Interviews at IRES: Caroline Hill

Caroline Hill is part of the faculty at the Institute of Russian and Eurasian Studies at Uppsala University, where she is simultaneously working on her PhD at the Department of Theology. She also took on the role of a researcher with the Post-secular Conflicts Project at the University of Innsbruck. Her research interests include framing and morality policy debates in the former Soviet states and South-eastern Europe, and the role of the Orthodox Church and Evangelical Christian groups in mediatization of religion in Eastern Europe and the West.

In this May 14th interview Caroline Hill explains the intricacies of academia for the international student community when coming to study at the graduate and postgraduate level in Sweden, like at Uppsala University. This interview, conducted by Anna Strohmeyer, one of Caroline’s students at the Russian and Eurasian Studies master’s program, was conceived with the explicit goal of offering the invaluable advice of an experienced and successful faculty member at IRES to all non-Europeans interested in studying abroad in Europe. Caroline breaks down not only the need for adjustment to cultural differences, but is also focused on explaining the significance of mental health in the world of academia and so much more!

1. Can you tell me briefly about your academic background? What piqued your interest in the Russian and Eurasian studies field?

I'm originally from Seattle, Washington in the [USA]. I went to a state college, with an interdisciplinary curriculum and completed my degree in three years. I also did a year at St. Petersburg State University in Russia. What piqued my interest in this field was ballet which I did as a kid. I went to Russia for the first time before I turned 20 and absolutely loved it. I stayed for two months and got immersed in the culture. And I knew at that point that I didn't want to live in the States and that I wanted to go back. So, I accelerated my last year of college and went back to Russia. It was actually the first foreign country I ever visited, and it was a kind of trial by fire, though, in terms of going overseas.

2. Why did you choose to study in Europe, not in the USA, for your graduate degrees? How long have you been overseas?

I was in Russia for three years; in Ukraine – for about five years and the Netherlands – for two years because I was in grad school there. My master’s degree in Sweden took a little longer than planned and now I am in a PhD program. In between my master’s degree here and starting the PhD program I worked in Austria for one year in Innsbruck.

The big game changer was that I knew that I wanted to go into a PhD program. When I went back to the US after earning my master’s, I didn't realize I had to actually be in Sweden to get into a PhD program there. At the time, it was the 2014 Sochi Olympics. I was watching the games and thinking, “I need to get back overseas”. So, that was the big push.

3. What attracted you to the PhD program at Uppsala University and what were the challenges initially?

I was attracted to Uppsala University because when I was in Russia, I met people from Sweden, and I still was thinking about doing my PhD. It was my goal since bachelor’s degree. Watching my professors, I wanted to live my life as an academic. Some of those Swedes recommended Uppsala University, so I became interested in the master’s program in Theology, because I wanted to do sociology of religion like I'm doing now. I wanted to get into a master’s program so I could be onboarded into the PhD programs at Uppsala University, but the Theology department wasn't admitting international students at the time. So, I got into the 2014 master’s program in Political Science and that was the beginning of the windy pathway into Uppsala University. I had mentors from the Institute of Russian and European Studies (IRES) who connected me with the Department of Theology. So, even though I couldn’t get into their master’s program, I did electives at the Theology department. I strongly recommend looking at the various departments that might have courses relevant to your interests if you want to continue in academia because IRES doesn't confer PhD degrees.

4. How is the academic lifestyle in Sweden different from the USA? What helped you adapt to the new academic and cultural environment?

I think it's different here in a positive way because of a very keen sense about work/life balance. First of all, they treat their PhD students like human beings, which is not what I can say for many universities in the States. In Sweden, when you're a PhD student, you're an employee of the university. You get a monthly salary, benefits, and vacation. Also. supervisors encourage the work/life balance because it's a question of longevity as an academic: they don't want their students burning out. There is mental health leave and it's in the system's interest to keep their employees happy. This is why even in lectures and seminars I will not stop emphasizing self-care as part of the learning process. That’s a really important part of the educational system. For international students, [Uppsala University] teaches you to be good to yourself and to pace yourself.

