modernising the doctoral degree. And that, somewhat paradoxically, often means (re)introducing taught elements.

It’s now quite common for European PhD programmes to include extra modules alongside your thesis. These tend to cover the core techniques and methodological training you’ll need to carry out your research and / or the transferable skills you’ll need to seek work with your PhD.

Some also include more conventional taught classes covering subject knowledge, but this is more likely to be a requirement for students starting a programme without a Masters.

In any case, this extra training can enhance your doctorate (and your career prospects).

#10 There are Europe-wide opportunities

Despite being home to such a broad range of countries, cultures and languages, higher education across Europe is actually standardised in key ways, thanks to something called the Bologna Process .

This means that European doctorates (and other degrees) fulfil the same criteria, even if their actual structure and content varies a little from country to country. Recognition of qualifications and standards also makes it easier to work elsewhere in Europe once you’ve earned your PhD.

“Europe” can mean “Europe” in a more literal sense too, as many countries are part of the borderless Schengen Area. In normal, non-COVID times EU citizens can move around this region freely and international students can usually apply for a single Schengen Visa to do so. Needless to say, being able to access facilities, archives or expertise in other countries is very useful during a PhD.

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Planning To Do A PhD In Europe?

Here’s what you need to research

There may have never been a better time to study for a PhD in Europe .  Many European universities are expanding, and opening up to a world beyond national borders. There can be significant cost savings as well. If you are a world-class student, there is likely to be a world-class opportunity for you.

Portability and quality.

Research-based doctorates are usually seen as equivalent the world over, but some kinds of professional doctorates, such as medical degrees, can come with licensing issues. Before you apply for a PhD in Europe, make sure the programme will give you equivalent professional status in your country of origin.

Of course, you must ensure that you have chosen an accredited university. Unfortunately, some overseas students have been caught out by fraudulent firms posing as PhD providers. All European countries have national accreditation schemes for universities, including private education institutions.

You should also ensure that the programme you choose compares well internationally in your field.

Degree check.

In most European countries, you must have the suitability of your foreign bachelors and masters degrees checked by a national organisation before you can apply for a PhD programme. You may need to submit a record of your module marks and information about course structure as well as your degree certificates. A small fee will be charged, and you should allow plenty of time for this process.

Language matters.

You’ll also need to look at language issues. Some PhD programmes are taught in English, and for research-based PhDs language is not always an issue, as long as your supervisor agrees. For others, you may need to take a specific language exam.

If English is your second language, you may also need to take an exam to establish your level of fluency—which exam and which level will depend on the university and the course. Each country has a language exam framework and will only accept certain qualifications as equivalent: the IELTS is the most commonly used, but you will need to check.

Another possibility is taking a pre-sessional language course followed by an exam. This can usually be arranged directly with the university if you have been accepted as a provisional student.

Visa issues.  

EU students can study anywhere within the EU region without a student visa, but for non-EU applicants, this can be a lengthy process. Part of the visa process may include proving that you already have enough money to support yourself (and partner/children if they will come with you) before arriving.

Funded PhD in Europe students may receive help from the university in making visa arrangements as part of their package, but self-funding students should begin working as early as possible to ensure everything is in place. The university will, of course, provide you with proof that you have been accepted onto the course, but there will be additional paperwork to prepare and submit.

Be sure that you understand the terms of your visa: Some European countries allow students to work during their studies (usually a limited number of hours), and some allow new graduates to work. Others expect you to leave immediately after completing your degree.

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PhD in Europe vs the US: What You Need to Know

All that you need to know before you decide on a university for PhD abroad.

If you’re considering pursuing a PhD, one of the most important decisions you’ll make is where to do it. Two popular destinations for doctoral study are Europe and the United States. In this blog post, we’ll discuss the differences between doing a PhD in Europe and the US, focusing on key factors such as qualification requirements, time to degree, teaching requirements, coursework, and comprehensive exams.

Qualification Requirements: In Europe, a Master’s degree is typically required to enrol in a PhD program, while in the US, a Bachelor’s degree is sufficient. Additionally, European PhD programs often have stricter admission requirements and a more competitive selection process.

Time to Degree: In Europe, PhD programs typically take three to four years to complete, while in the US, they can take longer. This is partly due to differences in program structure, as European programs typically have more focus on research, while US programs include more coursework.

Teaching Requirements: In the US, PhD students are often required to serve as teaching or research assistants to gain practical experience in their field. This is less common in Europe, where the focus is more on research.

Coursework: In the US, PhD programs typically require more coursework than in Europe, with students taking classes in their field of study as well as in related areas. In Europe, the focus is more on research, and students may take fewer courses. To know more about research and coursework needed for PhD abroad  click here.

Comprehensive Exams: In the US, PhD students are typically required to pass comprehensive exams , which test their knowledge in their field of study. These exams are less common in Europe, where the focus is more on the research project itself.

In conclusion, there are significant differences between doing a PhD in Europe and the US, with differences in admission requirements, time to degree, teaching requirements, coursework,  funding, salary,  and comprehensive exams. When deciding where to pursue your PhD, it’s important to consider your personal preferences and goals and to research programs carefully to ensure the best fit for you.

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20 Research Fellowships in Europe for Current Doctoral Students

If you are a current doctoral student looking for funding to do research in Europe, check out these programs! Many of these fellowships are open to all disciplines, including STEM subjects, creative arts, and the social sciences. There are long-term, short-term, and summer programs. If one of these sounds like a great fit for you, be sure to bookmark it to your ProFellow account! 

