Category / Postgraduate Research

Postgraduate Research Summer Social – 1 week to go!


1 week to go till the Postgraduate Research Summer Social. We’re so excited to welcome you to the Branksome Dene Room for an afternoon of patio games, delicious food and sunshine by the beach! 


We’ve booked this stunning location for the exclusive use of PGRs and Supervisors for the afternoon to unwind and reconnect up with your fellow researchers and academics.

The Doctoral College PGR events at Branksome Dene Room are always a hit so we hope you can join us!

We are pleased to offer a Greek style lunch menu including a pita with your choice of filling (chicken souvlaki, vegetarian or vegan) served with chips, a salad bar, teas, coffees and soft drinks! You are also welcome to bring your own refreshments to enjoy.

Register here

Ticket: £5

Please note there are limited spaces available, so please book as soon as possible if you would like to attend. 

If you have any questions, please do get in touch: pgrskillsdevelopment@bournemouth.ac.uk

LinkedIn: Doctoral College – Bournemouth University

X: @BUDocCollege | #BUDoctoralCollege

World Wellbeing Week 2025 – free activities for PGRs


The international awareness event World Wellbeing Week takes place in June each year. To celebrate, the Doctoral College is pleased to share a variety of free activities available to PGRs to give you the opportunity to unwind and look after your mental, physical, and social wellbeing. 


Herbal tea and arts & crafts

Enjoy some arts and crafts in the sun whilst relaxing with herbal teas!

📅 When: Tuesday 24 June – Friday 27 June, 10:00-14:00
📍 Where: Doctoral College (DLG08) outside patio, Talbot Campus

Community Garden volunteering

Spend some time enjoying nature and volunteer in the garden to support the mission to grow food for each other and those in need.

📅 When: Wednesday 25 June, 12:00-14:00
📍 Where: BU Community Garden, Talbot Campus

Seed bombs & sweet treats

Join us for a fun, hands-on activity where you’ll make your own eco-friendly seed bombs using clay, soil, and seeds. Take these home with you and plant them in your garden or green up a forgotten public place! 🌱
There will also be some delicious sweet treats for you to enjoy!

📅 When: Wednesday 25 June, 15:00-16:00
📍 Where: BU Community Garden, Talbot Campus

Register here

Table tennis

Following last year’s successful table tennis wellbeing event, we have booked the SportBU studio again for more table tennis fun!

Socialise with other PGR students and get active in a relaxed environment. This will not be a competitive tournament, just simply come and have a friendly hit.

📅 When: Wednesday 25 June, 19:00-20:30
📍 Where: SportBU, Talbot Campus

Register here

Paint & Sip to Summer

Unwind and paint your own little summer inspired canvas to take home for decoration over tasty mocktails, laughter and summery bites!

📅 When: Thursday 26 June, 16:00-18:00
📍 Where: BU Community Garden, Talbot Campus

Register here

 

Click here for more information about World Wellbeing Week 2025

Best wishes,

The Doctoral College

Postgraduate Research Summer Social – 2 weeks to go!


2 weeks to go till the Postgraduate Research Summer Social. We’re so excited to welcome you to the Branksome Dene Room for an afternoon of patio games, delicious food and sunshine by the beach! 


We’ve booked this stunning location for the exclusive use of PGRs and Supervisors for the afternoon to unwind and reconnect up with your fellow researchers and academics.

The Doctoral College PGR events at Branksome Dene Room are always a hit so we hope you can join us!

We are pleased to offer a Greek style lunch menu including a pita with your choice of filling (chicken souvlaki, vegetarian or vegan) served with chips, a salad bar, teas, coffees and soft drinks! You are also welcome to bring your own refreshments to enjoy.

Register here

Ticket: £5

Please note there are limited spaces available, so please book as soon as possible if you would like to attend. 

If you have any questions, please do get in touch: pgrskillsdevelopment@bournemouth.ac.uk

LinkedIn: Doctoral College – Bournemouth University

X: @BUDocCollege | #BUDoctoralCollege

Enterprise and Innovation sessions for BU researchers

We are pleased to announce that Matt Desmier [Business Engagement and Knowledge Exchange Manager] will deliver two insightful sessions on Enterprise and Innovation. While these sessions have been specially arranged for the PGR community, all BU researchers are warmly invited to attend.

