Seren Parkman, Linguistics, Lancaster University (2023 Cohort)

Kia ora!

In January 2025 I had the amazing opportunity to go and visit the University of Canterbury in Christchurch, New Zealand. Whilst I was there, I collaborated with leading academics on research projects similar to my own, sharing knowledge, literature, methodological practices and luckily for me stats skills – which I have always struggled with!

I was also given the opportunity to present at their lab group: the New Zealand Institute for Language, Brain and Behaviour. Through this I was able to share my work and get feedback from other linguists outside of my institution and from those who I normally wouldn’t be able to see due to the distance. It allowed me to see my work from another perspective and thus improve my thesis as a result. I was also able to form relationships with other PhDs, Post-docs and academics throughout my stay which was valuable for understanding the field and job market after my PhD, and for having a great community whilst I was out there!

New Zealand itself was the most amazing country! (Honestly, go and visit as soon as you can). Whilst I was initially terrified to be going so far away, I couldn’t have ended up in a more wonderful country. Everyone was extremely welcoming and the country itself was visually spectacular – I very almost didn’t come home as a result! From the mountains in Arthur’s pass and the beautiful beaches of Abel Tasman, to the humpback whales, blue penguins, and kiwis (both human and bird), I learnt so much and experienced some of the most beautiful landscapes in the world.

To anyone wondering whether to do an overseas visit, I could not recommend it enough. Not only did I improve my PhD from the great advice from other academics and improve my career prospects, but I also had an extremely enriching personal experience in an amazing country I otherwise wouldn’t have had access to.

Report from the host Lynn Clark, Associate Professor, Head of Department (Te Tari Mātai Wetereo | Department of Linguistics)

It was a pleasure to host Seren at the New Zealand Institute of Language, Brain and Behavior at the University of Canterbury earlier this year. During her visit, Seren made a valuable contribution to our research community. Her doctoral work closely aligns with a new research project I am working on here and Seren kindly engaged in collaborative discussions, shared resources and ideas, and gave a well-received talk to our research group. Seren’s enthusiasm, expertise, and collegiality had a positive impact on our corridor, and we look forward to potential future collaborations.