Insights into a Doctoral Student’s Everyday Life: Girl’s Day at WHU

“After your PhD, you have to become a professor” and “Sustainability is only about the environment”. Our doctoral students Annika Hagen and Emily Waltermann were able to challenge these and other common clichés during this year’s Girl’s Day at WHU – Otto Beisheim School of Management in Düsseldorf. Together with 27 motivated high school students, they discussed diverse academic career paths, female perspectives in research, and the role of marketing in the context of sustainability.

By sharing their personal journeys, Annika and Emily provided relatable insights into the daily life of a doctoral student: Balancing research, teaching, and our collaboration with Henkel. They demonstrated how diverse and impact-driven a PhD can be and highlighted the many opportunities it offers. Their session also featured an interactive quiz and open discussions on topics such as sustainable consumption, academic careers, and diversity in science.

A campus tour, a look into the lecture halls, and of course a stop at the offices rounded off the day.

We would like to thank Klaudia Wilde, Director Development & Relationship Management at WHU, for the excellent organization of the event. It was a pleasure to give the students an authentic glimpse into university life – and we were truly impressed by their curiosity, openness, and enthusiasm!