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University of Plymouth June 2023: Students' Workshop Resources

Generation Delta Student Workshop Report

3rd stage of the PGR cycle: Training for Careers (T4C)

Workshop title: “The doctoral viva and preparing for a career in academia”

Hosting institution: University of Plymouth

Date: Tuesday 27 June 2023

Time: 10.45 am to 5.00 pm

Venue: Room 408, Cookworthy Building, Hampton Street, University of Plymouth

  1. Introduction_ 2
  2. Registration And Attendees 3
  3. Introduction To Generation Delta_ 3
  4. Passing Phd Final Viva Voce And Personal Experience  By Dr Sana Murrani, Deputy Director Of Doctoral College, University Of Plymouth_ 3
  5. Advice On Publications Panel 3
  6. Preparation For Job Interviews And Promotions By Professor Parveen Yaqoob, Pro Vice Chancellor, University Of Reading_ 3
  7. Writing An Academic Cv And Gaining Feedback By Professor Farzana Shain_ 3
  8. Mentimeter Activities: Students’ Feedback_ 3

1.     Introduction

This workshop was offered to women who identify as Black, Asian, and/or from minority ethnic communities, who are registered as Home PGR students, and who have already completed their upgrade/transfer or are in the last stage of their doctoral studies.

The objectives of this workshop were to provide advice and guidance on:

  1. The doctoral viva process
    b. Academic interviews
    c. Writing for academic journals
  2. Creating an academic CV

The following was the workshop agenda:

Time/ duration Activity Leading
10:45 -11:15 Registration, coffee, networking Mr Olumide Solate and Dr Monica Llanos, University of Leeds
11:15-11:25 Opening welcome Professor Archie Clements, Deputy Vice Chancellor, University of Plymouth
11:25-11:30 Logistics/housekeeping

 

 Professor Shaofeng Liu, University of Plymouth
11:30-11:40 Generation Delta project overview Professor Iyiola Solanke, University of Oxford/Leeds
11:40-12:30 Passing PhD final viva voce and personal experience Dr Sana Murrani, Deputy Director of Doctoral College, University of Plymouth

 
 

12:30-13: 30

  

Lunch and networking

 
 

 

13:30-14:30

  

 

Advice on publications: panel session

 

 

 ·       Prof Donna Chambers, Associate Editor Annals of Tourism Research; Managing Editor Leisure Studies

·       Prof Farzana Shain, former Executive Editor British Journal of Sociology of Education; International Advisory Board member of Human Rights Education Review

·       Professor Amaka Offiah, Managing Editor Pediatric Radiology

·       Professor Uma Kambhampati, Editorial Board Feminist Economics; Co-Editor European Journal of Development Research
 

14:30- 15:00

  

Preparation for job interview and promotion (online)

  

Professor Parveen Yaqoob, Pro Vice Chancellor, University of Reading

 
 

15:00-15:15

  

Break - Tea/coffee, networking

 
15:15-16:55 Students’ group activity (writing an academic CV and gaining feedback) Prof Farzana Shain, Goldsmiths University of London
16:55 Closing Professor Iyiola Solanke, Professor Shaofeng Liu

2.     Registration and attendees

A total of 97 PGR students registered for the workshop and 25 were selected to attend the session.

3.     Introduction to Generation Delta

Follow this link for an overview of the research/action project Generation Delta by its PI, Professor Iyiola Solanke. Introduction to GenDelta project and team.mp4

4.     Passing PhD final viva voce and personal experience  by Dr Sana Murrani, Deputy Director of Doctoral College, University of Plymouth

Follow this link to access the video of Dr Murrani’s presentation Dr Sana Murrani.mp4

5.     Advice on publications panel

A panel of four of Generation Delta Co-Investigators, Professors Donna Chambers, Farzana Shain, Amaka Offiah and Uma Kambhampati, shared their experiences on publishing as well as editing academic publications with the group. Follow this link to access the video of the panel Panel.mp4

6.     Preparation for job interviews and promotions by Professor Parveen Yaqoob, Pro Vice Chancellor, University of Reading

During Professor Yaqoob’s presentation, she offered advice and guidance on generic interview questions from interview panels, questions to ask interview panels, and general information to prepare for an academic interview. Follow this link for the slides Gen Delta Interview success Yaqoob.pdf

7.     Writing an academic CV and gaining feedback by Professor Farzana Shain

Professor Farzana Shain delivered a presentation on the differences between a regular resume vs. and academic CV, main aspects hiring panels look for in a CV, and different institutional formats for CV writing. Professor’s Shain presentation was followed by a CV review activity carried out among the attending students. Follow this link for the video presentation Prof Farzana's Presentation.mp4 and this link for the slides CV writing workshop fs.pdf

8.     Mentimeter activities: students’ feedback

At different stages during the workshop, students were asked to give very short answers to key questions via Mentimeter, a presentation-based digital tool that allows educators to make the most of its features for teaching, including quizzes, polls, and word clouds.

See below some examples of the word clouds and short-answer questions posed to the students on passing the final viva, publishing doctoral work and entering academia after completing doctoral study.

To see the answers to all the Mentimeter questions posed to the students during the workshop follow this link 2023-06-27 Generation Delta Student Workshop in Plymouth.pdf.