While UK science funding largely escaped the public spending cuts the media coverage of other countries' increased science budgets made me check out PhDs elsewhere. I'm tempted by what I've seen, and especially by some PhD programmes in Germany, with generous stipends, taught components in English, and stress on the fact that overseas students would be more than welcome. Anyone else tempted to leave the UK for their PhD? Is the grass really greener on the other side?

hi flack
I'm now in Year 2 phd; not going anywhere for a while
BUT--
I have a friend in Germany who is very very happy there...
love satchi

Hey Flack,

I'm in year 2 of 4, and fully intend to do a postdoc abroad straight after my PhD. I speak German, so Germany would be good, and I think I could learn Dutch fairly quickly, so Netherlands could be good too. I'm learning Swedish, so Sweden, and possibly Norway or Denmark, would be possibles. Canada sounds great but perhaps too far away. And the US has the best labs but I worry that they treat you like shit.

If I stay in academia, it may well be abroad. If not, I'll probably settle back in England, but only in the north.

Hi Flack

Personally I am extremely tempted to join the brain drain. I am a post-doc and I have about 2 years left on my current deal. Given the general economic situation and the fact that mega tuition fees are being introduced, and that oppurtunities in science research are becoming less available in the UK, i'm extremely tempted to move abroad.

Throw in servicing the national debt that was none of my own making, (i did not vote for the govt responsible, nor did I work for any of the big banks, nor have i ever done so.), generally outrageous property prices, generally awful people (try riding a bike where I live, I am sworn at once every journey at least, by drivers who have often wound down their windows especially to do so), a conservative government that is ideologically attempting to destroy British public services, and bad weather I am even more tempted to move abroad.

The one thing getting in my way.................. my gf does not want to.

if I wasn't married, and had a dog who I couldn't put in quarantine for 6 months and 2 cats etc I would definitely go. Unfortunately my hubby hates foreigners - he's suspicious of them, and wouldn't want to be more than an hour away from his beloved football team :-(

I also can't speak any other languages, apart from a petit peu de francais. :$ and the french notoriously don't do my subject very well.

I'm also scared of spiders which rules out much of the world.

To tell you the truth, if I didn't have a permanent job (which I got after going through a very difficult and competitive examination process), I would love to go somewhere else.
I am Greek and I live and work in Greece. The current climate here is not good, and a lot of people my age are seriously thinking of going away in order to do some research. Moreover, younger people, who start their studies now, are going away from Greece in order to study and with having in mind to never return back...

I've tried SBCC, but he won't even go to France because 'they're all arrogant' (forgetting that I am half french!) He's very much a small-town stay at home kind of person, I don't think he'd ever want to travel etc. However he has admitted he doesn't mind 'travelling' but insists on 5* accomodation - so we don't travel very often lol.

Hi,

personally, I think standards for education and research are pretty high in Germany. It's probably not surprising that requirements for PhD candidates/post docs are pretty high as well.

As far as PhDs go, I think it's a bit harder to kind of change track (ie doing a PhD project in a slightly different area from your undergrad education), which is the main reason why I didn't apply anywhere in Germany.

I'd have to get a passport first. And I've never been to another country, apart from Wales (thought you had to change your currency) and Scotland.

In medical science, I think the US is generally thought of as being the best, closely followed by the UK and Germany, with the order of those two varying depending on who you talk to. Of course, plenty of other countries, such as Netherlands, Sweden, Canada, Australia, Switzerland, Italy, Spain, Austria, Finland, Norway, and so on, have top unis, but perhaps a lower number. However, for density of top unis, I think the UK is hard to beat, and I would never have considered leaving the UK for a PhD.

On the other hand, when you look at what's on offer post-PhD, I will definitely look at going abroad for a period if I decide to stay in academia, which, considering I want a job which pays well and has some degree of stability, I doubt I'll do. I think a PhD from a UK university is going to be well though of around the world.

I have lived for stduies and work in over 6 countries in teh EU over the past 4 years. And the result of that is that I can live on bread or a big meal, survive hot and cold climates, get rich and get poor. i love differnt cultures and meeting people from differnet parts fo the world. And my knowledge in my suject area has taken a giant leap in all these years by exchanging ideas and seeing practical things in so many places. Invaluable experience guys!!!!

I am scared of spiders, pythons and grissley bears too but doesnt stop me doing to different places! We have to overcome our fears to see beautiful things in the world...you only got one life and im pretty sure you dont wana just end up growin old in the same city and not having seen beautiful places? I know some could but I couldn't do that! I need stories and experiences to tell my grandchildren!


AJ

No I'm still holding to the spiders...it was a beautiful moment!!! But seriously folks, I will butt out of the thread now...it is a really interesting question though and given what the UK prime minister said at the end of 2010 about 2011, no wonder postgrads in the UK might consider it.