Everyone at The Graduate School is delighted to celebrate our very own Community Assistant Tianyang Sun, who has successfully passed her viva! Tianyang will be a familiar face to many of our students, and her PhD is a fascinating practice-based project at the intersection of Translation Studies and Film Studies. Her research explores creative subtitling in Hollywood commercial films and how these strategies resonate with Chinese audiences. We caught up with Tianyang to reflect on her PhD journey, her experience in Belfast, and the role The Graduate School played along the way.

I was initially drawn to Belfast and Queen's by the reputation of the supervisors and the research coming from the university. Then, hearing about another student’s experience at the Centre for Translation and Interpreting gave me a clear picture of the academic environment, resources, and activities available, and helped me realise Belfast was definitely the right place for me.”

The Graduate School is where my thesis really took shape. I first got to know this beautiful building through the many academic activities organised by my centre, and over time I became a regular visitor. From quiet study spaces to workshops and one-to-one support, it became a regular part of my routine. These sessions helped me prepare for key milestones like my mock APR and viva, while also supporting my career planning.

Many of the questions and challenges I encountered during my PhD were dressed through the Graduate School. I would highlight Wellbeing Wednesday as being especially meaningful to me. These casual weekly conversations, hosted by the PG wellbeing adviser, Megan O'Brien, create a relaxed and supportive environment where I could connect with others and realise we’re not alone in the challenges we face. As students we can be quite hard on ourselves, but these sessions were a helpful place to share experiences and practical ways of dealing with difficulties.

My viva felt more like an academic conversation than an interrogation. The panel engaged with my work, asking for clarification and elaboration on aspects they found particularly interesting.

There were of course some unexpected questions, but the mock viva I had done with academic consultant, Dr. Abbie Edgar, had me well prepared to deal with such a situation. In that session, Abbie prepared three questions and took notes when I answered them and provided me with valuable feedback. The whole session was structured, detailed, and tailored to my research, giving me both practical strategies and the confidence to go into the real viva.

Passing was surreal at first, but the sense of achievement soon became overwhelming in the best possible way. It marks not just the end of my PhD, but the closing of an important chapter in my life.

I’m proud to share this moment with fellow students reaching this milestone, and I wish the very best to those still on their journey.