Caroline Masquillier wants to combat burnout in academia
In 'Stream of consciousness' we give the floor to someone from the UAntwerp community. Caroline Masquillier is a postdoctoral researcher who focuses on community health workers providing accessible care to people living in vulnerable socio-economic conditions in South Africa, Uganda and Belgium.
What drives you?
I want to use the study opportunities I got to help people who’ve had fewer opportunities. Making a contribution to improving the health of socially vulnerable people is what drives me in my work.
What is your motto?
It never hurts to ask. This has already brought me to many beautiful places and resulted in many interesting meetings.
What trait do you admire most in your best friends?
The fact that they shape their lives as they see fit, free from conventions and expectations.
Do you have any advice for prospective students?
Be thankful you get to study, seize opportunities with both hands and find your own path both in and outside university. And make sure to enjoy this period in your life!
What is the most important lesson you learned at university?
The value of varying perspectives. You learn so much from looking at a shared challenge in an open dialogue and working towards a solution using a range of visions.
What would you like to study next?
Leadership and teamwork. I use my own experience and intuition to try and do a good job supervising PhD students and leading a team, but professional follow-up training in this field would undoubtedly have a positive impact. At the university I see that there are plenty of people struggling with stress and burnout. I would think that to receive training in this area myself would be extremely valuable in increasing my contribution to a positive working atmosphere, where everyone feels energised by their work.
How does your job give you satisfaction?
I think it’s wonderful that I can contribute to the health of people who live in vulnerable social circumstances. I love that I get to flesh out new ideas to this end. I also enjoy supervising PhD students, enabling them to grow as researchers and make the most of their PhDs. And I love meeting colleagues from all over the world as well.
What frustrates you in your professional life?
The limited opportunities for staying on as a postdoc. I love my job, but I could do without the constant search for funding.
What would you still like to achieve?
I would like to help put community health workers on the map in Belgium, in order to create a sustainable health workforce. I would also like to write a children’s book, in collaboration with colleagues at the Young Academy. This would be a way of inspiring children to take the step into the world of academia or art, including those who live in vulnerable social circumstances.
City or countryside?
Both, I really enjoy mixing up city and countryside life.
Cycling or going for a walk?
Walk, preferably in the mountains or at the coast.
Fiction or non-fiction?
Fiction, preferably in a historically accurate setting so I can learn something while reading relaxing literature.
Working from home or at the office?
For me, combining both is ideal.