Dr. Christian Lutz
What did you study in Clausthal?
I first came to Clausthal to do my doctorate. Here I worked as a doctoral student at the Institute of Inorganic and Analytical Chemistry (AG Fittschen).
I obtained my Bachelor's degree in Chemistry at the FH Aachen. I then completed my Master's degree in Chemistry at the Bonn-Rhein-Sieg University of Applied Sciences.
In which subject area did you do your doctorate and what did you research?
I did my doctorate in the field of analytical chemistry on the topic of ion transport in membranes using the example of vanadium redox flow batteries.
What is your current job like?
I am currently working on issues relating to surface technologies and surface analytics. I supervise research projects (both external and internal), am the contact person for scanning electron microscopy and drive my own research forward.
Did you spend any time abroad during your studies or doctorate?
No.
Did you do any (voluntary) work on the side?
No.
Did you participate in interdisciplinary continuing education programs?
Yes, I attended several courses at the Graduate Academy during my doctoral studies. These included Scientific English "Self-Editing PhD-Level Writing and Statistical Analysis Methods with R - an application-oriented introduction.
What language skills do you need for your job?
German and English
Have you already gained practical experience during your training?
During my Bachelor's degree, I completed a one-year internship at Forschungszentrum Jülich.
What did you benefit from most on the job?
The willingness to learn; our site is very multidisciplinary and I have been able to pick up a lot of new knowledge from other business areas.
What do you need in your job today that you didn't learn during your studies/doctorate?
A lot, for example:
- "proper" project management
- AI programming
- different soft skills
Is there anything you would like to pass on to our graduates?
After the doctorate, the serious side of life begins. Always be open to new topics and don't get too attached to your PhD topic. In my opinion, professors also portray the working world in a very idealized way during their studies. This is rarely the case and you need a lot of perseverance until you have found your place in the working world. The first job is not the last job ;)