In this episode we talk with Lito Kyriakidou, a first generation doctoral researcher in Germany and our colleague at Dahlem Research School about her journey from starting her studies in Germany to beginning her doctorate in Classical Archaeology here at Freie Universität Berlin. She discusses challenges and opportunities she has had as an international doctoral researcher and gives us insights into her work at Dahlem Research School and new projects of the Berlin University Alliance with the aim to bring first generation doctoral researchers together and form a new support network.

Audio

This interview was conducted in May 2026

Highlights

I think the most important thing is just to reach out, to not be worried that your question is not a smart question or whatever. Just if you have a doctoral program with student representatives, go to them. If you meet people, maybe not from the very start of your studies, but you’ve met them along the way and you want to get their expertise, go for it.

Just ask. It’s really important that you just ask and create meaningful connections.

-from our interview with Lito Kyriakidou

Summary

Lito Kyriakidou, a doctoral researcher in classical archaeology at Freie Universität Berlin, discussed her experience as a first-generation doctoral student and international researcher in Germany. She explained that her passion for archaeology began in childhood through school exposure in Cyprus and family visits to archaeological sites. Lito chose to study in Germany because German is an important language in archaeology, particularly in visual and imagery studies, and she believed the structured academic culture suited her personality. She began learning German in Cyprus at age twelve and moved to Germany in 2018 to complete her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Heidelberg before starting her doctorate in Berlin.

One of her biggest challenges after arriving in Germany was adapting to academic writing and communication in German, especially since she was learning both scientific writing and the German academic system at the same time. She also struggled with administrative processes and understanding the flexibility of German university programs, but orientation events and student initiatives helped her settle in. Lito talked about Berlin offerring broader academic networking opportunities through the graduate school system and the Berlin University Alliance. She emphasized that being part of interdisciplinary doctoral networks allowed her to exchange ideas and methods with researchers from different fields.

Although her parents both attended university, Lito still considers herself a first-generation doctoral student because pursuing a doctorate involves unfamiliar academic expectations, networking, project planning, and long-term independent research. She highlighted the additional difficulty of completing her doctorate in her third language, German. As an international doctoral researcher, she described feeling “between two worlds,” navigating both German academia and life in a new country while also adapting to Berlin’s more complex social environment.

Lito explained that many of her friends now seek her advice about doctoral applications, scholarships, and project proposals, especially because funding opportunities in the humanities are limited. She stressed the importance of peer support, sharing project outlines, and building academic communities where students help one another. Through her work and workshops at the Dahlem Research School, she found tools such as knowledge-management workshops and writing seminars particularly valuable for improving organization and overcoming perfectionism in dissertation writing. Finally, she encouraged future doctoral students to ask questions openly, seek guidance from peers and student representatives, and actively build meaningful academic connections and support networks.

Your host for this podcast was Aleksandra Skoric.