Communicating with Business and Personal Branding – REGISTER HERE

Tuesday 10 June 9.30-11.30 (Create LT, Fusion Building)

Whether you are planning an academic career, or a career in industry, you will be interacting with businesses and third sector organisations regularly. To do this successfully, it is vitally important to be able to communicate effectively and to build a personal brand. This session will teach you the crucial steps you need to communicate successfully with business: how to understand what their motivations are and align yours with theirs; recognise how you can add value; and know what language to use and when.

Alongside this, it’s vitally important to build credibility and relationships with business, to be visible in the spaces where they are. Predominately this means – but is by no way limited to – having an active presence on LinkedIn. Whilst the algorithm that powers this platform remains a closely guarded secret, this session will show you tried and tested ways to ensure it works in your favour and to create your personal brand.

Developing a Business Idea and Pitching – REGISTER HERE

Wednesday 11 June 9.30-11.30 (Create LT, Fusion Building)

The goal of the most of your interactions with industry will be to get them to do something for you. Whether that’s engage with your research, fund your new product idea, buy some of your consultancy or drop by to speak to your students.  Each ‘ask’ is a pitch and this needs careful crafting to get a positive response. Understanding how and when to pitch is a skill in and of itself. Thankfully it’s not as scary as it sounds. This session will give you the skills you need to pitch successfully.

To enable you to develop a business idea we’ll deliver training based on the two recognised frameworks: the Business Model Canvas and the Innovation Canvas. Both frameworks have been designed to enable individuals and teams to describe their ideas, identify areas that need more development, and understand what value will be delivered and to whom.

 

Best wishes,

The Doctoral College

Upcoming 3C Event – Culture, Community & Canapés


The Doctoral College 3C event is approaching! All PGRs and Supervisors are invited.  


Following feedback we received at the PGR Engagement Champions meetings, we will be hosting this 3C event at the later time of 16:00-17:30.

For this 3C event, we have swapped out the usual cake for something a little fancier — canapés! Join us and enjoy delicious bites and mingle with colleagues in an informal setting.

Whether you are new to the university or a seasoned researcher, this is the perfect opportunity to:

✨ Catch up with peers

🤝 Meet new faces

🧠 Share ideas and experiences

🥂 Enjoy some tasty food and drinks!

Join us Tuesday 20 May 16:00-17:30 on the fifth floor in the Student Centre, Talbot Campus.

Register here

Let’s foster collaboration, support and networking!

Keep an eye on the Doctoral College Brightspace to stay up to date on all future 3C events.

Postgraduate Research Summer Social – tickets on sale


Tickets are now on sale for the Doctoral College Summer Social for the Postgraduate Research community at the delightful Branksome Dene Room. Situated in a stunning location that overlooks the beach, with amazing views of the sea to Old Harry Rocks.


We’ve booked this unique location for the exclusive use of PGRs and Supervisors for the afternoon to unwind and catch up with your fellow researchers and academics.

The Doctoral College PGR events at Branksome Dene Room are always a hit so we hope you can join us!

We are pleased to offer a Greek style lunch menu including a pita with your choice of filling (chicken souvlaki, vegetarian or vegan) served with chips, a salad bar, teas, coffees and soft drinks! You are also welcome to bring your own refreshments to enjoy.

Booking and event details can be found here.

Ticket: £5

Please note there are limited spaces available, so please book as soon as possible if you would like to attend. 

If you have any questions, please do get in touch: pgrskillsdevelopment@bournemouth.ac.uk

LinkedIn: Doctoral College – Bournemouth University

X: @BUDocCollege | #BUDoctoralCollege

Building Research Capacity: The key role of PhD students

Postgraduate students, especially PhD students dramatically expand a university’s research capacity. They contribute significantly to data collection, analysis, the day-to-day management of research projects, and publications that might otherwise be impossible to sustain. Postgraduate students are central to progressive research-active communities. PhD student also frequently serve as mentors to undergraduate researchers or Masters’ students, creating a cascade of learning that benefits all participants.

Beyond individual projects, postgraduate students help build research infrastructure through their contributions to lab management, protocol development, the exchange of innovative ideas, and so on. These contributions create lasting benefits to staff as well as higher education institutions.  Academic communities with PhD students often promote collaboration, provide emotional and intellectual support, and create spaces where ideas can be tested and analyses refined before wider dissemination.

This expanded capacity allows universities to pursue more ambitious research agendas and respond to complex challenges requiring multidisciplinary approaches. The postgraduate journey requires carefully planned mentorship, giving students increasing autonomy, and ownership of their scholarly contribution. This apprenticeship model has proven remarkably effective in preparing the next generation of academics for centuries.

 

This blog was created as part of the Professional Discourse in the Age of AI: an interactive writing workshop facilitated by Prof. Debbie Holley and Prof. Carol Clark in the Faculty of Health & Social Sciences at Bournemouth University.  Since last week’s workshop was on the topic, we have used the help of AI in the writing of this BU Research Blog!

 

Dr. Kathryn Collins, Prof. Vanora Hundley & Prof. Edwin van Teijlingen

BU Researchers Pioneering Green Hydrogen Production through OcenGen Startup

A team of innovative researchers from Bournemouth University (BU) is making waves in the sustainable energy sector through their pioneering startup project, OcenGen. Focused on green hydrogen production, OcenGen aims to develop next-generation low-cost, high-performance electrocatalysts that could drastically reduce the dependence on expensive and scarce platinum-group metals currently used in conventional water electrolysers.

This ground-breaking project has recently been selected to join Cohort 8 at Conception X, which runs the leading cross-university programme dedicated to launching and accelerating deeptech ventures created by PhD researchers.

At the core of OcenGen’s innovation is the development of advanced electrocatalytic materials using earth-abundant transition metals, designed to work efficiently under mildly alkaline and seawater conditions. This makes the technology an ideal fit for Anion Exchange Membrane (AEM) electrolysers, offering a cost-effective and scalable alternative to the Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) systems, which heavily rely on iridium and other rare metals.

Shadeepa Karunarathne, PhD researcher at BU and founder of OcenGen, shared his excitement:“We are thrilled to be part of the Conception X journey. This marks a significant milestone in translating our laboratory research into commercial reality. Our catalyst technology has the potential to revolutionise the green hydrogen sector by reducing material costs and enabling large-scale, sustainable hydrogen generation.”

Shadeepa further added, “Our work aligns closely with the UK’s Net Zero goals by 2030 and contributes toward the transition to clean energy. By enabling hydrogen production directly from seawater without costly desalination, we also offer a more sustainable path forward for offshore and coastal applications.”

The technology developed at OcenGen leverages cutting-edge material engineering techniques, including facet engineering and orbital occupancy tuning to optimise oxygen evolution kinetics. The team is also integrating machine learning algorithms to accelerate catalyst discovery and process optimisation with fewer physical experiments.

Supporting this effort, Associate Professor Amor Abdelkader, a renowned materials scientist and Shadeepa’s PhD supervisor, who serves as a senior advisor to the project, stated:
“This is a timely and impactful innovation. The OcenGen technology demonstrates how research excellence can be translated into practical solutions to address pressing global energy challenges. I’m proud to support a project that bridges fundamental science and commercial potential so effectively.”

The core OcenGen team includes Dr. Chirag Ratwani, Co-founder and expert in 2D materials and business strategy, and Eshani Fernando, AI Scientist responsible for integrating data-driven approaches for catalyst optimisation.

The team also extended their thanks to Michael Board, Research Manager and Facilitator, for his continued encouragement and support for innovation and entrepreneurship among BU’s PhD researchers.“Michael’s leadership in fostering a startup mindset within academia is truly commendable and has been instrumental in motivating us to pursue this venture,” said Shadeepa.

OcenGen now welcomes funding opportunities and collaborative partnerships to accelerate development and commercial deployment.

Get in touch to join our mission in driving the future of green hydrogen.

