What if you caught Covid during an international conference?

Tien Thuy Quach, a PhD Candidate in School of Pharmacy, talks about her experience of catching COVID-19 at an international conference, and what she learnt about managing her mental health. I was fortunately awarded a Travel Prize (£500) from the Researcher Academy, Travel Award (£500) from the United Kingdom Surface Analysis Forum (UKSAF), and CR …

Entrepreneurial Spirit: Actively seek out changes rather than waiting to adapt

Xijing Chen on doing a Researcher Academy postgraduate placement at Spenbeck, an award-winning family business specialising in providing bespoke, sustainable and inclusive creative spaces. I was a 1st-year PhD student in Architecture, Culture and Tectonics Research Group during the period of joining this Placement for Spenbeck, 2021-22. The research project I participated in during my …

Getting a solid start to my career

This week we hear from Manikanta Ravi about his Researcher Academy postgraduate placement as a Design Engineering Intern at Micro-Mesh Engineering Ltd. I am an MSc Mechanical Engineering Student. Since I studied during the COVID period and have no prior work experience, I was searching for an internship/placement opportunity inside the university. So, I consulted the …

Improving my employability with a postgraduate placement

Cephas on his experience of doing a Researcher Academy postgraduate placement. After spending my formative years in a developing economy, studying in the UK allowed me to interact with students from all over the world, and the majority of them believed that completing a post-graduate placement would improve your employability. I am an international student …

My postgraduate placement: an international student’s perspective

Nivashnee shares her experience of doing a Researcher Academy placement. When most people apply for a post-graduate placement, it’s to gain work experience that can help them land their first job or internship. However, my story is a little different. I was an international student from South Africa who decided to further my education in …

The Three Minute Gamble

Zaid Janjua, alumni and former Vitae 3MT® Competition winner, talks about his experiences with the Researcher Academy and how he has been able to give back to the postgraduate researcher community at UON. When I received the offer letter for my current role, the recruiter mentioned something interesting to me. Prior to our first call, …

Getting involved in the learning community

Jamie Green, a doctoral researcher in the School of Psychology, on working with the Researcher Academy. As a part-time distance student, it can sometimes be challenging to feel fully involved in the learning community. Despite the global negatives in recent times, my journey and connection with the Researcher Academy flourished in 2020. Prior to the …