ASF Fellowships for Americans in the Nordic Countries

The American-Scandinavian Foundation (ASF) offers year-long fellowships of up to $23,000 and short-term (1-3 months) fellowships of up to $5,000 to graduate students (preferably conducting dissertation research) and academic professionals interested in pursuing research or creative-arts projects in the Nordic region (Denmark, Greenland, Faroe Islands, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sámpi, and Sweden). ASF’s award program for study and research abroad has been the Foundation’s most long-standing commitment to educational exchange. Awards are made in all fields.

BAEF Study and Research Fellowships in Belgium

The Belgian American Educational Foundation (B.A.E.F.) encourages applications for fellowships for advanced study or research during one academic year at a Belgian University or institution of higher learning. The B.A.E.F. will award up to ten fellowships as outright non-renewable grants carrying a stipend of $27,000 for Master’s or Ph.D. students and $32,000 for Post-doctoral Fellows. Applicants must be citizens or permanent residents of the United States. Applicants must also either be registered in a graduate program towards a Ph.D. or equivalent degree in the U.S., plan to register in a graduate program (Master’s or Ph.D.) in Belgium, or currently hold a Master’s, Ph.D., or equivalent degree.

Boren Fellowships

Boren Fellowships provide up to $30,000 to U.S. graduate students to add an important international and language component to their graduate education through specialization in area study, language study, or increased language proficiency. Boren Fellowships support both language study and (optional) research and internships in areas of the world that are critical to U.S. interests, including Africa, Asia, Central & Eastern Europe, Eurasia, Latin America, and the Middle East, with a focus on studying less commonly taught languages. Boren Fellows apply their advanced degrees to work in the federal government for at least 1 year after graduation, and receive exclusive opportunities and preferential consideration for government careers.

Chateaubriand Fellowship – Humanities & Social Sciences (HSS)

The Chateaubriand Fellowship – Humanities & Social Sciences (HSS) provides PhD candidates currently enrolled at a U.S. university the opportunity to conduct research in France in any discipline of the Humanities and Social Sciences. The fellowship lasts for 4-8 months and provides travel, health insurance and a monthly stipend of 1,500 Euros. Candidates do not have to be U.S. citizens, but they must be enrolled in an American university.

Chateaubriand Fellowship – Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics (STEM)

The Chateaubriand Fellowship – Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics (STEM) provides funding for PhD candidates currently enrolled in a U.S. university to conduct research in France at a French university, a school of engineering, a national laboratory or a private enterprise, with a link to a Doctoral School. The fellowship is for 4-10 months, provides travel, health insurance and a monthly stipend of 1,400 Euros. Non-U.S. nationals are eligible to apply for a Chateaubriand Fellowship as long as they are currently enrolled in an American university.

CIMI Doctoral Fellowships

CIMI offers a 3-year support grant for up to 6 students starting a PhD in one of the teams related to CIMI. The fellowships are open to French and foreign students and awarded on the basis of the quality of the academic records. The research areas should be developed within the activities at the Institut de Mathématiques de Toulouse (IMT) and the Institut de Recherche en Informatique de Toulouse (IRIT). PhD subjects with interactions between mathematics and computer science will be closely examined.

DAAD Research Grant

Research Grants are awarded to highly qualified candidates who have completed either: a Master’s degree or Diploma, a Bachelor’s degree (by the time they begin their grant-supported research), or a  Ph.D. (postdoctoral candidates). Applications for long-term grants (7-10 months) are accepted annually in November. Short-term grants (1-6 months) accept applications in November and May.

DLR-DAAD Research Fellowships

DLR-DAAD Research Fellowships in the fields of Space, Aeronautics, Energy and Transportation Research. A new program implemented by the Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt (DLR) and DAAD. DLR is Germany’s national research center for aeronautics and space. This special program is intended for highly-qualified foreign doctoral and postdoctoral students as well as senior scientists. DLR-DAAD Fellowships offer outstanding scientists and researchers the opportunity to conduct special research at the institutes of the DLR in Germany. Check ‘Current Offers’ for opportunities.

EDUFI Fellowships

The EDUFI Fellowships programme is open to young Doctoral level students and researchers from all countries and from all academic fields. The primary target group in the EDUFI Fellowship programme are such Doctoral level students who will be doing their Doctorate (or Double Doctorate) at a Finnish university. The scholarship period may vary from 3 to 12 months. The monthly allowance is 1,500 Euros. The scholarship is intended to cover living expenses in Finland for a single person. The programme is open for candidates of all foreign nationalities.

Fulbright U.S. Student Program for Study/Research

A U.S. Student Fulbright Grant allows for individually designed study/research projects that will take place during one academic year (9-12 months) in a country outside the U.S. Applicants design their own projects and will typically work with advisers at foreign universities or other institutes of higher education. The study/research awards are available in approximately 140 countries. For recent BA/BS graduates, graduate and doctoral students, and young professionals including artists, musicians, writers, journalists, and those in law, business, and other professional fields. Undergraduate and graduate students must apply through their institution; professionals and former students can apply through their alma mater or At Large.

Geography and Spatial Sciences Program Doctoral Dissertation Research Improvement Awards (GSS-DDRI)

The Geography and Spatial Sciences (GSS) Program sponsors research on the geographic distributions and interactions of human, physical, and biotic systems on Earth. Investigators are encouraged to propose plans for research about the nature, causes, and consequences of human activity and natural environmental processes across a range of scales. GSS provides support to improve the conduct of doctoral dissertation projects undertaken by doctoral students enrolled in U.S. universities. GSS gives 30-40 awards each year. Awards may not exceed $16,000. An advisor or another faculty member must serve as the principal investigator (PI) of the proposal.