🔗 Staff Profile 🔗 LinkedIn

Author: Shadeepa Karunarathne

First paper by PhD student

We are delighted to announce that Bournemouth University (BU) and University Hospitals Dorset NHS Foundation Trust (UHD) Clinical Match-Funded PhD researcher, Leila Kattach, has published her first academic paper. This milestone marks an important step in Leila’s research journey and highlights the impactful work being carried out within our clinical research community.
The paper, titled Nurse-Led Models of Service Delivery for Skin Cancer Detection: A Systematic Review, was published in the Journal of Advanced Nursing yesterday (April 1, 2025) [1]. This research consolidates evidence on nurse-led models for skin cancer detection, comparing their effectiveness to physician-led care and highlighting their potential benefits in terms of accessibility, cost-effectiveness, and patient satisfaction.
The systematic review, co-authored with Heidi Singleton, Steven Ersser, Debbie Holley, Ian Pearson, and Abdulrahman Shadeed, rigorously analyzed studies from 1992 to 2024, assessing the role of nurses in diagnosing, treating, and supporting skin cancer patients. The findings demonstrate that nurse-led models can complement or even substitute traditional physician-led care, offering high diagnostic accuracy, improved access to care, and enhanced patient education.
Key highlights from the study include:
Comparable diagnostic accuracy between nurses and ophthalmologists in skin cancer detection.
Increased accessibility and reduced waiting times for patients through community-based, nurse-led services.
Significant cost savings associated with nurse-led care delivery.
Patient preference for nurse-led models, citing convenience and enhanced education on self-examination.
The study also emphasizes the need for further research and standardized national guidelines to scale and integrate nurse-led models effectively into healthcare systems.
Leila’s research has strong implications for policy and clinical practice, advocating for:
✅ Enhanced dermatology nursing training to equip nurses with advanced skills in assessment, diagnosis, and treatment.
✅ Development of Dermatology Nurse Consultant Training Programmes to support professional development and independent practice.
✅ Support for community-based care to enhance accessibility, particularly in underserved regions.
✅ Standardization of nurse-led models to ensure consistency and high standards across healthcare settings.
Leila Kattach’s research has a PhD studentship jointly funded by BU and UHD NHS Foundation Trust. The study was conducted in collaboration with academic dermatology experts, specialist clinicians, and a patient representative with lived experience of melanoma, ensuring a patient-centered approach.  Leila’s work paves the way for further exploration into nurse-led service delivery models and their long-term impact on skin cancer care, cost-effectiveness, and healthcare workforce sustainability. We look forward to seeing how her research evolves and contributes to improving patient care in dermatology.
👏 Congratulations to Leila Kattach and the research team on this outstanding achievement!
Prof. Edwin van Teijlingen
Reference:
  1. Kattach, L., Singleton, H., Ersser, S., Holley, D., Pearson, I. & Shadeed, A. (2025), Nurse-Led Models of Service Delivery for Skin Cancer Detection: A Systematic Review. Journal of Advanced Nursing.[online first]  https://doi.org/10.1111/jan.16854

 

The Postgraduate Research Experience Survey 2025 – now open


The Postgraduate Research Experience Survey (PRES) 2025 has launched! 

Check your email to access your link to complete the survey. 


We’re keen to make sure our postgraduate research students (PGRs) have the best possible experience while studying with us. To do this, we need to know what you think works well and what we could do better.

The Postgraduate Research Experience Survey (PRES 2025) is your chance to tell us about your experience as a PGR at Bournemouth University. The more specific your feedback is, the more targeted and effective our actions can be. This includes both positive feedback and what we as a university could do better. Your voice truly makes a difference and helps shape your experience.

This year the survey opened on Monday 17 March 2025 and will close on Wednesday 30 April 2025. Upon completing the survey, PGRs will automatically be entered into a free prize draw. Four winners will be able to claim a £50 shopping voucher. Terms and conditions apply.

In addition, we will be making a £1 donation for every survey completed to the student mental health wellbeing charity, Student Minds.

