Aim:

This training course will assist participants to understand what policy is, the process through which it is developed and the most effective ways to influence it. Practical sessions will be interwoven throughout the session, giving participants the opportunity to draft and refine their own actions plans to influence policy through their own research.

The transition for international students to a UK academic and socio-cultural environment can be daunting. While many aspects of culture are on the surface and easy to identify, others are hidden, and the demands and expectations of the new environment can lead to misunderstandings, frustration, conflict, isolation and demotivation. These may have a negative impact on both academic performance and social interaction. The aim of the course is to understand the nature of culture; to examine the stages of Culture Shock; to explore strategies to anticipate and/or overcome potential misunderstandings; to discuss and understand the expectations of teaching and learning in higher education institutions, and to maximise successful integration.

An introductory course in presentation skills for postgraduates in the first year of their research PhD. This course will prepare you for the cut and thrust of academic presentations yet still allow you space to develop your unique professional communication style.

We will look at examples from TED talks and the worlds of sport and theatre. You will be encouraged to practice key techniques and prepare powerful visual aids and openings. We will also explore structures and timing. An essential first stage course and part of a series of three for each year of your doctorate.

This course will help you prepare for your first year review, seminar or conference.

A second-stage course designed for PhD candidates in the latter part of their first year or in their second year, early third year. It follows up on the themes and techniques developed in Communication 1. We develop ideas of confidence and control and explore new presentation trends and visual communication styles, especially techniques associated with storyboarding, including poster presentations.

We will practice creativity and leadership and apply them to your own research messages. We’ll also explore communicating to a variety of audiences who are ‘stakeholders’ in your work and its impact on society.

The course will focus on conference presentations but the techniques are essential to all forms of academic and non-academic communication.

This interactive workshop will explore what networking is and its role in modern career management and job search. Its will identify key criteria required for successful networking and what attitudes and behaviours underlie success.  Emphasis will be on networking skills for building relationships through face to face meetings, events and conferences and in exploring and developing a personal networking strategy and action plan.

Each student to prepare a short summary of their current research (no more than 10 sentences), including aims, achievements to date and future research objectives. This needs to be typed and brought with them to the class for use as a networking tool.

An introductory course in presentation skills for postgraduates in the first year of their research PhD. This course will prepare you for the cut and thrust of academic presentations yet still allow you space to develop your unique professional communication style.

We will look at examples from TED talks and the worlds of sport and theatre. You will be encouraged to practice key techniques and prepare powerful visual aids and openings. We will also explore structures and timing. An essential first stage course and part of a series of three for each year of your doctorate.

This course will help you prepare for your first year review, seminar or conference.

This interactive workshop will explore:

• Recap on networking fundamentals and key networking success criteria;
• What social networking is - similarities / differences to face to face activities;
• Benefits and usage for career development and job search;Preparation required before engaging in online networking;
• Assessing your digital footprint and shadow and how to clean up digital dirt;
• First Impressions – creating your online profile and bio;
• Social media tools  – connecting, communicating and getting your stuff out there using social media sites, micro-blogging sites, blogs, and other online resources;
• Overcoming social networking reluctance.

Pre-requisites:

To have attended Networking Part 1

This course will offer postgraduate research students an opportunity to consider how their research may be relevant and interesting to society.  There will be an opportunity to discuss the growing importance of Public Engagement with research and how this links to research impact.  The workshop will be led by Beatrice Korc, Director, Science and Society Department, University of Lyon in France.  There will also be contributions from Dr Catherine Bates, Co-ordinator of Students Learning with Communities at Dublin Institute for Technology and Queen’s who will share examples of public engagement in postgraduate research projects.  The course will be facilitated by Eileen Martin and Emma McKenna,  who manage the Science Shop at Queen’s University Belfast..

This half day course has been developed specifically to introduce PhD students to the practical issues involved in getting their work published in books and journals. Topics covered will include targeting and approaching editors and publishers, presenting book proposals, submitting articles to journals, dealing with proofs and the implications of publication choices on academic career development.  The course is led by a member of staff with experience in academic journal editing, together with a representative from an academic publishing house.

By the end of the course, participants will:

• Be aware of the various considerations that should determine their choice of what to publish from their Ph.D. work and which presses or journals to target;
• Be aware of what they will need to do in preparing and submitting their work for publication;
• Understand the processes involved in seeing a book or an article through the press;
• Have gained an appreciation of the perspective of academic publishers and journal editors.

