Roujman Shahbazian is a researcher at the Department of Sociology at University of Munich and an affiliated researcher at the Swedish Institute for Social Research (SOFI) at Stockholm University. From April to June 2023, he was awarded a LIVES visiting scholar grant at the LIVES Center at the University of Lausanne (UNIL). We took the opportunity to ask him a few questions about his stay at LIVES.
3 calls for LIVES research support grants are open until 15 November 2023.
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LIVES is a vibrant place where researchers from diverse fields come together to study various aspects of life course research and inequality. The warm and open atmosphere impressed me the most, where everyone was eager to share insights and inspire one another.
One of the standout features of my time at LIVES was the regular organization of seminars. There were always interesting seminars or talks taking place, facilitating exchanges with both junior, as well as senior researchers. I also greatly appreciated the approachability and welcoming nature of the researchers. They were always ready to engage in conversations, exchange ideas, and help me understand their research areas. This fostered a collaborative spirit that made it easy to connect with others and forge new collaborations.
Overall, my experience at LIVES was remarkable. The dynamic research environment, stimulating seminars, and friendly researchers made it a truly memorable time.
What was the purpose of your visit? With which researchers did you work?
During my visit, my main focus was my ongoing research projects on social stratification. Additionally, I had the pleasure of initiating new collaborations with researchers such as Michael Grätz, Oliver Lipps, and Daniel Oesch.
Which collaborations emerged from your visit?
I am excited to have established two new projects during my visit. One project focuses on occupational and income classification. The other project explores the effects of pupils' ordinal rank in school on their adulthood outcomes.
What's the spot you liked most in the region?
Among the attractions in the region, Lake Geneva stood out as my favorite spot. It offered the perfect setting for relaxation during my time in Lausanne.