North West Social Science Doctoral Training Partnership
NWSSDTP: Communication Skills Training
Luke Parkinson, CSPSW, Lancaster University (2021 Cohort)
Public speaking has always been a bit of a challenge for me. Prior to starting my PhD, I spent a long time becoming an expert in avoiding ways of having to confront my difficulties with public speaking, which have followed me since my early school days when I would struggle with stuttering and speaking very quietly. Although I’ve become confident enough in speaking in small groups, such as seminars, there is something very unsettling about a large audience that takes me back to the same difficulties I’d had in primary school with confidence and clear speech, and when giving a conference presentation or a lecture, I often found myself very anxious and unsure of how I was coming across to my audience.
Read MoreAttending the RGS-IBG Annual Conference
Chloe Fox-Robertson, Geography & Environment, University of Manchester (2022 Cohort)
Last week, I was fortunate to attend the RGS-IBG Annual Conference in London, supported by the NWSSDTP Research Training Support Grant. Over 2,000 geographers and others from beyond the discipline came together to share and discuss new research ideas and directions. Although united under the Chair’s theme ‘mapping’, sessions were numerous and varied, from decolonising urban futures to mapping the geographies of AI to more-than-human cartographies. Not only was this my first time attending an academic conference, but it was also my first time presenting and convening a session. During this piece, I reflect on these first-time experiences and share some advice and tips for navigating a conference.
Read MoreChairing the Lancaster Historical Postgraduate Conference
Anna Drury, Economic & Social History, Lancaster University (2023 Cohort)
Hello!
My name is Anna Drury. Since starting my PhD in October last year, I had the great privilege of acting as Chair of the Organising Committee for 2024’s Lancaster Historical Postgraduate Conference (LHPC), and I am very happy to report that LHPC 2024 was a roaring success!
Read MoreThe Hotel Hideaway: My Power Hours at a Hotel Writing Retreat
Paige Monaghan, Psychology, University of Liverpool (2021 Cohort)
I’ve never been to a writing retreat before. As a PhD student, it often seemed that every opportunity just wasn’t the “right place, right time.” Perhaps you’ve seen ads for the famous Gladstone’s writing retreat—it’s far away and pricey (and the Gladstone Writing Retreat is not covered by RTSG). So, it’s safe to say that the perfect opportunity hadn’t come along until last month.
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North West Social Science Doctoral Training Partnership 