Meet Meilin

Meilin majored in Governance and graduated in the 5th cohort in 2020. At LAS she honed disciplined critical thinking and self‑directed learning, realizing that planning internships early was essential for a clear graduate pathway. An Erasmus stint in Greece and Spain ignited a genuine love for archaeology. This led her to two master’s degrees (Mediterranean Archaeology and Inter‑European STS) and a PhD focused on the climate‑crisis impact on cultural heritage. Acknowledging the competitive, financially uncertain academic job market, she advises LAS graduates to reflect deeply on their motivations, embrace interdisciplinary and international opportunities, leverage tools like AI, and stay open to changing directions – even if it means “losing a horse” that may become a blessing.

“During my studies, I majored in Governance. At that time, I was very interested in abstract political thinking and philosophy – that was really what drew me to this specialization. I found it intellectually stimulating, especially because of its strong critical dimension. The class debates, in particular, were something quite new to me. Coming from an educational background in East Asia and Southeast Asia – mainly China and Singapore – I was not really used to this kind of open, critical discussion environment.

What I learned most from LAS was not only critical thinking, but also the discipline of engaging with knowledge before speaking – reading, preparing, and then debating with substance. At the same time, LAS taught me something equally important: the ability to learn independently. There isn’t always strong mentoring or structured guidance, and while this could be seen as a weakness, I think it actually forces you to develop self-initiative, self-motivation, and the ability to direct your own learning. This is something I benefited from a lot.

That said, one challenge with the LAS degree is that it can be difficult to transition into a clearly defined master’s program unless you have a plan early on. You really need to think ahead – what internships you choose, how they connect to your academic interests, and how everything builds toward your next step. In my case, I didn’t have such a clear plan initially, and seeing other LASers getting all different kinds of internships has stressed me out.

Things changed during my Erasmus experiences in Greece and Spain. That was when I became genuinely interested in archaeology. I had taken some archaeology electives before, but the German approach – Archäologiewissenschaft – felt very rigid and quite bookish to me, almost too erudite and theoretical, which made it less engaging for me personally.

But when I came to Greece, I discovered a completely different perspective. Archaeology here felt incredibly broad and alive. It connects to so many dimensions: material analysis, history, digital technologies like AI, heritage management, environmental studies – you can work with stone, human remains, ceramics, botanical data, and more. It’s one of the most interdisciplinary fields you can imagine. What truly inspired me, though, was the passion of the professors. You could really feel their engagement with primary materials and with the field itself.

That experience made me stay in Greece for my master’s (in Mediterranean Archaeology and a second one in Inter-European STS Studies) and later my PhD, which I have recently completed. My research focused on the broader climate crisis and its impact on cultural heritage – especially in terms of monitoring and management. Over time, my work shifted from more theoretical approaches to more practical ones, including material analysis, community engagement, and digital archaeology. Along the way, I pursued many additional trainings and projects – working with AI and large language models in archaeology, participating in conservation workshops, and engaging in various hands-on research activities. I realized that I really enjoy the practical dimension of research – working with real materials, real data, and real-world problems.

Of course, I should also say honestly that after finishing a PhD, things are not easy. The academic environment is very competitive, and economically, it is quite challenging at the moment to secure stable and well-paid positions, such as postdocs. I am still navigating this phase myself.

So my advice would be: after LAS, take time to really reflect and do your research. Ask yourself what you truly want, what motivates you. It’s completely okay to change direction. There is a Chinese saying, you might lose a horse, but it could turn out to be a blessing. I think that captures it well. There are so many opportunities out there, especially interdisciplinary ones. I would really encourage students to explore widely – look into different master’s programs around the world, even those you might not have imagined before. Use tools like AI to expand your perspective. Change countries if you can, step out of your comfort zone, and allow yourself to be creative.”

published March 26, 2026