On March 24, 2025, a masterclass on “Common Challenges for Emerging Scholars” took place at the Center for Conflict Studies at Philipps University Marburg. It was led by TraCe Visiting Fellow Prof. Dr. Rirhandu Mageza-Barthel, with the aim of engaging in dialogue with researchers in the early stages of their careers about academic writing and the publication process. Nine Early Career Researchers of the Center for Conflict Studies took part in the workshop, where they reflected their previous experiences, successes and challenges. The masterclass gave the participants essential and fascinating insights of the academic publishing process and provided a constructive space for exchange.
The first part of the masterclass dealt with academic writing three factors structured the discussion: inspiration, challenges and coping strategies. The participants reflected and discussed these aspects with regard to their previous writing processes. In the further discussion, Rirhandu Mageza-Barthel shared valuable insights into her extensive knowledge of the rhythm of writing process, scheduling and dealing with challenges.
The second part addressed the process of publishing scientific findings in journals or as books. Here, Rirhandu Mageza-Barthel drew on her many years of experience as a reviewer in numerous journals, as former coordinator of the book series Politics and Gender at Budrich Verlag, and as current editor of the series Gender in a Global/Local World at Routledge Verlag and member of the editorial board of Third World Quarterly and International Feminist Journal of Politics. Rirhandu Mageza-Barthel gave the participants helpful insights in the publication process, starting with conference papers, the optimization of their own writing performance and the publication of their own books. In particular, they discussed searching for the right publisher, the relation with peer-reviewers and, in this context, searching for one’s own niche in the scientific community. The masterclass marked the last week of Rirhandu Mageza-Barthel's three-month TraCe fellowship at the Center for Conflict Studies.