PhD Lounge

Luis Maia de Freitas
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Late-night podcast where I speak with PhDs about their research subjects, their decision on studying it and its importance throughout academic life. A podcast of entertainment and education, whose aim is to approach students and graduates who want to go through their future careers inside or outside of academia with a PhD and for those who are on a moment of uncertainty in continuing their studies further, as if we are having a drink and talk about PhD culture at a lounge on a late-night summer. luismaia@phdlounge.co.uk @phdlmf phdlounge.co.uk Thank you all for tuning in, it's been a pleasure!

  1. 5h ago

    Solo Session: The only Footballer to play a World Cup and hold a PhD

    Students and Graduates! As the World Cup 2026 is underway, did you know there is only one professional footballer who played a World Cup and obtained a PhD? I introduce to you Turid Knaak, PhD, a former German professional footballer who had 16 caps* for Germany's female national team and played the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup in France, and top tier clubs such as Arsenal, Bayer 04 Leverkusen, Atlético Madrid and VfL Wolfsburg where she retired from professional football in 2022. What is also brilliant along her footballing career is that she obtained a PhD at the University of Köln in Children's Special Needs Education in 2021 while still playing for Atlético Madrid. Her dissertation research was about the complex learning of basic text production for years 3 and 7 pupils, exploring learning and diagnostic methods and exercises including spelling, oral lexicon and multi-component storytelling to argue the advantages and limitations in the improvement of school marks in pupils' vocabulary, knowledge of the grammar and high quality written language. Dr Turid Knaak currently works as a football pundit, commentator and tactical expert for DAZN and Sky, and as football analyst at IMPECT. Thank you all for tuning in, it has been a pleasure! *2:36: Apologies for my mistake on the video as I noticed on her football profile that she had 16 caps for Germany and not 15 after editing this session. Bibliography: bravery.reports. (2021, August 19). Profi Fußballerin Turid Knaak über ihre Karriere in der Bundesliga und der Nationalmannschaft. [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bnx7ciUqMdI Doeker, E. (2021, June 11). Turid Knaak: A Doctor who scores goals. Football Engine. https://www.footballengine.net/post/turid-knaak-a-doctor-who-scores-goals Knaak, T. (2021). Bedeutung und Förderung grundlegender Schreibkompetenzen bei Schülerinnen und Schülern mit Lernschwierigkeiten (doctoral dissertation). University of Köln. https://kups.ub.uni-koeln.de/51599/1/Dissertation%20Knaak.pdf Strohschein, J. (2019, May 17). Knaak: “Very few women can live off football.” dw.com. https://www.dw.com/en/turid-knaak-very-few-women-can-live-off-football/a-48782166 Support the show Website: https://www.phdlounge.co.uk Email: luismaia@phdlounge.co.uk Buzzsprout subscription - https://www.buzzsprout.com/1808542/support Instagram: @phdlmf LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/luismaia94/ Linktree: https://linktr.ee/phdloungepodcast

    5 min
  2. Solo Session: Bridging Humanities and STEM PhDs

    Jun 10

    Solo Session: Bridging Humanities and STEM PhDs

    Students and Graduates! Among stereotypes, historical divisions and practical differences, Humanities and STEM deeply bridge gaps in the PhD universe! If you haven't thought about what similarities PhDs in Humanities and STEM bring to the table, then this late-night talk is for you. An honest talk of two long-standing and "bittersweet" research areas that share their knowledge between each other. We discuss the following: Funding;Transferrable skilset;Interdisciplinary research methodologies.If you want a clearer, kinder way to think about doctoral study, this conversation gives you language you can actually use, plus examples you can share with supervisors, friends, and future employers. Where do you see humanities and STEM meeting in real life? Thank you all for tuning in, it has been a pleasure! Bibliography: Freedman, D. (2025, April 25). Bridging the divide: the intersection of STEM and the humanities. Duke Trinity College of Arts and Sciences Department of English. https://english.duke.edu/news/bridging-divide-intersection-stem-and-humanitiesGhosh, R. (2022). The degree value of Arts, Humanities and Social Science (AHSS) and Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) for Elite Professional Service (EPS) firms. In Oxford University Research Archive (ORA) (University of Oxford). https://doi.org/10.5287/ora-eo2b2v5q6Hastings Woodhouse, S. (2024, May 2). Arts & Humanities vs STEM PhD Applications – What’s the difference? Find a PhD. Retrieved May 28, 2026, from https://www.findaphd.com/blog/11395/arts-and-humanities-vs-stem-phd-applications-whats-the-differenceLabodda, A., & Labodda, A. (2025, May 16). The STEM/Humanities Divide and Student Defeatism | Blog of the APA. American Philosophical Association. https://blog.apaonline.org/2025/05/12/the-stem-humanities-divide-and-student-defeatism/Oras, E., De Groot, J., & Björkstén, U. (2025). The “biomolecular humanities”? New challenges and perspectives. iScience, 28(2), 111679. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.isci.2024.111679