I think that in Sweden, the society is much more tuned into people having…interests outside of their work, whereas in the US you are your work. Faculty over in the States, seem to be running themselves into the ground because they're in a system where the students are considered clients. It's a business. With the expectations on US academics to publish or perish, oftentimes you get people in the faculty that don't take good care of themselves.

5. What should international graduate students do for a smooth and successful transition in the European academic environment?

Looking at Sweden from the outside, you don't realize how much connections matter. The meritocracy works to a point. Take for example admissions. I can't emphasize enough how important it is to­ be humble about what you're doing, but also to get involved. Check the websites of all the universities in Sweden with all of the Eurasian or Russian studies departments, be involved, show up, take notes. Go on academia.edu; make a page [for yourself]; connect with people; follow them on social media. Keep posted in terms of new publications. If, for example, a lecturer is coming from Örebro to Uppsala, get in the loop, stay in the loop. So, ResearchGate and academia.edu are your best friends now. Also, for Sweden, LinkedIn is key. Just network.

6. In your experience, what are the two major differences between the USA and European graduate programs in terms of learning style and pace, exam, and research approach?

In the US, the academic load is very different. You have lots of little assignments throughout the semester, such as seminar papers every week, but it helps you take the pulse of what your professor wants from you, whereas here, it tends to be that you have a midterm in the middle of the quarter and a final exam. At the Political Science department, it was basically on the semester system, and everything was broken into quarters. So, we would have just 15 credits of 1 course. In the 15-credit process you would have maybe two papers or two exams and that was the midterm and the final and sometimes you don't even have that midterm, you're just working up to the final exam. This difference can be a struggle to adjust to, especially if you're an international student. If you get a G, a passing grade in Sweden, you should be happy. You earn that G. If you get a VG in this system, you should be over the moon. So, the Swedish faculty don't hand out good grades just to be nice.

7. What should international graduate students expect regarding feedback from their academic advisors or mentors?

The lack of administrative guidance in Sweden, unlike the US, can be very stressful, but it can also help you a lot in terms of seeking guidance independently. I encourage students to really explore topics that they're enthusiastic about on their own. And then, if you find someone, for example, whose…name keeps on popping up, the best thing you can do is to contact them, send them a short email. But with some departments here, for example, if you want to be a PhD student at the Department of Theology, when you actually are about to apply, you have to have your dissertation supervisor already set up, so this is where the networking comes in.

8. What is the most significant support system afforded to graduate students at European higher education institutions?

I will say, if you find that you're becoming overwhelmed, if you're getting stressed, you should seek help. The Student Health Center is there for students, and it is entirely about mental health, so I strongly recommend it. They can refer you to other resources or get you the medical help and medication that you need. So, as an instructor, in addition to recommending self-care, I am really passionate about referring students and getting them connected with health services because they really help. They've helped me. You can quote me on that. They've helped my friends. They've helped lots of people. They are worth their weight in gold.

9. How did you select the topic of your PhD thesis? Have you done other research on related topics that helped you narrow down this topic as a good option for further research?

Keep in mind that the master’s thesis in Sweden is typically used as the main body of prior research when you apply to a PhD program. You can look at the master’s thesis as a pilot study for a larger PhD project, wherever you may choose to do it, and so this is your way to test the waters and see what works as you can take that knowledge with you into the postgraduate dissertation project.

10. How has the pandemic affected your research and your broader experience as a graduate student and professor?

The pandemic has definitely affected my research. It's also affected how I teach because, previously, when I taught in-person I would ask questions all the time keeping the students awake, keeping my audience in the moment. With Zoom, however, there is a lack of nonverbal cues that you normally would have in the classroom. It's also very difficult if you're trying to have the same stage presence that you would have in real life. Two hours on Zoom is like eight hours in real life.

On the other hand, I really want to encourage our students to make the most of this pandemic situation. If you can, it's good to use your summers to take part in summer workshops. I think ultimately looking back on it, we're going to view this pandemic as a test of character, but also of self-care. There has been an enormous impact on academic staff and faculty, and researchers. The number of applications for burnout leave have skyrocketed, right, because of the impact that the pandemic has had. We're going through a pandemic: this affects us. It affects our families. It affects our friends; it affects the people that we work with. And so, I think self-care is all the more important as part of, you know, boosting your immunity, boosting your health, too.