Currently he is an AIO in the field of higher education research at the Centre for higher education policy studies (CHEPS). His research is about studying the influences of institutional differences in different countries on the career practices of academics.'
Kaulisch is researching three topics regarding career practices: career objectives such as changes in position (from AIO to Dr to associate professor and so on), the role of networking in academic careers (how academics find their sponsors), and researching behaviour regarding the way academics relate teaching and research to their carrier advancement (do they put more effort into one field compared to another?). His research also covers how much academics are interested in publishing their work. Kaulisch considers it a good opportunity to do his PhD at CHEPS. According to him, the employment and financial conditions are far better in the Netherlands than in Germany. When you do a PhD in Germany, depending upon your field, you are paid 50% or 60% of the cost and the rest you have to cover by working in research projects at the university or other institutions.
Asked about cultural differences between the Netherlands and Germany, Kaulisch says, `food is one of the things that has puzzled me here. Dutch people eat only bread and sandwiches at lunch. In Germany I was used to eat a full meal. Also, people have their dinner really early. They start at 5 or 5:30. I am amazed to see the empty streets if you walk between 6 and 7 o'clock.' Kaulisch also finds big differences between the supermarkets of Germany and the Netherlands; it is challenging or impossible for him to find the same brands of food. According to Kaulisch, Dutch people use a lot of preservatives in their food and it is really an adventure to find something without preservatives. Also, Kaulisch finds that in the Netherlands people pay much more with their pin pas or credit card rather than with cash. He laughs and comments, `Now I hardly have any cash in my wallet!'
Kaulisch does not stay in Enschede on the weekends and therefore finds it a bit difficult to have a social life here. As he says, `I play football with my colleagues sometimes but I am not part of a club as I am not here on the weekends'. Though he does not find enormous cultural differences between the two countries, he does think that, `Dutch people are much more open and friendly to foreigners. They are very informal in their behaviour compared to Germans.'
For the future, Kaulisch would like to finish his PhD on time and live together with his girlfriend in the Netherlands to gain experience.
Favourites:
Hometown: Iserlohn
Languages spoken: German, Dutch, English
Favourite Book/Author: Attoinment by Ian McEwan
Favourite Music/group: Raggy, Sportfreunde Stiller, Rio Reiser
Favourite Sports: Football and Ice hockey
Favourite Food Italian
Favourite Drink: Pernod and cola
Favourite place in NL: Hoge Veluwe Park
Dream Destination: Switzerland
Miss most about home: Friends and Berlin
Best part about living in NL: Cycling, wonderful colleagues and open market
Worst part about living in NL: Distance from girlfriend and food