    4 min
  3. Solo Session: How your PhD Changes Each Year?

    Jun 3

    Solo Session: How your PhD Changes Each Year?

    Students and Graduates! Your PhD can feel like one long stretch of work, but the truth is that each year demands a different kind of focus. In this late-night solo session, we explore how each year of your PhD changes. 1st year: First supervisor meetings, literature review, early chapter drafts, research methodologies, research training and probation. 2nd year: Case studies, reviews, recent publications add-ons, demanding supervision feedback, first conferences. 3rd year: Write-up year, dissertation submission and viva voce preparation. 4th year: Optional year if you haven't gather everything yet! Whether you're starting out, midway through, or staring down the viva, this gives you a clear map of what to expect and how to pace yourself. Thank you all for tuning in, it has been a pleasure! Bibliography: Higginbotham, D. (2026, May 21). What is a PhD? https://www.prospects.ac.uk/postgraduate-study/phd-study/what-is-a-phd/Tippett, J. (2025, April 24). What is a PhD? Find a PhD. Retrieved May 24, 2026, from https://www.findaphd.com/guides/what-is-a-phdUNESCO launches report on higher education trends. (n.d.). University World News. https://www.universityworldnews.com/post.php?story=20260513111529544

    5 min
  4. Solo Session: Networking in PhD: The Most Valuable Skill

    May 13

    Solo Session: Networking in PhD: The Most Valuable Skill

    Students and Graduates! Networking can feel like a mysterious academic superpower: everyone tells you to do it during your PhD, but nobody explains how to do it without feeling awkward, uncomfortable and time-consuming. In this late-night talk, we unpack why networking is one of the most valuable skills you can build throughout and after your PhD, through three PVP insights. —> Purpose —> Value —> Patience Thank you all for tuning in, it has been a pleasure! Bibliography Bozward. D. (2025, September 24). Networking for PhDs: Building connections inside and outside academia. Dr David Bozward. Cao. V. (2020, September 13). PhDs’ greatest weakness: not networking. Free the PhD. Childs. K. (2024, November 4). Researcher Development University of Glasgow.  Building your academic network: Why it’s never too early to start (Katharine Childs) [Video]. YouTube. Moser. T. (2025, July 15). Why Networking Matters: A Comprehensive Guide for PhD Success. alchemist-tribune.academicrenegade.news. Nagy, H. (2026, March 23). PhD networking. career-advice.jobs.ac.uk. Support the show Website: https://www.phdlounge.co.uk Buzzsprout subscription - https://www.buzzsprout.com/1808542/support Instagram: @phdlmf LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/luismaia94/ Linktree: https://linktr.ee/phdloungepodcast

    5 min
  5. Late-Night Talk: Nigel Pollard, PhD, and Stephen Harrison, PhD. The PhD After The PhD

    May 6

    Late-Night Talk: Nigel Pollard, PhD, and Stephen Harrison, PhD. The PhD After The PhD

