Cumberland Lodge hosted its annual Life Beyond the PhD conference this month, with students from 18 different universities across the UK attending the event.
Doctoral students from a diverse range of background and discliplines, came together at the Lodge to develop skills in their own research, ethics and decision-making, collaborative strategies, and skills for successfully engaging with stakeholders.
Students were welcomed on Monday 12 August, with Programme Director Professor Melissa Butcher hosting an alumni panel that featured Head of Policy and Engagement at the Law Society of Northern Ireland, Dr Patricia O’Lynn, Research Manager at The Wellcome Trust, Dr Petra Fay, and Royal Society Industry Fellow at Birkbeck, University of London, Dr Becky Briant.
The Tuesday saw Melissa deliver engaging sessions on Ethical Leadership and Dealing with Imposter Syndrome, before Artesc Founder Dr Gijs Meeusen taught participants Presentation Skills Using Theatre Techniques.
Wednesday included skills sessions with the Cumberland Lodge communications team of Mike Durham, Nicola Hine, Jack Verduyn, and Chris Woods, delivering sessions on verbal, written, and digital communications.
Participants were introduced to their group task, which oversaw a fictional dam project in the east of England. In their groups, they all played significant stakeholders in the project, from government across to local residents, with the two-day task allowing each group to empathise with the roles others were playing.
Our final day saw Cumberland Lodge Trustee Professor Tom Crick MBE, give a keynote session on his own PhD experiences and his career since, including his role as Chief Scientific Advisor for the UK Government’s Department for Culture, Media and Sport.
Life Beyond the PhD has been taking place at Cumberland Lodge since 2009, offering a supportive environment for the exchange of ideas, and planning and preparing for future careers. Hundreds of postgraduates have participated, from over 100 higher education institutions across the UK.
As well as providing space to reflect on how academic and work careers might help to promote more inclusive and just societies, the support networks established have proven to be invaluable to many.
Read participant Connor’s blog about his experience of Life Beyond the PhD.
Dates for the 2025 conference will be published on the Events page in the new year.