Lehmann-Haupt International Doctoral Programme

The transdisciplinary “Lehmann-Haupt International Doctoral Programme” is a joint project between Ilia State University Tbilisi (ISU) and Georg-August-University of Göttingen (UGOE) which gives 12 PhD students from various scientific fields (including social sciences) the opportunity to pursue their doctoral projects within a structured Cotutelle-based framework and obtain a PhD degree by each of the two universities (double degree). Students will spend time at both universities and must be proficient in English. Full funding is included for the duration of the PhD program including additional funding for research related expenses.

NORAM Scholarship for Americans to Study in Norway

NORAM scholarships provide financial support for Americans to study or conduct research in areas of mutual importance to Norway and the United States to strengthen the ties of friendship between the two countries. Every year, NORAM offers up to 10 scholarships ranging from $1,500 – $5,000 to American students, based on merit and need. The size of the individual grants depends on the research subject, purpose and the intended length of stay in Norway. Candidates must be U.S. citizens and have completed a Bachelor’s degree before the application deadline.

Research Internships in Science and Engineering (RISE)

RISE stands for Research Internships in Science and Engineering. RISE Professional offers summer research internships in Germany to Master’s and Ph.D. students from North America at companies and non-university research institutions with strong relations to industry. The program is open for students in the field of biology, chemistry, physics, earth sciences, engineering or a closely related field. All participants receive a scholarship from DAAD and an additional stipend from their host company/institution to help cover living expenses. Funding is possible for a period of three months in summer or fall. German language requirements vary according to the internship placement.

Robert S. McNamara Fellowships Program

The Robert S. McNamara Fellowships Program (RSMFP) provides support to developing country nationals who are PhD candidates from developing countries and working in academic and research institutions in a developing country who seek 6-10 months of funding to conduct PhD research in a World Bank member country other than their home country or country of residence. Research grants cover residence costs up to $25,000 USD for a 5 to 10 month period in a renowned university or research center. Fellows are expected to advance their research work mainly by using the facilities and resources provided by the host institution and by interacting with peers. Candidates must be under 35 years of age.

Rotary Foundation Global Grant Scholarship

Global grant scholarships fund international coursework or research at a graduate level or its equivalent for a term of one to four academic years. Global grants also may support vocational training teams, which are groups of professionals traveling abroad to either learn more about their profession or teach locals. The field of study must align with one or more of the following areas of focus: Peace and conflict prevention/resolution, disease prevention and treatment, water and sanitation, maternal and child health, basic education and literacy and economic and community development. Contact your local Rotary club for more information.

Spanish National Cancer Research Centre Summer Training Fellowship

The Spanish National Cancer Research Centre Summer Training Fellowship offers university students the opportunity to gain experience in a competitive laboratory in Madrid, Spain. Fellows will be placed within a research unit to work on various oncological research projects and will have the opportunity to immerse themselves in Spanish culture. The summer program, lasting from June to early August, is for upper-level graduate biomedicine or life science students of any country; there is no citizenship requirement. A stipend is provided. 

Structural Engineering Travel Fellowship

The Structural Engineering Travel Fellowship is a $20,000 award that aims to foster an appreciation of the aesthetic potential in the structural design of buildings and bridges by enabling a gifted graduate to experience works of architecture and engineering first hand. The Foundation hopes that the Fellow will in turn influence the practice and teaching of structural engineering in the future. Applicants must be graduating with a bachelor’s degree, master’s degree, or Ph.D. in Civil or Architectural Engineering with a specialization in Structural Engineering from a U.S. school. U.S. citizenship is not required.

Study Abroad Fellowships for UK Residents

Offering maintenance and research expenses to allow applicants to spend a period of 12-24 months on advanced study or research at a centre of learning in any overseas country (excluding the USA). Non-UK residents are not eligible. The Studentships comprise a basic annual maintenance allowance of £18,000, a partner allowance of £6,000 and return air fare. Applicants must have been resident in the UK for at least 5 years at the time of application, hold a degree from a UK institution, and either be a student at the time of application or have been registered as a student within the last 8 years.

The Lewis and Clark Fund for Exploration and Field Research

The Lewis and Clark Fund encourages exploratory field studies for the collection of specimens and data and to provide the imaginative stimulus that accompanies direct observation. Applications are invited from disciplines with a large dependence on field studies, such as archeology, anthropology, biology, ecology, geography, geology, linguistics, paleontology, and population genetics, but grants will not be restricted to these fields. Grants will be available to doctoral students. The competition is open to U.S. citizens and residents wishing to carry out research anywhere in the world.

© Victoria Johnson 2020, all rights reserved

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Study in Europe 2022 "How to do a funded PhD in Europe"

Join us on Saturday, 24 September at 4pm (Singapore) to learn how you can carry out your doctoral training in Europe and how EURAXESS can support you on this journey! 

Europe boasts a huge diversity of opportunities for doctoral training. European PhD programmes enjoy international recognition for excellence thus providing an exceptional career launch pad for young researchers.

Many European countries charge very little or no fees for PhD studies while also offering scholarships for international applicants. The European Commission’s Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) offer funding for thousands of PhD students each year to carry out their doctoral research across Europe.

Find out about the MSCA Doctoral Fellowships and get tips & advice for your PhD journey from ASEAN PhD students in Europe!

The webinar will be held in English.

Joseph Jing Heng Lim 

Joseph hails from Singapore and is currently pursuing his PhD as a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Early Career Researcher at the Max Planck Institute for Heart and Lung Research in Germany. He holds a BSc in Biological Sciences from Nanyang Technological University in Singapore.

Jeanne Svensky Ligte

Indonesian Jeanne is currently pursuing her doctoral studies in Textile Public Procurement within the MSCA Innovative Training Programme "SAPIENS Network Project" at Lodz University of Technology in Poland. She holds a B.Eng in Industrial Engineering from Universitas Hasanuddin in Indonesia and an M.Eng in Supply Chain Management (Latvia, Germany, Spain).

