Mafalda L. Campos from the Center of Research in Education in Portugal was awarded the WERA Visiting Research Award 2023 hosted by the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA) and the Research Center “Literacy in Diversity Settings (LiDS”) at the University of Hamburg.
The Visiting Researcher Awards form part of WERA’s capacity building initiatives and are organized in collaboration with our Association and Institution Members.
WERA is pleased to have Mafalda L. Campos in our roster of Visiting Researcher Awardees, and we look forward to further contributing to education research worldwide through the program.
Reflections on the Visiting Researcher Award Experience in Hamburg
Last October 2023 I got on my flight from Lisbon to Hamburg with the goal of spending 8 weeks working as a visiting scholar as a result of the Visiting Research Award 2023. I did not know what to expect, but I knew that it would turned out to be quite an interesting challenge for a young scholar like me. And it most definitely was.
During my time in Hamburg, I had the opportunity to work both at the IEA RandA unit under the supervision of Dr. Rolf Strietholt and at the University of Hamburg under the supervision of Dr. Ingrid Gogolin. I was able to extend my knowledge by working with large datasets (specifically, from the MEZ – Multilingual Development Project and with data from TIMSS 2019) to analyze data concerning inequalities in education and the lack of affective adjustment from migrant minorities in their educational context. Getting to know scholars from all around the world and with so many different contexts was highly enriching, as after many interesting and constructive discussions, I ended up coming back home with an abundance of new ideas, perspectives, and theoretical contributions to include in my doctorate research project.
Furthermore, by giving a lecture with UH as well as two presentations on my work with IEA, I was able to share my work and receive constructive feedback and impressions. That was a very enriching and humble experience, in which there was space for discussions and mutual learning. The analysis that was made during my weeks in Hamburg allowed me to learn new things from the data and to find very interesting phenomena which I wish to share in the near future.
The support from the staff at the University of Hamburg before my visit was extremely helpful in the sense of helping me find adequate accommodation and making me feel comfortable within the research group from the first day. I had the opportunity to participate in doctoral meetings with Dr. Gogolin’s doctorate group and learned a lot just by sharing and receiving feedback from each other’s work. I also networked with colleagues working in the area of education, hoping to, given the change, establish possible collaborations for the future.
I will hold my stay in Hamburg near my heart, for all the warmth, professionalism and openness I was received with by both institutions. I hope to maintain a line of communication for future research work in the area of educational equity – and, who knows, maybe even come back to Hamburg one day! I am extremely grateful for the WERA Visiting Research Award and everyone who has made it possible, and I believe this was an experience that has positively influenced and had a great impact in my path as a young researcher.
–Mafalda L. Campos
You can read a more detailed feedback of her visit here:
