The Child: Postgraduate Research Conference 2009
First Annual Multi Disciplinary Initiative of the Research Forum for the Child
Supported by the Research Forum on the Child, the first Annual Multi – Disciplinary Postgraduate Conference was held at Queen’s University, Belfast on the 2nd- 3rd June 2009. It was officially opened by the Vice Chancellor, Professor Peter Gregson. This initiative of the Research Forum for the Child was led by a postgraduate organising committee, supported by Professor Phil Scraton.
The broad topic of this year’s conference was ‘The Child’ which was chosen to encourage postgraduates from all disciplines to share their work about children and childhood. The conference attracted 75 postgraduate presenters from Queen’s University, and other institutions in Northern Ireland, Ireland and the UK. Presentations were given on the lives and experiences of the historical and modern child, across the world, even considering the child and virtual spaces! Topics discussed included children’s rights and justice, culture and identity, children and the family, children and health, issues of informed consent and using research methods to aid children’s participation.
As well as working at the conference, there was also a good opportunity to network and socialise during lunchtimes and at the conference dinner held at the Black Box. We were able to relax and have a night of great food, live local music and the chance to get to talk to each other. The feedback the organising committee received was very positive as participants felt that the experience had provided a supportive environment to discuss their work and gave the opportunity to meet others with similar research interests. This conference has shown the need for similar postgraduate events and bodes well for future postgraduate Research Forum of the Child events.
Donna Kernaghan
On behalf of the Organising Committee
dkernaghan02@qub.ac.uk
