The Doctoral School was delighted to be able to fund three of our research students, Bethany Chadburn (PhD English/Media Arts), Rachel Tyler (PhD Geography) and Alexandra Neacsu (PhD Computer Science) to attend the Life Beyond the PhD conference held at Cumberland Lodge, Windsor in August. This annual conference offers PhD students and early career researchers the opportunity to share their experiences with each other and to take part in invaluable training in communication, public engagement, and drafting interdisciplinary research proposals, while also being encouraged to think about the impact of their research within the wider context of society.
All three have come back enthused by the experience. Thanks to Bethany, Alexandra and Rachel for their inspiring reports on the conference:
- Bethany: 'In a sense, discrete skills can be gained from many sources, but the formation of a community who can support and challenge each other, that is something quite special and I am truly grateful to have been a part of this event.' Read Bethany's report in full
- Alexandra: 'The key lessons I've gained from this experience are a clearer understanding of my transferable skills and their importance in my future career. I've also learned not to strive for perfection in every endeavour and to recognize that I have a supportive community throughout this academic journey.' Read Alexandra's report in full
- Rachel: 'The retreat proved to be much needed, and came at just the right time for me. Making connections with all these different people, some at the beginning of their PhD journey, others, like me, coming to the end, was really uplifting.' Read Rachel's report in full
The Life Beyond the PhD conference is held annually and we hope to continue providing some funded spaces to our postgraduate researchers, especially those approaching the end of their PhD journey, in future years. Applications are normally open end of June / July.