Getting To Know The New INTERCOAST PhD Students: Franziska Hellmich and Jan Scheve Are Interviewed By the ICTeam

ICteam: What is your previous research/work experience and how do you think it has prepared you for the research topic you are now embarking on in the INTERCOAST program?

Jan: I am interested in cultural geography and social change. For my Diplom thesis, I studied the development of a community garden on the former airfield ‘Tempelhof’ in Berlin. I cultivated a garden myself and observed the development of a thriving community project in the heart of the city. By conducting interviews with the other gardeners, I learned about their motivation to participate in the project and the meaning they attached to it. My research contributed to an understanding of how a community-induced project can change the participants’ perception of their neighborhood, and how a just and sustainable city can be built beyond established planning processes from the city government and their planning authorities.

During this time I not only learned a lot about gardening, but also about qualitative research methods, social practices in the city, and the process of scientific writing. I am now familiar with the tools and methods of a social scientist and I am intrigued to apply these skills to a new field.

Franziska H.: For my diploma thesis I compared two types of dams, one made of armour stones and the other one made of geotextile containers, as a protection for subaqueous deposition sites for dredged material in flowing water bodies, in this case the Elbe, on behalf of the Moebius Bau GmbH, Hamburg. I also had the chance to discuss my results with people from other involved companies (Mibau GmbH, Huesker Synthetics GmbH) and departments (WSV). After I got my diploma, I worked as a geologist for the AGUA GmbH in Kiel, dealing mostly with foundation ground investigations and groundwater monitoring. So as I put special emphases on applied geology during my studies and my diploma thesis, as well as in my first real job afterwards, I gained a comprehensive theoretical understanding, as well as a practical experience, in this field of geology. I am now motivated to apply this knowledge to my PhD.

ICteam: What was particularly interesting about INTERCOAST that made you apply for the PhD scholarship?

Jan: On the one hand, I was attracted by the spatial focus of the program. Part of my family lives on an island in the North Sea and, as a child, I spent most of my summer vacations there. So I have a deep affection for the region and the sea. On the other hand, I am interested in processes of globalization and social dynamics and as the coast of the North Sea is a region that is highly influenced by global and social change, I saw an opportunity to engage in topics I deeply care for. Plus, I was intrigued by the opportunity to learn more about New Zealand and to spend some time there. I am excited to get to know my colleagues ‘down under’ and learn more about Maori culture.

Franziska H.: I actually didn’t directly apply for the INTERCOAST PhD in the first place, but my application for a PhD position in a related working group was handed over to my now supervisor, Prof. Dr. Achim Kopf, head of the Marine Geotechnics working group at the MARUM institute at University of Bremen (and INTERCOAST principle investigator). He called me, explained the outline of the INTERCOAST programme and his project (IC 10: Sediment pore pressure response from penetrating objects), and asked me if I was still interested in undertaking a PhD project. I especially liked the geotechnical character of the project, the need to work offshore on research vessels, and the opportunity to do research abroad, so I accepted Professor Kopf’s offer.

ICteam: Do you have any experience working in an interdisciplinary environment?...How do you think the interdisciplinary opportunities can benefit your research and are there any projects in particular that you see a possibility for collaboration?

Jan: In Cologne, I worked as a student assistant in the coordination of a large research program on global change and informal dynamics in megacities in China and Bangladesh. This was an interdisciplinary program involving disciplines, such as geography, economics, city planning, political and health science, and climatology. During my time working within this project, I got to know the advantages and difficulties of such collaborations. For my own PhD project, which thematically intertwines the spheres of Nature, Society, and Technology, it is invaluable to understand more about coastal engineering, flood protection, and morphodynamics. I look forward to learning from my colleagues and their approaches to the topic of coastal protection.

Franziska H.: It’s the first time for me to really work in an interdisciplinary environment. I am an open-minded and interested person in general and I like learning about new things, be it about projects, problems and their solutions of other departments, or about how to explain my work to people with no particular background in Marine Geotechnics. Due to the investigative character of geotechnical work (e.g., investigating weak sediment layers, which might lead to mass movements), the results could be the basis on which other parties (e.g., Hazard and Risk Management) continue their work or base their decisions.

ICteam: What are you most looking forward to about living in Bremen and about your future research stay at the University of Waikato in New Zealand?
 
Jan: I am thrilled to get to know new people with great research topics, who use exciting equipment and frightening machines. As a social scientist, I usually need a decent library, a computer with a word processor, and a dictation machine. However, from what I have seen so far, my PhD colleagues use special boats and cranes to dig in the mud, and later analyze their samples in laboratories packed with fancy computers. The results are colorful pictures with hundreds of graphs… I am just kidding. Really though, I am excited to learn about alternate scientific methods and forms of representation of knowledge. I am sure this will also force me to reflect on my own approaches and methods.

Franziska H.: Although I will miss my friends and daily life in Kiel, I am looking forward to this new and exciting phase in my life and I am sure that I will gain a lot of new experiences that will definitely enrich my private and work life.

ICteam: Do you already have an idea of what type of job you will be looking for after you complete your PhD?
 
Jan: I don’t know yet, but I can imagine continuing to work at the University or in another research institute dealing with coastal issues. I may also open a surf school in New Zealand… We will see.
 
Franziska H.: I would like to continue working in an applied way for offshore ground investigations, especially for the foundation of offshore wind turbines, either at a private company or at a research institute.