Assistant Professor | Founder of NextMinds | On a mission to empower (PhD) students | Researcher, Lecturer, Certified Coach & Writer

🎯 My mission is clear: mentoring and empowering early-career researchers by providing them knowledge and tools to effectively navigate through academia (and beyond). 

I'm a Researcher, Lecturer and Entrepreneur with a passion for empowering people through knowledge and education. I have 15+ years of experience in academia. 

Here’s what fuels me with energy:
🔥 Guiding early-career scientists. I enjoy teaching and actively supporting students during their academic and personal growth. I get tons of energy by mentoring PhD students, watching them developing their creativity, self-confidence, and scientific mindset under my guidance. 
💡 Research with impact. My research mission is to generate and use knowledge efficiently to benefit the society. 
🤝 Building bridges. Through my activities withing different Boards, I love creating opportunities for people to meet, discuss, exchange their ideas, and start working together. 
📖 Storytelling. I'm in my element when I can share (scientific) stories on stage, on paper, or online.

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🧡 Discover how I can help you with my company NextMinds: 
👉 https://www.nextminds.net/
📩 Sign up for the NextMinds Newsletter to receive every second week free actionable tips directly in your inbox! 

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🤨 You're still an Assistant Professor, Isabelle? After 10 years? When will you be promoted? 🤨

I've noticed an interesting trend in people from my network that I meet offline. 

Many of them ask me the same two questions:
❓️ When will you be promoted to Associate Professor? 
❓️ Are you still doing research? 

🥳 I know it may sound surprising as I look like a PhD student (😅), but this year it will be 10 years I've been working as an AssProf - the first 4 years at Leiden University, and now at the VU Amsterdam. 

🤔 So yeah, isn't it the next logical step to be promoted to Associate Professor?
🤔 Will this happen?
🤔 When will it happen? 
🤔 Do I want it to happen? 

Over the past 3 years, so much has happened. My academic profile has slowly shifted from research and education towards education, leadership/management, coaching/training, impact and visibility. 

😍 I absolutely love that. 

Although academia is crazy right now with the consequences of the budget cuts, I've found a real sense of purpose and meaningfulness with my work. 

🤷🏼‍♀️ But that means that indeed, I'm doing less and less research. Because for research I need people, and the idea of spending weeks writing grants with <10% chances of getting money doesn't make sense to me.
I also start to wonder what the point is of writing scientific articles that get diluted in the big mess that GenAI has been producing. Manuscripts that take now almost years to be reviewed. 
Papers that less and less humans read. Society that doesn't see the results of our work. 

I know that my talents and strengths are elsewhere, and I'm 200% confident about them and how useful they can be for my department and the community. 
I know that I'll find ways to show how my academic work can (indirectly) convert into money. 

🤹‍♀️ The only problem when you decide to do things a bit differently is that you cannot be placed in a box anymore. 
Academia loves boxes when it comes to the promotion trajectory.
And I'm not sure that academia will enjoy me playing with boxes and replacing the box "research" by "coaching" for a promotion 😅

So, I don't know. Now. 
And I'm okay not knowing. 
I'm allowing myself to listen to what I really enjoy, and explore these paths. 
It's a bit scary because it's unusual, but it's very rewarding. 

👀 But that's very risky, Isabelle! What if your colleagues read this? You should say you want to be a Professor!!!

Hi colleagues, I know you read my posts 🤩

I don't think that being honest, transparent, and showing vulnerability is something risky. 
I think it's actually good for the younger generation to see that nothing is set in stone, that people can doubt, that there are different paths, and that there can be a lot going on in their supervisor's head! 

--

👋 I'm Isabelle, Captain at NextMinds, where I provide tools to help early-career scientists navigate #academia.
💌 Need help or guidance? Check the Featured section of my profile to see how I can support you.

Isabelle Kohler

My mission is clear: mentoring and empowering early-career researchers by providing them knowledge and tools to effectively navigate through the first steps of their career. 

I'm a Researcher, Lecturer and Entrepreneur with a passion for empowering people through knowledge and education. 

Here’s what fuels me with energy:
🔥 Guiding early-career scientists. I enjoy teaching and actively supporting students during their academic and personal growth. I get tons of energy by mentoring PhD students, watching them developing their creativity, self-confidence, and scientific mindset under my guidance. 
💡 Research with impact. My research mission is to generate and use knowledge efficiently to benefit the society. 
🤝 Building bridges. Through my activities withing different Boards, I love creating opportunities for people to meet, discuss, exchange their ideas, and start working together. 
📖 Storytelling. I'm in my element when I can share (scientific) stories on stage, on paper, or online 

Dive deeper in my world:
🚀 https://www.nextminds.net/
💊 https://www.alittlebitofscience.com/

👍 Oh yes Isabelle, I'm so happy to be at the end of my 4-year PhD contract while I haven't submitted my thesis! 👍

.... said no PhD student to me.

