Jan did his PhD in Forecasting ecosystem functions and services under global change, from 2013 to 2018 as part of the Department of physical Geography and Ecosystem services (INES). During his studies, he used ecosystem modeling to study how ecosystem processes are impacted by climate change and nitrogen intensification.  

After completing his PhD, Jan took on a research assistant role at the GIS center, before landing the role as coordinator at the Nature Park Schlei in Northern Germany. This unique area, located on the borders of the Baltic Sea, is home to delicate ecosystems and special landscapes.  

In his role at the Nature Park, Jan is responsible for a wide range of tasks, including implementing nature conservation measures to protect and boost biodiversity, working with landowners on projects such as building ponds for amphibians, and overseeing funding and contractors. This role provides a stark contrast to the more theoretical work he did during his PhD, as he now focuses on actual field work. However, his PhD education has proved invaluable, as the knowledge he gained on ecosystem processes and how they are influenced has proven very useful in his current role.  

Jan notes that his time at ClimBEco was very valuable for networking and interacting with individuals from diverse fields. Which he now perceives as a very useful experience, as his work requires him to work with various fields and actors such as other nature conservation agencies from the district, the state, farmers, landowners and other NGOs and tourism. 

The fondest memories from his time at ClimBEco was meeting and interacting with the people. The discussions and interactions he had with others allowed him to broaden his perspectives and to start thinking outside of the box. 

Though Jan found his PhD education interesting, he knew he wanted to pursue a more practical path outside academia. His advice to current students is therefore to not feel pressured to continue working in their PhD field and to instead see it as a valuable learning experience. They can apply the knowledge they gained in a variety of roles, even if they do not overlap directly with their PhD subject.