Manh Ha Luong

Vietnamese PhD candidate Manh Ha Luong holds a master's degree in Migration and Intercultural Relations from an Erasmus Mundus joint programme coordinated by the University of Oldenburg (Germany), and a bachelor's degree in Economics and International Business from an accredited programme between Foreign Trade University (Vietnam) and Colorado State University (USA). Ha received the Marie Skłodowska-Curie fellowship at the University of Bamberg (Germany) in 2021.

Dr Susanne Rentzow-Vasu is the Regional Project Coordinator for the European Commission-funded EURAXESS Worldwide network, a role she has held since 2012. EURAXESS Worldwide supports researcher mobility and career development, while enhancing scientific collaboration between Europe and the world. She is based in Singapore.

About Study in Europe

Study in Europe aims at connecting international students to universities, research opportunities and scholarships offered across Europe. It encompasses the countries that participate in the European Union’s Erasmus+ programme. Erasmus+ enables students and professors all over the world to study and teach at European universities. You can find the full event agenda here. 

European Education Area

Quality education and training for all

How to apply for doctoral studies in Europe

Find out how to apply for doctoral studies, including a PhD, in Europe.

Getting started

In Europe, every university sets its own application criteria for doctoral studies. 

To successfully enter the world of research, it´s very important to be proactive and start your preparation early. 

The enrollment procedures take time. Prepare early, check entry requirements and collect your documents. 

Choose your topic

Choose your research topic well before starting your studies. 

Find out which university or programme meets your research interests and your academic background.

Find a supervisor

Finding a supervisor before applying could be either compulsory or advisable and it is usually the applicant’s responsibility. 

Check the research teams in the university and look at the publications written by your potential supervisor, as well as their research projects and supervised dissertations to ensure that his or her research areas match your plans.

Check language requirements

Examine the language skills needed for enrollment. It might be necessary to take a test or present internationally validated test results. 

Recognition of qualifications

Find out what documents need to be translated before applying and which ones may need ENIC-NARIC evaluation. 

Some documents might need to be certified by a notary, with an apostille attached.

Prepare your documents

The required documents vary. Usually, you need to prepare the following:

• official copy of the previous diploma(s)
• curriculum vitae (CV)
• research proposal for your PhD
• motivation letter
• references and/or recommendation letters

Find a position and funding

EURAXESS is a European Commission portal providing information on research positions and funding to help researchers come to Europe to study, work in another European country and more.

Related content

Related links, want to give your feedback about this page, thanks for your feedback.

We are happy to see that your experience was positive. Don't forget to share the pages you like with your friends and colleagues.

If you need to ask a question, please contact Europe direct .

Countries offering the highest PhD stipends

As inflation in the UK hits an all-time high in four decades, postgraduate students are searching for institutions with the highest PhD stipend.  The Guardian  reported that the increased cost of living has pushed stipends below the living wage, resulting in some struggling to pay rent and forcing them to work part-time jobs.

In June 2022,  UK Research and Innovation  (UKRI), the UK’s largest single funder, which supports about 105,000 postgraduate research students through seven research councils, announced that the minimum stipend for UKRI-supported students is due to increase by 2.9% for  the 2022-23 academic year .

Students are saying this isn’t enough. In an open letter to UKRI , they request doctoral stipends to be raised with current inflation levels.

At the time of writing, the  Bank of England  reports that the current inflation rate in the UK is at 10.1%, according to the Consumer Price Index. Meanwhile, inflation in Canada has hit an  all-time high  in three decades.

You might be considering whether it is worth pursuing a PhD in the current economic climate. If you are struggling financially, Muhammad Mohsin Ijaz, author of “Is PhD for me”, pens down a few countries that are affordable for postgraduate students to pursue their PhD, using Numbeo to check the living wage of a country. Here are his top recommendations:

The cost of living in a specific country can make or break your decision to pursue a PhD. Source: Thomas Padilla/Cointreau

Four countries with the highest PhD stipend

Average PhD stipend (per annum): US54,935 US dollars

Average living cost, including rent (per annum): US$32,520

Pursuing your PhD in a country regularly ranked with the  best quality of life in the world can be a fulfilling experience. Plus, there are no tuition fees in the Norwegian higher education system  since you are an employee of the university — earning a doctoral salary and associated worker’s rights.

Norway is also strategically located between  Europe and the Arctic , allowing for  specialised research opportunities  like  marine research ,  energy and climate ,  medicine and health ,  food , and many more. There are four types of universities in Norway to pursue your PhD: universities, specialised universities, university colleges, and private specialised universities, as stated by FindAPhd .

Average PhD stipend (per annum):  US$54,636

Average living cost, including rent (per annum):  US$33,960

While students from the European Union or European Economic Area can pursue their PhD at public universities in Denmark for free, this country is also suitable for international postgraduate students. T uition fees for PhD students reportedly range between 6,000 and 16,000 euros per year — which is more affordable than studying in the US, Canada, or Australia.

Furthermore, Denmark’s universities are  top-ranked . This means they are well-equipped and can provide excellent research opportunities for PhD students. Some of these universities include the University of Copenhagen, Aarhus University and the Technical University of Denmark.

Switzerland is home to multiple QS-ranked universities, such as the University of Geneva and the University of Zurich. Source: Fabrice Coffrini/AFP

3. Switzerland

Average PhD stipend (per annum):  US$53,434

Average living cost, including rent (per annum):  US$37,656

When you think about Switzerland, the first thought might be the famous Matterhorn or Lake Geneva — but did you know that 50% of PhD students in Switzerland are international students? There are good reasons for this. Every year, the Swiss Confederation  and  Swiss National Science Foundation  award scholarships to international postgraduate researchers who desire to pursue their PhD in Switzerland.

