Reflections on our Postgraduate research student conference

I saw a gap in events organised for post-graduate researchers (PGRs), as there was low attendance at the few available events, and I wanted to organise a conference for PhD students to bridge this gap. I had a vision of a PGR event that welcomed all research topic areas and levels of PGRs with great networking opportunities and inspiring panel sessions.

I initiated the idea to host the conference for PGRs in 2023 through discussions with my supervisor, Prof Kate Dashper, and then recruited my colleague Getrude Poku in 2024 as a co-organiser. Together, we presented the idea to the Graduate School for their support. The swift approval from the Graduate School after our presentation was reassuring and marked the beginning of our event planning process.

The PGR conference was designed to be an engaging and interactive platform for postgraduate researchers at all levels in their PhD journey with the uniqueness of a conference for PGRs by PGRs. Upon receiving budget approval, we immediately called for abstracts from universities across the United Kingdom and introduced the 3MT-style presentation format.

This format, where each presenter has one slide and three minutes to present their research, added an element of excitement and engagement. We further enhanced the interactive nature of the conference by introducing a competition with nominal gifts for the best 3MT presentations. LBU library services facilitated a training session on presentation skills focusing on 3MT-style presentation; the session was online, open to all delegates and had great attendance. 

At the deadline for abstract submissions, we received over seventy abstracts from different research areas, including engineering, health, education, arts, psychology, tourism, events, sports, business, and many others. We also received seventy-five delegate registrations for conference attendance only. We eventually finalised sixty-one 3MT presentations; these presenters were broken into four break-out groups for the conference.

The PGR conference started with a careers fireside chat with the Pro Vice Chancellor for Research and Innovation at LBU, Prof Silke Machold, and the Associate Director of Research and Innovation, Dr. Shanta Coles. The question and answer section of the panel was an open and honest sharing of experiences and advice. Then, we went into our break-out sessions for the 3MT-style presentations. The presentations were from different, unique, and innovative areas of research.

Prizes were awarded to the top presenters, and the judges (Prof. Kate Dashper, Dr. Davide Sterchele, Dr. Jonathan Moss, and Dr. Chris Till) had a tough time deciding the winners due to the high quality of the presenters. We had a session with PhD graduates (Dr. Kelechi Anucha and Dr. Magda Jordao) discussing the PhD journey and research. We moved on to announce the winners of the 3MT competition in each group, as prizes were awarded to the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners. We concluded the day at LBU with reflections from our director of research at Carnegie School of Sport (Prof. Susan Backhouse). Many PGRs attended the optional social hour, an opportunity to unwind and discuss things in a less formal atmosphere.

The conference was a great networking opportunity for PhD students across the United Kingdom. The delegates were delighted about the conference, and we received lots of positive feedback from delegates through the feedback form, emails, and direct conversations after the event. Some comments are ‘really friendly and relaxed atmosphere’, ‘brilliant event’, ‘excellent networking’, and ‘lovely to meet other PGRs from around the country’. There were also some suggestions for development.

Key takeaways from the conference are the importance of networking for PGRs, having a support system, taking necessary breaks, and being resilient when taking feedback. I look forward to the opportunity to turn this event into an annual one at Leeds Beckett University.