Once you have completed the survey, you are entitled to claim a Chartwells voucher with a value of £3.95. This covers the cost of a meal from the “Savour menu” but can be used to purchase any items from Chartwells outlets. Please come to the Doctoral College (DLG08, Talbot Campus) to collect your voucher.

How do I take part?

PGRs have now received an email containing a unique link which will allow you to access and complete the survey. If you can’t find this email, contact PRES@bournemouth.ac.uk and we’ll help you to get access.

What will I be asked?

The survey will take around 15 minutes to complete. Your response is confidential, and any reporting will be entirely anonymous. The survey is your chance to tell us about your experience as a PGR at BU. It will ask you to share your views on supervision, resources, research community, progress and assessment, skills and professional development and wellbeing.

Why should I take part?

Your feedback is important. The Postgraduate Research Experience Survey is the only national survey of PGRs and so is the only way for us to compare how we are doing with other institutions and to make changes that will improve your experience in the future.

More information

If you would like to know more about the survey, please visit: PRES 2025.

If you would like to know more about the surveys at Bournemouth University, please visit: Your feedback | Bournemouth University.

Please click here to see actions that we have taken based on feedback from previous surveys.

 

We hope you take the opportunity to get involved this year and help us make improvements to your experience.

Best wishes,

The Doctoral College

For any PRES related queries, please email: PRES@bournemouth.ac.uk

3MT Competition – register to attend


Registrations are open to attend the Three Minute Thesis (3MT®) competition! 


All BU staff and students are invited to attend the Three Minute Thesis (3MT®) Competition! This is an internationally recognised research communication competition developed by the University of Queensland in 2008. It challenges doctoral researchers to condense their thesis into a compelling three-minute presentation, communicating its originality and significance to a non-specialist audience.

Date: Wednesday 26 March, 10:30-14:30

The National competition is run by the research organisation Vitae. More information about the history of 3MT® can be found on the Vitae and 3MT® websites.

There will be four parallel presentation sessions, one for each Faculty, to select the 2 finalists to advance to the final round, which will take place in the afternoon. The winner will be able to take part in the national competition run by Vitae.

Lunch will be provided.

See below for the tentative programme of the day:

10:30-12:00: First round (4 parallel sessions, Fusion Building)

  • Faculty of Health and Social Sciences: F310
  • BU Business School: F205
  • Faculty of Media & Communication: F109
  • Faculty of Science & Technology: F112

12:00-13:00: Lunch (Share Lecture Theatre)

13:00-14:00: Final round (Share Lecture Theatre)

14:00-14:20: Break

14:20-14:30: Winners Announcement and Closing

Register to attend

Come along and support BU doctoral researchers at this exciting event. Let’s share knowledge, foster collaboration, and build connections with the research community!

Further information available on Brightspace.

Please do contact us if you have any questions: pgrskillsdevelopment@bournemouth.ac.uk

Best wishes,

The Doctoral College RDP Team

Coming soon : The Postgraduate Research Experience Survey 2025


The Postgraduate Research Experience Survey (PRES) 2025 will launch on Monday 17 March 2025 for postgraduate research (PGR) students to complete.

Look out for an email from the University containing your unique link to the survey.


We’re keen to make sure our postgraduate research students (PGRs) have the best possible experience while studying with us. To do this, we need to know what you think works well and what we could do better.

We will be emailing you soon to invite you to complete this year’s Postgraduate Research Experience Survey (PRES 2025). Please take a few minutes to take part.

The survey is your chance to tell us about your experience as a PGRs at Bournemouth University.

Your feedback is important. PRES 2025 is the only national survey of PGRs and so is the only way for us to compare how we are doing with other institutions and to make changes that will improve your experience in the future.

The more PGRs that take part the better we can do that. The more specific your feedback is, the more targeted and effective our actions can be.

The survey will open on 17 March 2025. It will take around 15 minutes to complete. Your feedback is confidential, and any reporting will be entirely anonymous.

As a thank you for your time, we will give you a Chartwells Voucher (worth £3.95) which will pay for a meal from the “Savour Menu” or can be used towards other items from Chartwells outlets. You will also automatically be entered into a prize draw where four winners will receive a £50 shopping voucher.