Pair this with the fact that there are four national languages in Switzerland (French, German, Italian, and Romansch) and you will experience a diverse learning environment.

Average PhD stipend (per annum): US$35,388

Average living cost, including rent (per annum): US$26,148

Like Denmark, Finland charges a tuition fee for international students who enrol at a public university. Fees range from 5,000 to 15,000 euros per year, with the University of Helsinki being the most expensive institution, according to Studyportals .

Alongside a solid infrastructure,   Business Finland reports that the nation has the world’s most advanced 5G test network. The entire country is linked by a comprehensive bus and rail network — making it easy for students to commute daily to classes or explore the city.

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September 12, 2024

Introducing OpenAI o1-preview

A new series of reasoning models for solving hard problems. Available starting 9.12

We've developed a new series of AI models designed to spend more time thinking before they respond. They can reason through complex tasks and solve harder problems than previous models in science, coding, and math. Today, we are releasing the first of this series in ChatGPT and our API. This is a preview and we expect regular updates and improvements. Alongside this release, we’re also including evaluations for the next update, currently in development.

How it works

We trained these models to spend more time thinking through problems before they respond, much like a person would. Through training, they learn to refine their thinking process, try different strategies, and recognize their mistakes. 

In our tests, the next model update performs similarly to PhD students on challenging benchmark tasks in physics, chemistry, and biology. We also found that it excels in math and coding. In a qualifying exam for the International Mathematics Olympiad (IMO), GPT-4o correctly solved only 13% of problems, while the reasoning model scored 83%. Their coding abilities were evaluated in contests and reached the 89th percentile in Codeforces competitions. You can read more about this in our technical research post .

As an early model, it doesn't yet have many of the features that make ChatGPT useful, like browsing the web for information and uploading files and images. For many common cases GPT-4o will be more capable in the near term.

But for complex reasoning tasks this is a significant advancement and represents a new level of AI capability. Given this, we are resetting the counter back to 1 and naming this series OpenAI o1.

As part of developing these new models, we have come up with a new safety training approach that harnesses their reasoning capabilities to make them adhere to safety and alignment guidelines. By being able to reason about our safety rules in context, it can apply them more effectively. 

One way we measure safety is by testing how well our model continues to follow its safety rules if a user tries to bypass them (known as "jailbreaking"). On one of our hardest jailbreaking tests, GPT-4o scored 22 (on a scale of 0-100) while our o1-preview model scored 84. You can read more about this in the system card and our research post .

To match the new capabilities of these models, we’ve bolstered our safety work, internal governance, and federal government collaboration. This includes rigorous testing and evaluations using our Preparedness Framework (opens in a new window) , best-in-class red teaming, and board-level review processes, including by our Safety & Security Committee. To advance our commitment to AI safety, we recently formalized agreements with the U.S. and U.K. AI Safety Institutes. We've begun operationalizing these agreements, including granting the institutes early access to a research version of this model. This was an important first step in our partnership, helping to establish a process for research, evaluation, and testing of future models prior to and following their public release.

Whom it’s for

These enhanced reasoning capabilities may be particularly useful if you’re tackling complex problems in science, coding, math, and similar fields. For example, o1 can be used by healthcare researchers to annotate cell sequencing data, by physicists to generate complicated mathematical formulas needed for quantum optics, and by developers in all fields to build and execute multi-step workflows. 

OpenAI o1-mini

The o1 series excels at accurately generating and debugging complex code. To offer a more efficient solution for developers, we’re also releasing OpenAI o1-mini , a faster, cheaper reasoning model that is particularly effective at coding. As a smaller model, o1-mini is 80% cheaper than o1-preview, making it a powerful, cost-effective model for applications that require reasoning but not broad world knowledge. 

How to use OpenAI o1

ChatGPT Plus and Team users will be able to access o1 models in ChatGPT starting today. Both o1-preview and o1-mini can be selected manually in the model picker, and at launch, weekly rate limits will be 30 messages for o1-preview and 50 for o1-mini. We are working to increase those rates and enable ChatGPT to automatically choose the right model for a given prompt.

ChatGPT Enterprise and Edu users will get access to both models beginning next week.  Developers who qualify for API usage tier 5 (opens in a new window) can start prototyping with both models in the API today with a rate limit of 20 RPM. We’re working to increase these limits after additional testing. The API for these models currently doesn't include function calling, streaming, support for system messages, and other features. To get started, check out the API documentation (opens in a new window) .

We also are planning to bring o1-mini access to all ChatGPT Free users . 

What’s next

This is an early preview of these reasoning models in ChatGPT and the API. In addition to model updates, we expect to add browsing, file and image uploading, and other features to make them more useful to everyone. 

We also plan to continue developing and releasing models in our GPT series, in addition to the new OpenAI o1 series. 

• Try it in ChatGPT Plus (opens in a new window)
• Try it in the API (opens in a new window)

Stack Exchange Network

Stack Exchange network consists of 183 Q&A communities including Stack Overflow , the largest, most trusted online community for developers to learn, share their knowledge, and build their careers.

Q&A for work

Connect and share knowledge within a single location that is structured and easy to search.

I wasted six years of my life getting a PhD degree. What should I do, and how will I survive?

I struggled with low self confidence throughout my bachelors, masters and PhD in chemical engineering. After spending two years in Masters and six years in getting a PhD degree, I am lost at what I can do with my life.

Initially, my plan was to be in academia. Though I love doing research, I don't see that as a possibility anymore.