Ever.

I got my PhD in Switzerland, where the rules require you to defend your PhD before the end of your contract.

You can imagine my huge surprise when I landed in the Netherlands and saw that the majority of PhD students do not defend their thesis before the end of their contract.

😔 Even worse, they often still have to write parts of their thesis and/or articles after their contract has ended.

While they're looking for a job.
Unpaid.

Or while they've started a new job.
Exhausted and unmotivated to spend evenings and weekends writing.

👀 C'mon Isabelle, the delays are probably not that bad!

Well, they are:
🔸️A 2018 analysis from VSNU (now UNL) showed that the duration of PhD trajectories at Dutch universities was 5.1 years
🔸️A 2025 publication by the Promovendi Netwerk Nederland (PNN) reported a median duration of >5 years

👉 That's over a year of unpaid academic labor - per PhD.

I've had conversations with 100s of PhD students over the last decade, and if there's one point they find stressful, it's this:

"Will I finish on time?"

🧐 The problem?
The PhD candidate bears most of the burden: loss of salary, unpaid labor, visa/social security risks, delayed careers, and risk of dropout without a diploma.

Meanwhile, universities and supervisors don't suffer much. Supervisors get publications, data, and flexibility without financial or evaluative penalties for delays.
Universities have capped costs, outputs, and externalized risk to individuals - with no damage to their reputation or prestige.

🧐 The result?
All downside concentrates on the weakest actor, while incentives to finish on time remain structurally weak.

There are historical reasons for this framework - employment model, protection of academic quality, budget predictability, etc.

But this is a structural problem that we're making PhD students pay for.

We are at a time when the Dutch academic landscape is trying to move away from publish-or-perish metrics.
When most PhDs will continue their career outside of academia.

I believe it's time for structural reform.

👀 A reform, Isabelle? But how??

Some ideas:
🔸️ Part of university funding released only upon on-time PhD completion
🔸️ University-level data published and benchmarked nationally
🔸️ Chronic late completions factored into supervisor performance reviews, promotion decisions or grant evaluations. 

I'm not saying a PhD should become "easier." I'm saying that adequate quality can be reached within a defined timeframe - as proven in many other countries.

👉 I'm calling on Universiteiten van Nederland, NWO (Dutch Research Council), and Ministry of Education, Culture and Science to create/implement reforms and stop passing the burden onto PhD students only.

💝 I'm also calling my network - if you want to discuss this or collaborate on making this happen, contact me!

🤔 What do you think of strategic decisions taken by universities, Isabelle? Are you happy? 🤔

I have something that has been bothering me for a few weeks.
 
I've noticed a pattern in academia. 

We're going backwards. 

It is 2026. I live and work in a relatively progressive country. 
My work field, academia, is a sector where people have been made aware of topics such as diversity and inclusion. 
It is a sector with mostly highly educated and smart people. 

Based on this, what I'd expect is that strategic decisions taken at higher levels (university, faculty or department levels) would follow the basic principles of diversity, equity and inclusion. 

Yet, over the last weeks, I've noticed online and offline a trend that really, really irritates me. 

It actually drives me insane.

The trend? Universities/Faculties proudly announcing the implementation of new task forces and strategic teams. 

And who are part of these task forces?

Dutch men. 
Only. 

Now let me pause a bit. 

For many of these task forces or strategic teams, people are joining voluntarily through an open call. 
It is an extra task on the top of their already huge workload. That means that some people accept to go even beyond their current huge workload to help making important decisions for the future. And this, in periods of severe budget cuts and unstable years, is very important. Thank you. 

But seriously... How can universities/faculties be content with a task force only composed of Dutch white men? How can decisions for the future be taken with such poor diversity? 

Is this really the way we define leadership?

Where are the women? 
Where are the international people? 
Where are the people who do not fit the 7 boxes (zeven vinkjes, as described by Joris Luyendijk)? 

They are there - I see them all the time on the work floor!

Seriously, how do we want people to believe in the future of academia if no one at the higher levels is capable of pausing for a bit and asking themselves "hey, we only got Dutch men applying for such task force - maybe we should check what can be done differently and why we didn't get a better diversity"? 

I can't believe that in 2026, we're still at this stage where this type of decisions are taken - without thinking how negative their impact can be.

