From London to Brno: I have scientific freedom and my family has gained security
Working on large research projects and in international teams can be so recharging. But also so stressful when a project or contract comes to an end. You have to look where to go next and you have to move your whole family. This is exactly what Linus Wulff, a theoretical physicist, has experienced several times. Finally, he has found a position at Masaryk University in Brno that gives him a scientific perspective and his family security.
The originally Swedish expert definitely did not head directly to Brno. In the past, he worked in Padua, Italy, at Texas A&M University and most recently at Imperial College in London. “Our son was born when we were in Texas, and when he was a year old we moved to London where our daughter was born. My son was already in kindergarten there, he had friends there, which made the move all the more challenging,” Wulff says, describing the demands that a scientific career sometimes places on one's personal life. When his contract in London ended, he knew one thing for sure: he wanted something where he could develop his career, but where he could also find a comfortable, long-term home for his family.
However, finding a good job for a theoretical physicist is not easy. “It's already difficult when you are looking for a PhD position or a postdoc position. Permanent positions are even fewer,” says Wulff, who is currently working mostly on corrections to some of Albert Einstein's equations.
For the whole family
He admits that when he was offered a job in the Czechia and Brno, he knew nothing about either. “But the offer was great, so my family and I came to Brno for a few days to see the place. It was summer then, it was warm, we loved it here, I still remember the children playing in the park,” says Wulff, who has an understanding of different environments and cultures from his years of living in different places. “London is a wonderful city, but it's not easy for the family. There's a lot of noise and high costs. Here we live in a house outside Brno, the city is much more family friendly and there are lots of cycle paths nearby,” says Wulff of his life in the middle of Europe. His wife teaches English here and his children are involved in the educational process. “They are absorbing knowledge very quickly, they can speak normal Czech now,” laughs the physicist.
He came to Brno in 2017 and went straight to the international group. His department is headed by another Swede, he shares an office with a Dane, two students came from India and others will come from Italy. And by the way, students, this is perhaps the only change in Wulff's working life after coming to the Czechia. “I have my own course here, that's new for me. I teach regularly, which is a challenge, but it's also energizing to see the students move up,” says Wulff, who also serves as a consultant.
“Brno is a really international student city, but not as crowded with tourists as Prague. It's a very pleasant place to live, and our colleagues helped us in the beginning with overcoming the entry bureaucracy. We felt welcome.”
Freedom!
Other than that, nothing major has changed in his life. Every morning he first goes through the new scientific publications and sits down at the computer or paper to do calculations, read, or write articles. “I am also always in touch with the international community. During covid, it became clear how easy it is to stay connected thanks to technology,” says Wulff, who doesn't need any special infrastructure to do his work, but does need one important thing: The freedom to choose the topics he finds important. "Our work is sometimes frustrating. It takes time to get results. But I have all the support here to do it in a way that makes sense to me.”
When asked to talk about the Czech Republic and Brno, Wulff admits straight away that he doesn't presume to judge the country as a whole. Almost all his energy and time is consumed by his scientific work and his family. But what he advised anyone who found themselves in a situation like his years ago is to come and see their future place of work for a few days. “Brno is a really international student city, but not as crowded with tourists as Prague. It's a very pleasant place to live, and our colleagues helped us in the beginning with overcoming the entry bureaucracy. We felt welcome.”
