Researcher careers are undergoing profound change. Recent international analyses, including OECD reports, highlight a landscape that is increasingly diverse, mobile, and full of opportunities. Doctorate holders and postdocs contribute advanced expertise, analytical and critical thinking, and creativity, generating significant societal impact both within academia and beyond, across a wide range of sectors.

Yet for employers outside of academia, their contribution is often less visible, as researchers’ skills and achievements are not always communicated in ways that align with non-academic recruitment practices. Because many researchers’ profiles extend beyond conventional job categories, they benefit from approaches that make their competencies more transparent and relatable to diverse sectors. This raises an important question: how can universities better support the external recognition and valorization of researchers’ abilities in ways that translate into meaningful career opportunities?

The PRIDE Conference 2026 builds on this momentum aiming to shift the conversation from precarity to the many fulfilling career trajectories available to researchers. We invite you to Helsinki to explore how we can collectively strengthen career development and support systems for a changing research world.