New horizons thanks to USI Doc.Mobility: the story of Ely Lüthi

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Institutional Communication Service

31 May 2021

The PhD student and assistant at the Institute of Media and Journalism of the Faculty of Communication, Culture and Society will spend a research stay in Canada with the support of USI Doc.Mobility: "My host is one of the world's leading institutions in my field, and I am confident that I will return with new perspectives and a network of contacts that will be essential for my work as a researcher." Details in the interview by the Research and Knowledge Transfer Service.

 

What is in store for your stay abroad supported by USI Doc.Mobility?

During my stay in Canada, supported by USI Doc.Mobility, I will continue to work on my PhD project, which studies the history of digitisation in Switzerland, under Professor Dwayne Winseck, one of the most excellent experts in my field. I plan to work mainly on the empirical part of my research, which has several similarities with other research conducted by Prof. Winseck, to make it scientifically stronger and open this line of studies to Europe.

 

Why did you decide to apply for a USI Doc.Mobility grant?

I decided to apply for a USI Doc.Mobility grant because I believe that spending a period of study and research abroad is a significant opportunity for every academic. In addition to offering us new perspectives, working at other universities allows us to get to know other researchers and build a network of knowledge that is essential to our work, as it is through the continuous exchange with colleagues that our research can be relevant outside of our home institutions and that new ideas emerge.

 

What benefits do you hope to gain through your time abroad?

During my stay in Canada, my goal is to develop and expand my academic skills, both on the theoretical and empirical sides. My host is one of the world's leading institutions in my field (the School of Journalism and Communication at Carleton University in Ottawa), and working together with its researchers will be an excellent opportunity for me to grow, not only in my academic career but also on a more personal level. I also look forward to expanding my horizons through exposure to an academic reality such as Canada, which has different traditions and culture than Switzerland, which I hope will bring me new perspectives and new ways of thinking.

 

What suggestions would you give to those who intend to apply for this funding?

The most important thing, in my opinion, before applying for USI Doc.Mobility funding is to carefully define why you want to spend a stay abroad and what goals you want to achieve through this stay. To do this, it was fundamental for me to divide my PhD project into various stages and define for which of these stages a mobility period would be most profitable. It then allowed me to choose the institution where I would spend my stay and the contact person with whom I would collaborate.

 

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