DUAL CAREERS, GLOBAL MOBILITY & SCIENTIFIC LIFE with Prof JESSICA CAUCHARD and Dr. MICHAEL LEVANT ► In this episode of EURAXESS Smart Talks we speak with a remarkable dual-career academic couple: Dr. Michael Levant, a physical chemistry and microfluidics researcher at TotalEnergies, and Prof. Jessica Cauchard, Full Professor for Embodied Intelligent Interaction at TU Wien and a pioneer in human-drone interaction.
Together, they share their deeply personal and highly practical journey across countries, disciplines, and career systems. From navigating the “two-body problem” to balancing family, mobility, professorship hiring cultures, and industrial vs. academic pressures, this conversation offers a rare look into what it takes to build two successful research careers while living abroad.
This episode is a warm, insightful, and honest look at the human side of scientific careers.
🔑 Key Topics Covered
- Career paths & research identities
- The dual-career challenge (“two-body problem”)
Navigating academic vs. industry positions across countries. - Mobility experiences in different countries
Cultural differences in higher education, research support, and hiring systems. - TU Wien’s dual-career program
How Jessica’s professorship offer emerged and how the program supported their move. - Balancing parenthood with global career transitions
Visa concerns, childcare access, and adjusting start dates. - Industry vs. academia cultures
Confidential research, publication pressure, KPIs, and expectations. - Language learning, cultural integration & communication
What makes academic life easier in a new country. - Advice for early-career researchers on mobility
Why leaving the comfort zone accelerates growth. - Cross-disciplinarity within a dual-career household
Unexpected synergies between microfluidics, HCI, robotics, and interaction design.