Arkajyoti Bhattacharya, Post-doc Researcher

Arkajyoti Bhattacharya is currently doing postdoctoral research in the Department of Medical Oncology at the University Medical Center Groningen (UMCG). His role combines programming, statistics, and biology.

Bhattacharya doesn’t consider himself fluent in Dutch but he is aiming to develop his language skills in order to pass exams in it. Luckily, in his department people mainly speak English, so he didn’t face any barriers in this regard.

Bhattacharya encourages people who want to work in academia in Groningen to broaden their network and not just stick to people from within their cultural circle.

“If an introverted person comes to Groningen, it can be a bit challenging. So in that case you have to reach out to improve your cultural diversity. If you stick to your own culture, that can be a bit of a barrier I think,” says Bhattacharya.

However, Bhattacharya says that he felt at home quite quickly in Groningen as it’s a small city with a tightly-knit community. He also echoes Gmelin’s views on the facilitated networking opportunities in the North.

Asked about what advice he would offer someone trying to enter this field, Bhattacharya recommends telling people such as your colleagues and your supervisor that you are looking for a position in academia. This would allow them to keep this plan in mind and adjust the structure of their research team if possible.

This article was originally published in The Northern Times. Interview and article by Christoph Schwaiger.