Academia is already getting less and less exciting as workplace for the younger generation, with the insane workload and all the problems that everyone already knows about. 
But if we keep going backwards and having the same biases, then we'll have a real structural problem, with people leaving because they don't feel welcome at all. 

Not welcome, and invisible. 

And that is not good for the future of the country. 

This is my call to all universities, faculties and department: please, please, show some empathy and self-awareness. 

The way you define leadership is not okay. 

Thank you.

🚀 How can we help today’s scientists become tomorrow’s science leaders, Isabelle? 🚀

🤔 How do we define a science leader? 
🤔 What are the skills that make a scientist a leader? 
🤔 How does leadership look like across different disciplines in chemistry - is leadership different in analytical vs organic chemistry? 
🤔 Does leadership need to become more open and diverse? 
🤔 Do leaders need to work 80h/week to be great leaders? 

So many questions that I had the chance to discuss with analytical scientist colleagues Charlotta Turner and Lourdes Ramos during a roundtable conversation organized by The Analytical Scientist. 

Do I love exchanging on such topics with people coming from different horizons, career stages, and countries?
Oh yes! 

Find the Part I of this roundtable conversation here 👉 https://ow.ly/BpHH50XSXrt

👀 Part I, Isabelle? Does it mean there will be a Part II? 

Yes, because apparently we talked a lot 😁

My take on leadership and owning our choices? 

👇

"When I was younger, I assumed that if I wanted to advance, I’d have to fit into whatever the established model of leadership was – working 60-hour weeks, joining the right groups, doing things “the way it’s done.” But at some point, I realized I didn’t want to fit into that. So I decided to do things differently, and it turns out that’s OK. Some even told me I’d become a role model because I was showing another way of leading – a different kind of success.

I think it’s important that young people see there isn’t just one model to follow. You don’t need to copy someone else’s framework to be a leader. You can define your own path and your own way of leading. For some, that might mean chasing big grants and awards; for others, it might mean building something meaningful in a quieter way. We should value all of those versions of leadership. And by doing that, we show how much diversity there really is – and can be – in leadership within our field."

Thanks James Strachan for having invited me to join this conversation, and Charlotta and Lourdes for this inspiring chat. 

Photo credit: The Analytical Scientist 

--

👋 I'm Isabelle, Captain at NextMinds, where I provide tools to help early-career scientists navigate #academia.
💌 Need help or guidance? Check the Featured section of my profile to see how I can support you.

🤠 Isabelle, did you have a goal for last year? Did you reach it? 🤠

Last year in January, I decided that in 2025, I wanted to dare more. 

I wanted to dare:
🔸Prioritizing my health and well-being unapologetically,
🔸️Saying no when I think no, 
🔸Saying yes to traveling and new adventures.

Did I succeed in these three goals? 
I think I did!
✅️ I prioritized what I need to feel healthy - sleep, sport, me-time, friends-time, fun-time. Although my energy levels are "still not there yet" (whatever "there" means), I'm very happy with the current status.
✅️ I did become more confident saying no, although there's still some work needed to be okay with the temporary discomfort it brings to me.
✅️ I started traveling agaiiiin - oh boy I missed this. 

These were the three "daring" goals I shared openly. But I had way more "daring" actions planned 😇

🤩 Daring to follow my ideas at work, even if they seem a bit "different" (my view - maybe they aren't that different)
🤩 Daring to disappoint people 
🤩 Daring to choose tasks that fulfill me and let go of the rest
... and many more "daring". 

What did I discover?
That daring creates a virtuous circle!

The more you dare, the more you see positive effects, and the more you want to dare. 

So in 2026, I want to keep daring. 
And I want to inspire you to dare more, too!

That's why my first C2W column of the year is about daring. 

You can find it here 👉 https://lnkd.in/eDay9XtG

🥰 And yep, this column wouldn't exist if wouldn't have dared to walk to the KNCV Director Jan Willem T. and C2W Editor-in-chief Esther Thole and say "I want to write for the Koninklijke Nederlandse Chemische Vereniging-KNCV". 

Go dare! 💪

---

👋 I'm Isabelle, Captain at NextMinds, where I provide tools to help early-career scientists navigate #academia.
💌 Need help or guidance? Check the Featured section of my profile to see how I can support you.

🤩 Will you be at FAST2026 in February, Isabelle? Will you be doing something for PhD students? 🤩

Yeeees I'll be going to the Forum for Analytical Sciences (FAST), organized by COAST - Analytical Science and Technology, that will take place on 26-27th of February in Maastricht.  

I'm so happy to go, as I missed many of the previous editions!

But mostly, I'm so happy to go because yeeees I'm also contributing to the (supercool) program with... 