Course Aim:

This course explores what 'research ethics' is and why all all researchers should ensure that their research approach is consistent with appropriate ethical guidelines. The aim is to inform students of the ethical issues arising in the design, conduct, and dissemination of research projects.

Learning Outcomes:

By the end of the course, participants will:

• Be aware of QUB research ethics guidelines;
• Have knowledge of the genesis of research ethics and professional body guidelines;
• Be familiar with the philosophies underpinning research ethics and cognizant of the ethical challenges at each stage of the research process;
• Have the necessary skills to produce and carry out ethically approvable projects.

China is a top three research partner for the UK in Computer Science, Mathematics, Materials Science and Engineering, and agreement has been reached on immediate priorities and further areas for research cooperation (http://ukinchina.fco.gov.uk/en/news/?view=News&id=613635282)

The main challenges for collaborative researchers are Language, Culture and Management styles/Hierarchy. Reference to Hofstede's (2001) theoretical constructs of cultural dimensions and an exploration of Chinese socio-cultural concepts may assist in understanding the latter two. This session will seek to examine these, as well as address important aspects of behavioural etiquette.

This course has been designed for participants who are unfamiliar with Chinese culture.

This training course will assist participants to understand what policy is, the process through which it is developed and the most effective ways to influence it. Practical sessions will be interwoven throughout the session, giving participants the opportunity to draft and refine their own actions plans to influence policy through their own research.

This interactive workshop will explore what networking is and its role in modern career management and job search. Its will identify key criteria required for successful networking and what attitudes and behaviours underlie success.  Emphasis will be on networking skills for building relationships through face to face meetings, events and conferences and in exploring and developing a personal networking strategy and action plan.

Each student to prepare a short summary of their current research (no more than 10 sentences), including aims, achievements to date and future research objectives. This needs to be typed and brought with them to the class for use as a networking tool.

This interactive workshop will explore:

• Recap on networking fundamentals and key networking success criteria;
• What social networking is - similarities / differences to face to face activities;
• Benefits and usage for career development and job search;
• Preparation required before engaging in online networking;
• Assessing your digital footprint and shadow and how to clean up digital dirt;
• First Impressions – creating your online profile and bio;
• Social media tools  – connecting, communicating and getting your stuff out there using social media sites, micro-blogging sites, blogs, and other online resources;
• Overcoming social networking reluctance.

Pre-requistites:

To have attended Networking Part 1.

An introductory course in presentation skills for postgraduates in the first year of their research PhD. This course will prepare you for the cut and thrust of academic presentations yet still allow you space to develop your unique professional communication style.

We will look at examples from TED talks and the worlds of sport and theatre. You will be encouraged to practice key techniques and prepare powerful visual aids and openings. We will also explore structures and timing. An essential first stage course and part of a series of three for each year of your doctorate.

This course will help you prepare for your first year review, seminar or conference..

This half day course has been developed specifically to introduce PhD students to the practical issues involved in getting their work published in books and journals. Topics covered will include targeting and approaching editors and publishers, presenting book proposals, submitting articles to journals, dealing with proofs and the implications of publication choices on academic career development.  The course is led by a member of staff with experience in academic journal editing, together with a representative from an academic publishing house.

By the end of the course, participants will:

• Be aware of the various considerations that should determine their choice of what to publish from their Ph.D. work and which presses or journals to target;
• Be aware of what they will need to do in preparing and submitting their work for publication;Understand the processes involved in seeing a book or an article through the press;
• Have gained an appreciation of the perspective of academic publishers and journal editors.

An introductory course in presentation skills for postgraduates in the first year of their research PhD. This course will prepare you for the cut and thrust of academic presentations yet still allow you space to develop your unique professional communication style.

We will look at examples from TED talks and the worlds of sport and theatre. You will be encouraged to practice key techniques and prepare powerful visual aids and openings. We will also explore structures and timing. An essential first stage course and part of a series of three for each year of your doctorate.

This course will help you prepare for your first year review, seminar or conference.

China is a top three research partner for the UK in Computer Science, Mathematics, Materials Science and Engineering, and agreement has been reached on immediate priorities and further areas for research cooperation (http://ukinchina.fco.gov.uk/en/news/?view=News&id=613635282)

The main challenges for collaborative researchers are Language, Culture and Management styles/Hierarchy. Reference to Hofstede's (2001) theoretical constructs of cultural dimensions and an exploration of Chinese socio-cultural concepts may assist in understanding the latter two. This session will seek to examine these, as well as address important aspects of behavioural etiquette.

This course has been designed for participants who are unfamiliar with Chinese culture.