North West Social Science Doctoral Training Partnership
Bridging Theory and Practice: Reflections from Fieldwork in Kisumu, Kenya
Enoch Kolawole, Health and Wellbeing, Keele University (2023 cohort)
Millions of women around the world live with HIV, but the burden of the disease is unevenly distributed across regions and continents. Over the past three months, I have had the opportunity to travel to urban and rural areas of Kisumu County, Kenya, for data collection as part of my PhD research on HIV. This international fieldwork, generously funded by the NWSSDTP, provided not only a rich academic experience but also a deeply personal and professional journey into the realities of women affected by HIV, allowing for firsthand observation and application of theories and concepts.
Read MoreTelling The World: Publicising Your Research Through The Media Workshop
Ishita Patil, Planning and Environment, University of Manchester (2024 Cohort)
In April 2025, I attended a two half-day online workshop titled Telling the World: Publicising Your Research Through the Media, organised by former BBC journalists Tim Grout-Smith and Lily Poberezhska. The workshop was advertised through the Doctoral Training Partnership (DTP), and while I was uncertain about what to expect, I enrolled with the hope of learning how to communicate my research beyond academic settings, especially by avoiding all the academic jargon.
Read MoreCivil service internship placement: Overview, reflection and thoughts
James Whitehurst, Health and Wellbeing, Keele University (2022 cohort)
Over the past three months I have been lucky enough to experience working in the civil service as a member of the “Open Innovation Team”. The Open Innovation Team (OIT) are an in-house consultancy who work with stakeholders and experts to inform policy through research and analysis. Overall, I enjoyed the fast-paced nature of civil service life and being exposed to direct policy through the expectations of our clients, who were policy teams in various government departments.
Read MoreMy reflection on co-organising the student representatives ‘conference themed’ event at Manchester
Sam Browning, Geography & Environment, University of Liverpool (2024 cohort)
*(Please read/listen here to the narrated version or do both based on whatever you prefer)!
Hi Folks,
Each year, the NWSSDTP rep team collaborates to create an impactful event for students across all our institution partners. In this piece, I am sharing some thoughts on co-organising last month’s (28th April) DTP’ Conference Training Day’ event at the University of Manchester, which has proved to be a huge success.
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North West Social Science Doctoral Training Partnership 