... an Early-Career Interactive Session 🥳

👀 A what, Isabelle? 

🫵 Are you a Master student, PhD student or postdoc attending FAST? 

Then join us for this session!

On the menu:
🍣 A presentation on the possible career options after a PhD/postdoc 
🍗 A panel session with 5 panelists who will share all their career secrets

On our panel:
🔸️ Iris Groeneveld, Forensic scientist at the NFI
🔸️ Andrea Gargano, Associate Professor at HIMS/UvA
🔸️ Maria Baltussen, Team Lead at Aspen API
🔸️ Stefan Govers, Business Developer at CHILL
🔸️ Karin Struijs, Lecturer/Researcher at Hogeschool HAN

We'll answer questions about:
🤔 What skills are important after a PhD?
🤔 How is work-life balance? 
🤔 What if I have no clue what to do afterwards?
🤔 Is networking so important? 
🤔 Should I plan my career for the next 20 years?

... And any question you may have, as the plan is that *you* ask questions!

In a nutshell:
📆 Thursday, 26th February
⏰️ 15:30-17:00
📍#FAST2026, room Ceramique 1+2
💰 Open to everyone - but you have to be registered to the conference
▶️ Not registered yet? Hurry up, the deadline is tomorrow!

Will we see you there? 

--

👋 I'm Isabelle, Captain at NextMinds, where I provide tools to help early-career scientists navigate #academia.
💌 Need help or guidance? Check the Featured section of my profile to see how I can support you.

🧐 You already wrote 50 columns, Isabelle? Omg where do you find so much creativity? 🧐

🥳 I had a cool milestone this week: my 50th column got posted on C2W international, from the Koninklijke Nederlandse Chemische Vereniging-KNCV! 

A journey that started more than two years ago and that is still going strong. 

👀 Insane, Isabelle - but you probably had moments where you didn't know what to write about, right? Right????

Well... Actually, not really. 

It isn't a secret for anyone that I love writing. 
I write columns for C2W, I regularly post on LinkedIn, I write newsletters, I have a blog (disclaimer: again in its dormant phase right now 😅), I used to write a lot of scientific articles and reviews, I'm often the one taking minutes during meetings, I journal every day, I send book-chapter-style messages to some of my friends... 

Writing is a second nature for me - it has always been. It's still my favorite way of communicating - especially when it's about difficult topics. 

😆 Some of my previous colleagues were astonished by the number of pages I could fill with notes during a presentation. That has always been my strategy to keep my attention and focus. 

Although writing is somewhat easy for me, I do need great ideas to write about - otherwise it's just words without impact. 
And I want impact! 
And entertainment!

...But if I'm exhausted, or too busy, or concerned by something, or feeling "meh" and not motivated, then I lack the creativity I need for great ideas. 

▶️ That's an easy equation: 
Creativity + adequate writing = useful/meaningful text. 

This equation is not only valid for my C2W columns, but also for all pieces of text I write in my jobs. 

Everyone needs creativity and adequate writing to deliver a scientific article, a report, a grant proposal, a conference abstract, or a piece of text on a poster. 

🤔 So, how do you foster creativity in a world that rather encourages distraction and procrastination?

🔥 The secret? 
You need a solid framework in place. 

The two strategies in this framework? 
1️⃣ Create space for your mind to wander, and 
2️⃣ Build a system to capture ideas when they emerge

Curious to learn more about these two strategies? 

Well, unsurprisingly, this is the topic of my 50th column! 

Find it here 👉 https://lnkd.in/eiS2U95P

😁 I think I'm ready for the next round of columns - although maybe one day I'll face the dreaded "blank page"

--

👋 I'm Isabelle, Captain at NextMinds, where I provide tools to help early-career scientists navigate #academia.
💌 Need help or guidance? Check the Featured section of my profile to see how I can support you.

🥳 How's life, Isabelle? What's currently cooking for 2026? 🥳

🤩 What's better than starting the year with an event targeting early-career researchers, giving them insights about their career possibilities? 

Join us this month at NWO Physics for an interactive session on career preparation, together with Jennifer Faber, Barry W. Fitzgerald and Hans Peter van der Lit!

On the menu of this session:
💡 Answers to all the questions you have
💡 Practical tips to prepare for your next step
💡 And plenty of stories coming from our own professional journey (very, very diverse and by far not linear)! 

👀 Huh Isabelle, NWO Physics? PHYSICS? Your knowledge in physics is close to zero!

Correct - but hey, whether you are a PhD student in a physics-related field or in another field, chances are high you'll face the same questions and doubts. 
And realizing that we aren't alone with our doubts is already a great step forward!