The Doctoral College will also make a £1 donation to Student Minds, which is the UK’s student mental health charity, for every completed survey.

If you would like to know more about the survey at Bournemouth University, please visit: Your feedback | Bournemouth University.

Please click here to see actions that we have taken based on feedback from previous surveys

I hope you take the opportunity to get involved this year and help us make improvements to your experience.

Best wishes,

The Doctoral College

Email: PRES@bournemouth.ac.uk

Three Minute Thesis (3MT®) Competition


1 week till applications close for the 3MT competition!

Don’t miss out on this amazing opportunity to develop your presentation skills, share your research and be in with a chance of winning a prize.


We are excited to host the Three Minute Thesis (3MT®) competition at BU for the very first time! Originally developed by the University of Queensland in 2008, 3MT® is an internationally renowned research communication challenge. It challenges doctoral researchers to condense their thesis into a compelling three-minute presentation, communicating its originality and significance to a non-specialist audience.

On Wednesday 26 March we will have four parallel sessions, one for each Faculty, to select the 2 finalists to advance to the final round, which will take place in the afternoon. The winner will take part in the national competition run by Vitae.

More information about the history of 3MT® can be found on the Vitae and 3MT® websites.

Eligibility

Active PhD and Professional Doctorate Research candidates who have successfully passed their Probationary Review (including candidates whose thesis is under submission/examination) by the date of their presentation (26 March 2025) are eligible to participate. Graduates are not eligible.
Please Note:
 MRes/MPhil students and students on interruption are NOT ELIGIBLE to enter the 3MT Competition.

Competition Rules

Make sure you read the international 3MT® rules before applying.

In order to allow all our P/T and remote PGRs to take part, if unable to attend in-person a pre-recorded video will be accepted, in line with the 3MT® rules.

Prizes

  • 1st prize: £150 voucher
  • 2nd prize: £100 voucher
  • 3rd prize: £50 voucher
  • People’s Choice winner: £50 voucher

Key dates

  • Applications close 28 February 2025 (midnight)
  • 3MT Competition: 26 March (10:00-12:00: First round and 13:00-14:30: Final round – timing TBC)

Why should I take part?

  • Develop your presentation and public speaking skills.
  • Networking opportunities.
  • Raise your own researcher profile.
  • Prizes to be won.
  • The winner will represent Bournemouth University at the National Vitae 3MT competition.

Apply here

Further information available on Brightspace.

Registration to attend will open in March.

Please do contact us if you have any questions: pgrskillsdevelopment@bournemouth.ac.uk

Best wishes,

The RDP Team

Congratulations on new paper by BU PhD graduate

Congratulations to Dr. Karim Khaled on the latest paper from his BU Ph.D. research.  This article ‘Ethical Issues and Challenges Regarding the Use of Mental Health Questionnaires in Public Health Nutrition Research[1] was published earlier this month in the international journal Nutrients. 

Karim is currently based at Birmingham City University, and the paper is co-authored with his  Ph.D. supervisors Dr. Fotini Tsofliou and Prof. Vanora Hundley in BU’s Faculty of Health & Social Sciences.  This paper addresses the potential burden of completing mental health questionnaires on (a) participants and (b) researchers. This examines ethical issues and challenges of using such scales and questionnaires, providing a real-life case study where the Beck’s Depression Inventory-II was used.
The ethical considerations raised by using mental health questionnaires in epidemiological research include incorrectly identifying participants as depressed or non-depressed; inability to identify participants for referral procedures due to the anonymous nature of some research studies; an increased burden on participants through depression and suicidal questions; and the high expectation of participants towards the researcher. Preventative measures to reduce these challenges include choosing appropriate cut-off scores for correctly identifying participants; highlighting whether mental health questionnaires used may elicit negative emotional or psychological reactions related to suicide ideation; specifying the criteria for referral to clinical services; detailing the intended referral processes; including approaches where the researcher directly connects participants with a psychological service provider; and including a passive referral method such as contact details for participants to initiate their own referrals to clinical care.  The authors offer a guide for researchers aiming to collect data on mental health through questionnaires, and they conclude that ethical challenges should be considered and reviewed at all stages of the research project.

