About Giovanni Straffelini
I am Full Professor of Metallurgy at the University of Trento (Italy), where I serve as Coordinator of the Doctoral School in Materials, Mechatronics and Systems Engineering and as the Rector's Delegate for Professional Education and Lifelong Learning. Alongside my research in metallurgy, I write about doctoral education, research careers, and the professional development of early-career researchers. I am the author of What No One Tells You About Academic Careers: A Realistic Guide to PhD, Research, and Becoming an Academic (2026).
Intro Content
The Decisions Nobody Teaches
Building an international research career beyond the official handbook.
Every international research career is built through a sequence of decisions. Surprisingly, almost none of them are formally taught.