In a nutshell:
📅 Wednesday, 21th January
⏰️ 12.30-13.30
📍 NWO Physics, Baroniezaal
💰 Everyone is welcome but you need to be registered to the conference
🥖 Free food, free entertainment!

👀 Cool Isabelle, I'll be there! But how can I get my question answered?

You have a burning question(s)? Then we invite to:
1️⃣  Send your question(s) to NWO (see post below), or
2️⃣ Ask your question directly during the session. 

Looking forward to seeing you there!

👇

Co-organising scientific conferences for NWO (Dutch Research Council).

Are you a *Master’s student, PhD candidate, EngD candidate, or Postdoc* wondering what your future career path might look like? 
Between research deadlines and experiments, it can be challenging to step back and think about your next move.
 
Join us for an **inspiring and hands‑on career session** designed especially for early‑career researchers who want to explore their options—both *inside and beyond academia*.
 
During this workshop, you will gain: 
·       Fresh perspectives on possible career paths 
·       Practical tools for early career planning 
·       Actionable tips to help you navigate your next steps 
·       The chance to ask your own questions and engage in discussion
 
Our three experts each bring a unique career journey:
 
o  Isabelle Kohler** — lecturer, researcher, writer & career coach 
o  Jennifer Faber** — programme officer, coach/teacher & former weather presenter 
o  Barry W. Fitzgerald** — science communicator, author & moderator of NWO Physics 2026
 
Do you already have a question about your career? 
Send it to physics@nwo.nl with the subject line Question career session — your question will be answered during the session.
 
Date:              Wednesday 21 January
Location:          Baroniezaal
Time:               12:30–13:30
Lunch is provided
 
We look forward to seeing you there—ready to **EXPLORE** your future!
#nwophysics #physics #career #explore

📢 The first piece of The Academic Think Tank (TATT), written by Robert Harris and Ferhan Sagin, that crystallizes the conversations that the TATT members have had to make academia healthier. 

Long life to the TATT!

(and long life to actual changes and improvements in academia, obviously)

👇

Academic leadership training I Professor of NeuroImmunotherapy l Dean of Doctoral Education l Empowering professional leadership and shaping PhD education l Have trained 8000+ PhD supervisors l #MADBob

Five ways to make the academic workplace happier and healthier this year


As a result of a discussion within TATT (The Academic Think Tank), we are pleased to see this piece published in the Nature Career column (29 Jan). 
We propose:
1. Mandatory leadership training
2. Anonymous reporting systems that work
3. Cultural climate audits
4. Well-being as a measure of success
5. Accountability beyond the CV

as areas that institutions should be making a priority.

Link to the full article in the comments.

Thanks to all TATT members for such a productive discussion.

🥳 NWO Physics is next week, Isabelle! Will we see you there? 

Next week on Tuesday and Wednesday, NWO Physics will take place!

🤩 Will I be there to learn more about the latest developments in physics? 
No!
(Because I would need a gigacrash course in physics to understand what people are talking about 😅)

🤩 Will I be there to give insights to early-career researchers about how they can shape their career and prepare for the next step? 
Yessss!

Join Jennifer Faber, Barry W. Fitzgerald and Hans Peter van der Lit for an interactive session on career preparation. 

Gain insights, explore career options, and ask all the questions you have! We'll share our experience, tips, ideas, stories, and anything you'd like to learn from us. 

Practical details of this session: 
📅 Wednesday, 21th January
⏰️ 12.30-13.30
📍 NWO Physics, Baroniezaal
🎯 For students, PhD students, postdocs, or anyone looking for career-related insights
💰 Everyone is welcome but you need to be registered to the conference
🥖 Free lunch (maybe Barry will bring pizza)

❓️ Any specific question you want to get answered during this session? 
Let us know using physics@nwo.nl with the subject line "question career session". 

Will I see you there? 

---

👋 I'm Isabelle, Captain at NextMinds, where I provide tools to help early-career scientists navigate #academia.
💌 Need help or guidance? Check the Featured section of my profile to see how I can support you.

💪 It's a new year, Isabelle! I want a new job! Well, I need a job after my PhD! 💪

🤔 Is 2026 (or 2027 or 2028 or or or - it's never too early to start!) the year you'll finish your PhD and find a job? 
🤔 Are you doubting about what's best for you and what's out there?
🤔 Are you looking for practical tips to figure this out better and get ready for this step? 

I've got your back! 

👇

A new year can sometimes mean a new career path. Isabelle Kohler explores career options beyond academia and offers practical guidance on leveraging your skills, building confidence, and navigating the transition into industry and other roles.
https://lnkd.in/eKFj6yiv

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