I did not do well in my PhD. I have only two first-author journal publications in ~2.5 impact factor journals. I did not acquire significant skills. I am bad at programming, and I have a 3.7 GPA. I did not learn to drive or learn any foreign language. I did not improve my health or developed a new hobby. I even did not spend time on having a relationship. In short, I have done nothing over the past six years.

My PhD supervisor has given me a postdoc position. And I feel extremely inadequate. I feel that I won't be able to do anything after my postdoc year, and I will just be a burden and disappointment to my parents.

I am an international student living in the US.

I don't know what I should do. What should I do?

• career-path
• academic-life
• early-career
• emotional-responses

• 190 I think your only issue is one of self esteem. I suggest you find a counsellor and discuss where you are and how you feel. Don't let imposter syndrome lead to depression. Your advisor can give you professional advice, but you should also seek personal advice. The future is brighter than you think. –  Buffy Commented Dec 7, 2019 at 16:30
• 7 Is the work fun though? –  smcs Commented Dec 9, 2019 at 9:52
• 1 Is there anything in your past that is unresolved? I suspect your low self confidence stems from something else and not the PhD itself. For example you mention lack of relationship, so I suspect you have a non-existent sex life. Are you exercising and eating right? All of those things need to be in order for you to be happy doing a PhD. Otherwise all you'll have is a PhD which is empty and meaningless. –  sashang Commented Dec 9, 2019 at 23:45
• 3 ‘I have only two publications …’ to me, who has a grand total of zero from both the PhD project that fell short of its desired outcome and my first two years of postdoc in which the ‘basically already finished, just this’ project turned out almost impossible, this is quite a violet slap in the face. –  Jan Commented Dec 10, 2019 at 2:33
• 1 Seek counselling! The problems you describe have very little to do with academia, but very much with you. This website cannot provide adequate counselling in that regard (although some of the answers of course hit very relevant points). –  user2705196 Commented Dec 10, 2019 at 18:21

9 Answers 9

It looks to me like you did not do so badly as you think. Two publications and 3.7 GPA are not so bad. It might depend on the field, it might not be the best ever, but I have seen much worse. If your supervisor offered you a postdoc position after having you for 6 years as a PhD student, it means that they consider your work useful.

You might be suffering from impostor syndrome . Do read the question and the answers in that link and see if you identify.

If you are not sure now, you have plenty of time during your postdoc year to decide whether you want to continue in academia or get a job in industry. The pros and cons of both options have been discussed extensively, as a quick Google search for "industry vs academia" shows. I personally agree with this source .

And, in most cases, the answer to "I have wasted X years of my life because I did not do Y and Z" is "do not look at the past and do Y and Z now". Especially when, as in your case, Y and Z can be done at any stage in your career life, such as learning languages, programming or driving.

• 27 Also, the field is chemistry, where the PhD is basically required for an entry level position in industry, so that is certainly not a waste of time. –  Simon Richter Commented Dec 8, 2019 at 13:29
• 13 @SimonRichter Actually, the field is engineering (chemical engineering) where a BSc is enough for entry level jobs industry. –  Cell Commented Dec 8, 2019 at 16:52
• 2 Get a job in industry. The great part is, that at the end of the project/delivery/month, work is done and completed. At least for me, I never considered the results in science 'done'; also pace is probably faster, so you will get getting quite a few achievements under your belt quickly (since you are smart). –  lalala Commented Dec 8, 2019 at 19:03
• 3 @Cell Where I've worked, a PhD is automatically hired into a position that it would take ~5 years to get promoted to from entry-level with BSc, and the PhD can offer more job opportunities and security in the right industry. If OP goes into industry, the last six years could be well worth it! –  Sam Commented Dec 8, 2019 at 19:45
• 1 @Sam That's nice, but I never said getting a PhD is a bad idea. I was only correcting the previous poster. With that being said, unless you plan on doing novel research, a PhD may make you overqualified for many jobs that can be done by a BASc, or MEng. You also didn't say what your field is. –  Cell Commented Dec 8, 2019 at 20:20

To be honest, I'm tempted to agree with Buffy. It sounds like the biggest issue you have might actually be the one you identified at the start of your post - low self-confidence. Studying for a PhD, and working in academia in general, has a tendency to have that effect on people - you're far from alone.

If I were you, I'd be tempted to take stock of my overall life situation at this point, perhaps with some input from the people around me, and try to get an objective view of how things really are - they may not actually be as bad as you think.

For example, here are some plus points:

You finished a PhD. That's already a huge deal - lots of people don't even start a PhD, and of those who do, a proportion never finish. Of those who finish, lots of people feel like they didn't change the world with their PhD, and that's fine - most people don't, and that's not required. You've got the rest of your life to worry about that, if you want to, and it's not required even then. It's ok to just live and be happy sometimes.

You've got a postdoc position lined up, if you want to stay in academia. Your supervisor wants you to stay, which means you probably did something right during your PhD. Maybe your PhD didn't actually go as badly as you think.

If you've just finished your PhD, it's quite likely (in the absence of other evidence to the contrary, which I don't have) that you're still relatively young. That means you've got time on your side - there's still a whole lot of life ahead of you in which to do all the things you want to do (learning to drive, learning a foreign language, improving your health, developing your hobbies, having a relationship, ...). It sounds like you're unhappy that you haven't been doing those things, which means you'd probably be happier if you started doing them. Pick one and go start on it right now - hopefully you'll feel better (it's generally worked for me, when I've been feeling down). Starting on one of them sounds like much more fun than carrying on feeling fed up about not doing them, at any rate.

