Program Overview

Resilience and Well-Being in Academia

Course Information

The course "Resilience and Well-Being in Academia" will be held online via Zoom on the following dates:

• Tuesday, April 21, 2026, from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM
• Wednesday, April 22, 2026, from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM Registration opens on January 21, 2026, at 9:00 AM, and the registration deadline is March 24, 2026, at 12:00 PM. The course is free of charge and is limited to doctoral candidates and postdocs of the University of Basel, with a minimum of 6 and a maximum of 20 participants.

Aims

The aim of this course is to learn to navigate academia in a healthy and sustainable way by building effective thought and behavioral patterns to help challenge common causes of stress, worry, and self-doubt.

Content

The course content includes:

• Recognizing common challenges faced in academia and understanding that one is not alone
• Identifying self-sabotaging thought processes that undermine well-being and productivity, including imposter syndrome, worry, low motivation, and uncertainty
• Identifying behaviors that impede success, such as procrastination and avoidance, and exploring more effective and healthier short and long-term strategies
• Learning to shift one's mindset to create more mental clarity and mental energy to think, create, be present, and thrive

Methods

The course methods include:

• Large and small group discussions and activities
• Independent thought exercises and workbook activities
• Using psychological tools such as cognitive behavioral therapy, acceptance and commitment therapy, motivational interviewing, and mindfulness meditation, and applying them to everyday challenges

Target Group

The target group for this course is all doctoral candidates and postdocs.

About the Trainer

The trainer, Desiree Dickerson, PhD, is a clinical psychologist who specializes in the mental health and well-being of researchers and the academic community. A former researcher in the neurosciences, Desiree works globally with universities, lab groups, and academics in the pursuit of a healthier, sustainable approach to research.

Workload

The course attendance is 8 hours.

Feature

Once registration is open, applications will be collected for 24 hours, and course places will be allocated by lot. All registrations received after the initial 24-hour period will be put on a waiting list and assigned on a first-come, first-served basis. Course places/places on the waiting list will be confirmed by email. Full course attendance is mandatory. Participants who fail to attend a course without prior notification or withdraw after the registration deadline are subject to a fee of CHF 30. In addition, participants who cancel their course registration at a later point in time, are absent without an excuse, or do not attend the entire course will, for reasons of fairness, not be considered for course registration in the following semester and will be removed from other courses offered in the same semester.