We bring you the career stories of friends and members of ANNT to give insight into the wide range of possible career paths and broaden the vision of STEM professions.
The next story comes from Austria, from ANNT friend Irfan Glogić:
“I currently work as a postdoctoral researcher at the Faculty of Mathematics of the University of Vienna. I study partial differential equations that model physical and biological processes. In other words, my aim is to understand, from a rigorous mathematical standpoint, natural phenomena that are generally difficult to study experimentally, from population dynamics of microorganisms in biology to the formation and collapse of stars and their galaxies in astrophysics.
For now my focus is on research, so I spend most of my working time at my desk, playing around with all sorts of mathematical problems arising from the analysis of partial differential equations. In addition, there are regular meetings with collaborators and occasional trips to conferences and scientific meetings. On average, every other semester I teach a mathematics course, which adds an important dynamic to my daily routine, allows me to develop as a teacher, and gives me a sense of having a direct impact on the community.
The opportunity, on the one hand, to study the mathematical background of the natural sciences and, on the other, to explain it to young and very bright people is like a dream come true, and something for which I am immensely grateful.
A person with a mathematical educational background has a wide range of career paths. In my case, the primary plan is an academic career in the form of a permanent professorship at a university. If that does not work out, or if for some other reason I give up on that idea, then retraining for industry is generally straightforward and not very time-consuming.
As for the future of mathematics, I believe that its applied dimension will soon take the lead, especially with regard to, for example, applications in computer science and biology. Interdisciplinarity and direct interaction with the applied sciences will also become increasingly common. Nevertheless, theoretical mathematics will still remain very present and active; after all, it is the purists among mathematicians who, paradoxically, have contributed the most to the development of the mathematical foundations of the natural sciences by developing elegant mathematical theories.
I finished what used to be Sarajevo College. I took part in competitions, and I had a knack for mathematics, so it followed logically that I enrolled in the Department of Mathematics at the Faculty of Science in Sarajevo. There, during my first year, I attended two programmes in parallel, mathematics and computer science. Mathematics out of love, and computer science more out of pragmatism and job prospects. In the end, however, I realised that theoretical mathematics was much more interesting and challenging for me than programming (although I was also very good at that). On top of that, I had the opportunity to do some teaching and thus realised that this dimension of the academic vocation suited me, so I chose mathematics and a career in academia.
The quality of teaching at the Department of Mathematics was, somewhat surprisingly, very high. The solid knowledge I gained then was truly a strong foundation for my later academic path. However, what was probably missing at the time, in retrospect, was enabling and systematically facilitating academic stays abroad for the best students, whether through student exchange or through summer schools offered in European countries, all with the aim of networking and building a broader perspective. When I later applied for a PhD in the USA, I was told that the main weakness of my profile was that my academic experience up to then had been entirely limited to BiH, and so they could not properly compare me with applicants from other countries.
After my master's studies in Sarajevo, I went on to do my PhD in the USA, at Ohio State University. The application process, although not overly complicated, is nevertheless time-consuming and requires serious preparation. You have to pass three exams: one in general knowledge, one in the specialised field relevant to the given programme, and one in English. In addition, you have to write a separate motivation letter for each university, which, among other things, explains why the given department is a suitable option for the applicant. It is good practice to apply to several universities (~10) of varying rankings, which increases the likelihood of getting at least one positive response. You also need to provide three letters of recommendation for each application.
It is important to take the application process seriously and to set aside enough time for it. Being admitted is actually one of the hardest steps, because with the offer itself the university promises financial support (in the form of a monthly salary) throughout the entire programme, in return for which the applicant is expected to make a minimal teaching commitment (usually 4 hours a week). Moreover, these funds are entirely sufficient to cover a student's living costs.
Although significant, the effort invested in the application process is incomparable with the benefits of doing a PhD in the USA. In my case, that phase had a tremendously transformative effect. The environment was such that every student's potential could be put to optimal use. There I had the opportunity to interact on a daily basis with some of the smartest people I know. This had a significant impact on my growth, both professionally and personally.
Finally, I would tell your readers to be brave, to believe in themselves, to be aware of their potential, and not to give up until they put that potential to optimal use and find a professional engagement that is challenging enough and that they will pursue with love and passion.”