Best of luck!

p.s. For what it's worth, the fact that you've got a list of things you wish you'd been doing, and are unhappy that you haven't been doing them, is a good sign - there's an easy fix for that, which is go do some of them. That's much better than not having a list of things, and sitting there having existential angst and wondering whether life is pointless :)

• The postdoc is with my PhD advisor. I don't think that's an achievement. Probably my advisor felt pity on me and gave me the position. –  Abhik Tandon Commented Dec 8, 2019 at 0:57
• 45 @AbhikTandon: Bear in mind that your advisor has something to lose from keeping you if you're truly not delivering (there's an opportunity cost - they could look for someone better). If they're keeping you, it's safe to assume you're at least above bar. Some advisors are kind, but few are so kind that they'll use their scarce funding to renew someone who has no possibility of being useful to them in any way. Advisors who pity you buy you a beer, gently tell you the truth, and help you find a job elsewhere; they don't generally commit £30k or more just to cheer you up. –  Stuart Golodetz Commented Dec 8, 2019 at 1:45
• 4 @AbhikTandon Do consider that a PostDoc position often involves mentoring or teaching junior students, grading work, running tutorials, et cetera. Given that your PhD advisor is judged and graded not just on their research, but also on their teaching methods/standards, it's a role they quite literally cannot afford to give out of pity. You not being "up to standard" would put their job on the line! (That said, finding a hobby - preferably something more physically active than mentally, such as a martial art, to contrast with work - for a couple of evenings a week is a good idea.) –  Chronocidal Commented Dec 9, 2019 at 8:41
• the highest possible academic degree that one can achieve
• a job in the field
• a life in a developed country

You're faring really well.

This is not to say that what you're feeling isn't real. It is real, and there is a problem. It's just that the problem is not what you have, but who you are. What you have is a highly successful life, at the same time, you are depressed and miserable.

You don't need more things, you have it all. No Nature publication will take you out of your dark place. You need to learn to enjoy life and accept yourself.

I know the last sentence is useless in itself, because it only tells you what you need, but not how to do it. Unfortunately, that's about as far as a stranger on the internet can get you. Speak to friends, speak to a psychologist, speak to anyone willing to listen, speak to yourself and try to figure out where does this need for accomplishments comes from, so you can move on.

• Technically I believe a DSc is a higher academic degree - but that usually comes at the end of a distinguished academic degree. –  Martin Bonner supports Monica Commented Dec 10, 2019 at 16:06
• 1 @MartinBonnersupportsMonica DSc is not universally higher than PhD. In some countries DSc is just what a PhD in biology/physics is called, while in other countries DSc is just honorary, while other countries don't use PhD at all and have only DSc, which are seen as the equivalent of PhD, in countries that have PhD. –  Andrei Commented Dec 10, 2019 at 17:51

You need to talk to someone – be that a counsellor (as @Buffy has suggested in the comments), a family member, a friend, or even (depending on your relationship) your supervisor. It does sound like a good part (if not most!) of the problem you describe may stem from impostor syndrome, and if that's the case, then it will be crucial to have others as a sounding board, to help put things into perspective. I have never known anyone in academia who didn't struggle at some point, somehow. Academia is tough, research is hard and failures are inevitable.

You mention you love doing research. Considering that you have also successfully turned that research into publications, it rather sounds like you do have what it takes to succeed. (Again, to put things into perspective, in my field it is normal for PhD students to graduate with 0–1 publications, and the impact factor of what's considered the leading journal is about 2.3. Different fields are different, yes. But you have definitely not failed.)

The other things you mention seem more minor to me. You say you are bad at programming. But you can always improve – programming, if anything, is one of those things where practice makes perfect. You mention you have neglected your health, hobbies and interpersonal relationships. But this is not uncommon: these things happen to many people who pursue a PhD, in various ways, and it is not too late to do something about them now. You say you have done nothing over the past 6 years. This cannot be literally true (you have earned a PhD, an enormous undertaking), but even if it were, the thing to do now would be to start doing those things you have neglected in the past.

But please do consider talking to someone. Having to verbalize your own thoughts and feelings is an excellent way of beginning to understand your thoughts and feelings, and of starting to see a solution.

Get your frame of reference right.

Achieving a PhD puts you in the 5% highest educated part of the population. That's quite significant. But you're comparing yourself to the smartest people in your direct environment - an environment set up try to get together all the smartest people.

If you don't manage to be in the top 1%, surely being in the top 5% is still something to feel pretty happy with?

They are marathon runners on arrival.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xSZlSaPJAdQ

Do they look well? Can you imagine, how bad feeling could it be, being there, after 42km of running?

But believe me: it is uncomparably better to be there, than for us, watching them on the youtube .

Don't do any irrecoverable mistake now! Wait, at least some months, more ideally some years! Take some longer leave, if you can (probably you can), and do nothing! Only think.

For example, now you can learn to drive. Ask anybody having a driving license, but no Phd, would they switch to the other.

I know what it's like to feel like you "haven't been living" for years. Six years of my life disappeared by my being extremely sick.

I have 5 years of unemployment in my résumé, an unfinished PhD, a tiny professional network, and ongoing health problems which make many things impossible. But I'm living again.

Some people have been in prison for 10 years. Some have escaped war-torn countries. Some have recovered from drugs or alcoholism. It's very hard when you suddenly awaken from a world of constraints into a world of choices, seemingly at a huge disadvantage from others within it. (I am not saying you've got it easier than they do. I'm saying you have this in common.)

Some of them go on to do amazing things. They have a moment that will define their life, and they work and work and work and work to a level that others can't imagine, and do something great for the benefit of their fellow man.

Others are just happy to be alive, happy to have gotten away from a bad place. Nothing wrong with that.

The most important thing in life is not success or respect or glory. It is to make choices that keep you out of misery. Anything more is a bonus.

But asking the question you're asking proves you are ready to change your life.