    Students and Graduates! Nigel Pollard, PhD, is an Ancient History Professor at Swansea University, author, fellow of the Society of Antiquaries and archaeologist specialised in the Roman and Near Eastern worlds. ⁠https://www.swansea.ac.uk/staff/n.d.pollard/#authored-books=is-expanded&journal-articles=is-expanded&publications=is-expanded⁠ Stephen Harrison, PhD, is an ancient historian of ancient Greece, Macedonia and Persia (Achaemenid Empire) at Swansea University, You Tuber and author. His books ⁠‘Kingship and Empire under the Achaemenids, Alexander the Great and the Early Seleucids’⁠ and ⁠'Alexander the Great: Lives and Legacies' ⁠ are out now.  ⁠@StephenHarrisonHistory⁠ Thank you all for tuning in, it has been a pleasure! Support the show Website: https://www.phdlounge.co.ukDonation tab - https://www.phdlounge.co.uk/donateBuzzsprout subscription - https://www.buzzsprout.com/1808542/supportInstagram: @phdlmfLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/luismaia94/Linktree: https://linktr.ee/phdloungepodcast

    1h 25m
  6. Solo Session: “Failure” in PhD Explained

    Apr 29

    Solo Session: “Failure” in PhD Explained

    Students and Graduates! The heavy feeling of “I’m failing” that hits when supervisor feedback is slow, sharp, or hard to predict, and how that can spiral into imposter syndrome, low achiever or fraudster thoughts. In this late-night talk, we reframe failure as a normal learning stage to strengthen your research and keep going. —> Identify gaps to improve. —> Reframe your approach to your PhD. —> Normalise "Failure". If this resonates with you, whatever stage you're at your PhD, than this late-night talk is for you! Thank you all for tuning in, it has been a pleasure! Bibliography: Humphrey, C. (2023, November 16). Feeling like a failure? 4 strategies for beating the post-PhD blues — Jobs On Toast. Jobs on Toast. https://www.jobsontoast.com/blog/feeling-like-a-failure/ Maslach, D. (2025, December 16). I Finally Understood Why So Many PhDs Feel Like They’re Failing. Medium. https://medium.com/@contact_49854/i-finally-understood-why-so-many-phds-feel-like-theyre-failing-56c74dec8a55 PhDiaries: A reminder for when you think you are a failure. (2024, August 20). Student News. https://studentnews.manchester.ac.uk/2024/06/19/phdiaries-a-reminder-for-when-you-think-you-are-a-failure/

    4 min
  7. Late-Night Talk. Sean Sullivan. A Historian Explains How Words Like Nation Fueled The English Civil Wars

    Apr 22

    Late-Night Talk. Sean Sullivan. A Historian Explains How Words Like Nation Fueled The English Civil Wars

    Students and Graduates! Sean Sullivan is a Ph.D candidate in History at Swansea University, specializing in early modern British History and the Stuart Monarchy. When procrastinating on doing more productive things, he can usually be found trawling used book stores to add to his collection of things he says he'll read eventually, and enjoying enthusiastic walks in the woods. He resides in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, U.S.A. Thank you all for tuning in, it has been a pleasure!

    1h 30m
  8. Late-Night Talk: Angelina Giovani Agha. Source: An App like Uber to Reach Archives Worldwide

    Apr 8

    Late-Night Talk: Angelina Giovani Agha. Source: An App like Uber to Reach Archives Worldwide

    Students and Graduates! Angelina Giovani Agha is an Art Historian, Provenance researcher, and entrepreneur. She is the founder of Source, a peer to peer research app that connects students, researchers, collectors and librarians, to name some, to seek collections and archival material worldwide, which are not available to wider audiences. Source works with both researchers and providers, and you can earn money from your work while helping others. Download Source on the App Store or Google Play by clicking on this link: https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/source/id6753940502 Follow Angelina on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/angelina-giovani-agha-7102b024?utm_source=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=member_ios Art Market Academy: https://www.artmarketacademy.com/ Thank you all for tuning in, it has been a pleasure!

    1h 19m
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About

Late-night podcast where I speak with PhDs about their research subjects, their decision on studying it and its importance throughout academic life. A podcast of entertainment and education, whose aim is to approach students and graduates who want to go through their future careers inside or outside of academia with a PhD and for those who are on a moment of uncertainty in continuing their studies further, as if we are having a drink and talk about PhD culture at a lounge on a late-night summer. luismaia@phdlounge.co.uk @phdlmf phdlounge.co.uk Thank you all for tuning in, it's been a pleasure!

Information

  • Creator
    Luis Maia de Freitas
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2026
  • Episodes
    50
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Luis Maia de Freitas
  • Show Website
    PhD Lounge