North West Social Science Doctoral Training Partnership
Attending The 2025 Annual RGS-IBG International Conference (Birmingham)*
*(Please read/listen to the narrated version or do both based on whatever you prefer)!
Sam Browning, Geography & Environment, University of Liverpool (2024 cohort)
I attended the 2025 Royal Geographical Society (RGS-IBG) Annual International Conference at the University of Birmingham (UOB) between the 26th and 29th of August. The symposium attracted over 2000 delegates across the four days to explore the overarching theme of ‘Geographies of Creativity / Creative Geographies’, organised and introduced by Conference Chair Prof. Patricia Noxolo (UOB). Here are some of my reflections and recommendations on how to get the most out of attending a future RGS or equivalent annual international conference as a first-time delegate1.
Read MoreEmotions and Feedback
Helena Kitto, Socio-legal Studies, Keele University (2019 cohort)
If you’re reading this, and you’re anything like me, then you’re familiar with some version of the phrase “I hate feedback”. Not in so many words maybe, my version of this expression is four letters long and is uttered a bit like a prayer when I see the email notification in my inbox that my supervisor has finally finished reading a piece of writing I’d already forgotten about. Depending on their feedback, the next few sentences might also be expressed in a similar fashion.
Read MoreOverseas institutional visit – University of Canterbury, New Zealand
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!
Read MoreAttending a Manchester Methods Summer School on Creative Approaches: A Strong Future Recommendation for NWSSDTP Students*
*(Please read/listen to the narrated version or do both based on whatever you prefer)!
Sam Browning, Geography & Environment, University of Liverpool (2024 cohort)
I have recently attended a summer school course on ‘Creative Approaches to Qualitative Research‘ at the University of Manchester. Methods@Manchester launched the course in March 2025, and I had been waiting eagerly to attend at the end of June / start of July. Below, you will find some of my reflections on attending and why I strongly recommend the course to anyone interested in discovering more about creative approaches to qualitative research.
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North West Social Science Doctoral Training Partnership 