Maybe you could go to your home country or a country in poverty, where your skills and knowledge could make a bigger difference. Remember you don't need to use your degree at all; you could enter a completely different field. It's better to do it by choice than by necessity. Doing a variety of menial jobs of different sorts can be really enriching, since you see life from so many angles.

Doing a PhD doesn't just teach you about your topic; it teaches you about being thorough, exploring the state of the art, problem-solving, organisational skills, and so on. These make you very valuable if you use them well.

I know what I want to create. And I know what's stopping me is not my 6 missing years; it's my unwillingness to confront my weaknesses (like networking and time management.) Now I'm confronting these things, and I'm surprised at my success.

Go get 'em.

Two first-authored papers is not bad, I seen a lot of people getting phd for way less and still being full of themselves. You are doing good.

You don't think you did well during your PhD, but you stuck with it anyways. That sounds like a lot of PhD students. But, it also sounds like students that stuck with something, b/c their parents were back-seat driving their futures.

As others have said, your self-esteem issues stem from something. Something makes you feel inadequate all the time, and makes you compare yourself to others all the time.

Usually, that starts from overbearing parents constantly comparing you to other kids, chastising you for not being as good as some top-tier, stellar performer in your same grade or field, etc.

My dad did that to me my whole life. I was expected to get good grades. When I got them, I didn't get a "good job!" or anything. But, if I got bad grades, I got punished. As I got older, my dad would constantly compare me and my siblings against each other and to other kids his coworkers had. "So-n-so's kid is doing XYZ." (to insinuate it's better then what I was planning on doing, or was doing).

Even when I was an adult, my dad was trying to back-seat drive my career with "advice" that wasn't so much him trying to do what was best for me, but what was best for my career. He never took me, as a person, into consideration when giving advice.

What I realized over time (chatting with my dad extensively) was that he made decisions in his career... he gave up moving up the ladder or managerial positions, because he decided to start a family. He took a back-seat position at his job where he kept his head down and kept his mouth shut so he could keep earning an income and not rock the boat while supporting his family. He made one major career shift up the ladder to get more money, and in retrospect it was an awful decision that uprooted the family and set in motion events that pretty much tore the family apart.

What I realized as I got older was that he was trying to coach me to have the career he wished he could have; he was trying to guide his dream job vicariously through me.

He would push it in ways by either telling me exactly things he thought I should do, or package it as "I was chatting with kids at the gym and giving them advice, and this one kids doing XYZ" (again, to insinuate this "one kid" was doing something better then I was).

I got sick of it.

So, I stopped chatting with him about work, school, etc. When he'd ask or press, I simply told him that I was only going to speak with him like a member of the family, not someone I was seeking career counseling from.

I eventually had a blow-up with him, because I was tired of him trying to back-seat drive my life while I was watching his life implode around him with issues he wasn't staying on top of during a situation that basically forced me to take control of his responsibilities when he ended up in the hospital.

What I learned was ... just ignore him.

In 20 years time, my dad won't be around any more. But, god-willing.. I will.

In 20 years time, will I be happy if I had followed my dad's advice and done this and that? No. I'd be miserable, because he was pushing me to go in directions that were making me miserable.

So, why bother listening to him? Why bother trying to please him?

In 20 years time I can follow his advice and be miserable while he's dead, or I can ignore it and be happy while he's also dead.

Ultimately, I have to figure out what makes me happy, though.

But, when you have someone constantly telling you that you're not doing good enough, you need to do better, you're not doing as well as so-n-so over there, you should be heading in a certain direction, you need to do it all before a certain BS time limit... you know what, you eventually turn into a hot mess that thinks very little of yourself b/c you constantly have a devil on your shoulder that never thinks what you're doing is good enough.

Tell that person (or those people) to go screw off.

Since you're international.. and you're in a STEM field.. and you went through a PhD even though it sounds like you didn't really want to .. I'm going to assume you're Indian.

You need to have a moment of clarity where you decide to be your own person and stop having your family tell you what you need to do and where you need to go in life.

That can be hard if your family is paying the bills.

But, I may be making assumptions, but your story sounds almost identical to a ton of other folks I rubbed elbows with in college... all of them Indian. They were taking STEM when really they wanted to do liberal arts or whatever they were passionate about. Their family pushed them into an "lucrative career", b/c it's all about the money and status with them.

I had a couple of Indian folks tell me they had a massive weight lifted off their shoulders when they told their family to stuff themselves. They were dating people locally, and one was wanting to marry the girl he was dating. One guy dropped his STEM and went into art which is what he really wanted to do (and he was an AMAZING artist).

Ultimately, you have to figure out what makes you happy, and stop listening to folks constantly running you down and telling you you're not good enough.

I rented a room from a gay couple, and one of the guys had a degree in aeronautic engineering. You know what he did for a living? He was the director of a high school band. His parents pushed him to do engineering, b/c he was in the closet and just kept his nose down and did what they said. When he finally got older, he got tired of them, and came out of the closet and pursued what really made him happy: music.

People have to have that moment.

So, you're asking how you'll survive over here? I think you really need to ask yourself what will make you happy. And, you need to start ignoring folks that are running you down.

With a PhD in Chemistry, you don't have to be a great programmer. There are companies that will hire you to figure out some chemistry, and team you up with Comp Sci or Info Sys folks that will do all the coding and stuff for reports, data science, etc.

If you don't like what you have a PhD in, then go figure out what you do like. Maybe you like working on motorcycles or scuba diving or whatever.. find a way to make a career out of it.

It's better to live a modest life that makes you happy, even at the expense of others, then to be rich and f'ing miserable b/c you decided to make everyone else happy.. usually folks that won't be alive in 20 years time.. which just leaves you miserable while they're dead.

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