"I'm looking forward to going back and giving back"

Taona Mudhluli (TM), former PhD student from Zimbabwe, and Noemi Iwicki (NI), PhD student in Frankfurt am Main, participated in the Artemis mentoring programme that connects African researchers as mentees with researchers at Max Planck Institutes (MPIs) in Germany as mentors. They talk about how different it is to do a PhD in Zimbabwe and in Germany—and whether the research expertise really makes its way back to Zimbabwe.

The Artemis mentoring programme lasted a year and ended after a one-month research stay in Germany. It concluded half a year ago. Are you still in touch?

NI Yes, two months ago, Taona kept me updated that she had finished her PhD and that she is now in Hamburg doing her postdoc. But we didn’t have much time to catch up, so I’m also excited to hear from her.

What was your first impression when you met each other?

TM The first time I met you in Germany, it was in the morning, and you had already started an experiment. I felt there was a big difference compared with our PhD culture, that was a real shock for me. I was so impressed by your speed and enthusiasm. And I really liked that culture: we would end the day when we had finished the objectives for the day. It wasn’t like, “Oh, now it’s four p.m.—let’s just cut it short.”

How is pursuing a PhD different in Zimbabwe?

TM In Germany, PhD students are employed. In Zimbabwe, you have a job, and you pursue your PhD on the side.

When you returned to Zimbabwe, were there things you immediately did differently than before?

TM My diagrams—I learned a lot about software. And Noemi looked at my CV; that was even before we physically met. We met once a month during that year for video calls.

Can you make use of the methods you learned when you returned to Zimbabwe?

TM Some equipment is similar, some is missing. But more importantly, the programme gives you exposure, that makes you say, “It would be great if we could find funding and for example introduce focal microscopy at my university.”

What did the Artemis programme achieve best?

NI I think bringing people together that you would not have met otherwise is what this platform is for. Here in Germany, you have a lot of people who are interested in getting to know new people from a different continent. Everyone here is passionate about participating. Seeing how much you can benefit from the mentoring programme, I also reflected on my own situation and realized that I’m motivated to be on the other side myself—to be a mentee again and to learn from others.

TM It exposed me to German science culture. When I came back for my one-year postdoc, it was easy for me to integrate. Methodology is very important in the German context; it’s not something we emphasize as much in our research in Zimbabwe. I also liked the independence—Noemi could propose certain methodologies for her own experiments. So when I came here again, I already had that culture in me.

You talked about independence. How is the science culture different in Zimbabwe?

TM You stick to the plan. Maybe it’s also because of funding—you can’t really deviate, because you don’t have enough resources to do that. So, you make sure something comes out of it. Working at the Max Planck Institute in Frankfurt made me appreciate other people’s research: you can move from one discipline to the next, and it feels so fluid because they are closely connected. In Zimbabwe, it’s more like one-on-one supervision.

Organisations such as the Network of African Science Academies (NASAC) warn about brain drain—bright minds leaving Africa. You did the internship in Germany, and now you’re doing a postdoc here. Where do you see yourself ending up?

TM For me personally, I don’t see it as brain drain, because I still hold my position in Zimbabwe and I’m looking forward to going back and giving back. My university allowed me to take this one year so that I can return and contribute to the university. I believe, they saw some of the benefits that would come out of it.

Which benefits are those?

TM I also give lectures in Zimbabwe, and for example, I had always taught gene editing only in theory—I’d never done the practical part. During the Artemis science slam in Heidelberg, we met someone who does it every day, and she agreed to show my students the experiments via video call. It’s valuable to realize that you’re missing exchange in research groups and journal clubs, and to bring that back home.

NI Many positions in Europe are also filled by non-Europeans, which is a good thing because we need to be exposed to other cultures, practices and perspectives as well.

What should the Artemis project improve on?

NI For me, it was the first time designing a project. They should involve someone with experience who knows what can realistically be done within four weeks.

TM A longer research stay would help, and perhaps an alumni network—so that you can see where everyone is six months later.

Taona Mudhluli and Noemi Iwicki talked to Luca Blicker.

Max Planck Society: The Artemis programme

The Artemis mentoring programme of the Max Planck Society (MPG) fosters exchange between scientists from Africa and from the Max Planck Society. Graduates, doctoral candidates and early-career researchers in Africa (mentees) can apply, as well as junior scientists, PhD students and postdocs at Max Planck Institutes (mentors). After the application phase, up to 45 mentor-mentee pairs are matched based on their research interests and career goals; mentoring training and a scientific workshop complement the programme. Over the course of twelve months, mentors and mentees meet regularly in one-on-one sessions to discuss topics such as career planning, research profile, publications, funding, and international collaboration. The MPG fully funds a four-week research stay for mentees at a Max Planck Institute. The programme concludes with a science slam, where participants present their research in a short, accessible format.

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