Well done!

Prof. Edwin van Teijlingen

 

Reference:

  1. Khaled, K., Tsofliou, F., Hundley, V. (2025). Ethical Issues and Challenges Regarding the Use of Mental Health Questionnaires in Public Health Nutrition Research Nutrients 17 (4): 715. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu17040715

 

 

Doctoral College PGR Research Culture and Community Grant – 1 week till applications close!


The Doctoral College has launched the second round of funding for the PGR Research Culture and Community Grant (RCCG), and applications close on Monday 24 February 2025.


This grant is intended to support PGR-led activity across researcher development, research culture and research community building initiatives. It can be used to fund a social event, training activity, analysis workshop, digital skills session, writing session or other activity to enhance the PGR journey experience. In addition to community building, the purpose of the grant is to enable PGRs to gain transferable skills and experience in planning, organising, promoting and implementing such activities.

The Postgraduate Research Society organised the “Winter Holiday Social” during the first round of funding. Read on to explore their learning experiences gained while organising this event, as well as the benefits this social provided to the PGR community:

As Postgraduate Researchers (PGRs), it’s easy to become absorbed in the day-to-day demands of research, often feeling isolated in our work. We spend long hours in libraries or labs, and it’s common to experience the sense that we are navigating our academic journey alone. This is why we decided to create events specifically designed to bring the PGR community together, providing a space where we could connect, share experiences, and, most importantly, feel valued for the work we do.

With the generous support of funding, we were able to organize an event that brought together around 50 PGRs from various disciplines. The goal was to foster a sense of community—an opportunity for researchers from different fields to meet, share insights, and offer support to one another. Through informal discussions attendees had the chance to connect with peers outside their usual academic circles.

What we didn’t anticipate was just how much of an impact the event would have. The feedback from participants highlighted a deep sense of appreciation, not only for the chance to network but also for the opportunity to feel acknowledged and supported. PGRs often work in relative isolation, so the chance to interact with others who understand the unique challenges of research was incredibly valuable. Many attendees shared how much they appreciated the warmth and inclusivity of the event.

In addition to the positive effects on the PGR community, this experience has also been a learning journey for us as organisers. From the initial planning stages to the event itself, we honed our event planning skills—working on everything from logistics to communication and participant engagement. This experience has not only built our confidence but also equipped us with the skills to organize even bigger and more impactful events in the future.

Looking ahead, we are excited to make this event an annual tradition. There is growing demand to continue offering spaces for PGRs to come together, and we plan to expand the event’s capacity in the coming years. We are also exploring the possibility of organizing additional initiatives throughout the year to further enhance the sense of community among PGRs.

Overall, the experience has been both inspiring and rewarding—demonstrating how a well-executed initiative can create lasting, positive change in a community. It has reinforced our belief in the power of connection, and we look forward to building on this momentum in the years to come.

Postgraduate Researcher Society

 

We hope the Winter Holiday Social has sparked some creative ideas for how you could utilise this funding for your own activity.

If you would like to apply, full details can be found on the Doctoral College Brightspace, including the application form.

If you would like to discuss your ideas before submitting your application, please contact:

pgrskillsdevelopment@bournemouth.ac.uk

 

Three Minute Thesis (3MT®) Competition


A reminder that applications are still open for the 3MT competition. Don’t miss out on this amazing opportunity to develop your presentation skills, share your research and be in with a chance of winning a prize!  


We are excited to host the Three Minute Thesis (3MT®) competition at BU for the very first time! Originally developed by the University of Queensland in 2008, 3MT® is an internationally renowned research communication challenge. It challenges doctoral researchers to condense their thesis into a compelling three-minute presentation, communicating its originality and significance to a non-specialist audience.

On Wednesday 26 March we will have four parallel sessions, one for each Faculty, to select the 2 finalists to advance to the final round, which will take place in the afternoon. The winner will take part in the national competition run by Vitae.

More information about the history of 3MT® can be found on the Vitae and 3MT® websites.

Eligibility

Active PhD and Professional Doctorate Research candidates who have successfully passed their Probationary Review (including candidates whose thesis is under submission/examination) by the date of their presentation (26 March 2025) are eligible to participate. Graduates are not eligible.
Please Note:
 MRes/MPhil students and students on interruption are NOT ELIGIBLE to enter the 3MT Competition.

Competition Rules

Make sure you read the international 3MT® rules before applying.

In order to allow all our P/T and remote PGRs to take part, if unable to attend in-person a pre-recorded video will be accepted, in line with the 3MT® rules.

Prizes

  • 1st prize: £150 voucher
  • 2nd prize: £100 voucher
  • 3rd prize: £50 voucher
  • People’s Choice winner: £50 voucher

Key dates

  • Applications open 15 January 2025
  • Applications close 28 February 2025 (midnight)
  • 3MT Competition: 26 March (10:00-12:00: First round and 13:00-14:30: Final round – timing TBC)

Why should I take part?

  • Develop your presentation and public speaking skills.
  • Networking opportunities.
  • Raise your own researcher profile.
  • Prizes to be won.
  • The winner will represent Bournemouth University at the National Vitae 3MT competition.

Apply here

Further information available on Brightspace.

Registration to attend will open in March.

Please do contact us if you have any questions: pgrskillsdevelopment@bournemouth.ac.uk

Best wishes,

The RDP Team

PhD Viva Success!

Congratulations to Dr. Assemgul Kozhabek on getting her Doctorate. She successfully passed her PhD Viva defense with the thesis entitled:

Complex Urban Road Networks: Static Structures and Dynamic Processes

The examiners commended her on her solid theoretical knowledge. Her PhD was match-funded by BCP and involved collaboration with University of Cambridge.

Over her PhD journey, besides publications, she has also been active; participating and presenting in different events (e.g., Alan Turing Institute Data Study Group, Dorset COP 2024), won multiple awards (including twice OpenBright awards and two consecutive BCS GreenIT competitions) and awarded Scholarship for Events on Complex Systems from the Young Researchers of the Complex Systems Society (yrC-SS).

Supervisors: Dr Wei Koong Chai and Prof. Vasilis Katos.

Congratulations!

 

3MT Competition – Applications open


The Doctoral College is excited to host the Three Minute Thesis (3MT®) competition at BU for the very first time! Originally developed by the University of Queensland in 2008, 3MT® is an internationally renowned research communication challenge. It challenges doctoral researchers to condense their thesis into a compelling three-minute presentation, communicating its originality and significance to a non-specialist audience.


On Wednesday 26 March we will have four parallel sessions, one for each Faculty, to select the 2 finalists to advance to the final round, which will take place in the afternoon. The winner will take part in the national competition run by Vitae.

More information about the history of 3MT® can be found on the Vitae and 3MT® websites.

Eligibility

Active PhD and Professional Doctorate Research candidates who have successfully passed their Probationary Review (including candidates whose thesis is under submission/examination) by the date of their presentation (26 March 2025) are eligible to participate. Graduates are not eligible.
Please Note:
 MRes/MPhil students and students on interruption are NOT ELIGIBLE to enter the 3MT Competition.

Competition Rules

Make sure you read the international 3MT® rules before applying.

In order to allow all our P/T and remote PGRs to take part, if unable to attend in-person a pre-recorded video will be accepted, in line with the 3MT® rules.

Prizes

  • 1st prize: £150 voucher
  • 2nd prize: £100 voucher
  • 3rd prize: £50 voucher
  • People’s Choice winner: £50 voucher

Key dates

  • Applications open 15 January 2025
  • Applications close 28 February 2025 (midnight)
  • 3MT Competition: 26 March (10:00-12:00: First round and 13:00-14:30: Final round – timing TBC)

Why should I take part?

  • Develop your presentation and public speaking skills.
  • Networking opportunities.
  • Raise your own researcher profile.
  • Prizes to be won.
  • The winner will represent Bournemouth University at the National Vitae 3MT competition.

Apply here

Further information available on Brightspace.

Registration to attend will open in March.

 

Best wishes,

The RDP Team