Empower Your PhD Journey: Join Our PhD Forum

By Pranjal Jain

Collaborate, Innovate, and Overcome Challenges with Bi-Weekly Interactive Sessions Tailored for Diverse PhD Students Across All Disciplines.

Are you a PhD student looking to navigate your journey with increased confidence and efficacy? Welcome to our bi-weekly PhD Forum – a platform designed to cultivate a diverse, inclusive community of forward-thinking scholars who learn and grow together, regardless of their field of study.

This forum invites you to actively participate and deeply engage with a diverse group of dedicated scholars. You will not just learn but experience transformation through collective wisdom.

The mantra we stand by:

“Initially, we may progress faster alone, but together, we advance much further and sustainably.”

Here, we pride ourselves on our diverse and inclusive community. An epidemiologist conversing with an anthropologist, a chemist debating with a literature scholar – such interactions create an intellectual melting pot of ideas and perspectives that will spark your curiosity and inspire innovation.

• Our safe, welcoming space nudges you out of your comfort zone, fostering intellectual growth and encouraging candid conversations about challenges you may face. Everyone, regardless of their identity or background, is valued and heard. Our expert will provide timely tips and tricks to address your challenges, introducing fresh perspectives that might be the missing puzzle piece in your journey.

• In this collective journey, we pay special attention to one of the most critical elements of your PhD journey: managing your relationship with your supervisor. As researchers Hugh Kearns and Maria Gardiner¹ point out, graduate students bear as much responsibility as their mentors for ensuring they are well-guided through their degrees. Our forum provides actionable strategies and tips to master this crucial aspect, enabling a more fruitful and harmonious collaboration with your mentors.
  

Here’s our initial plan:

• Our forum will convene bi-weekly, providing a platform to openly discuss the challenges and worries accompanying our PhD journey.
• These 40-minute sessions, conducted virtually, will be graced by experienced individuals who have successfully navigated their PhDs. Their wisdom will be a beacon for us on our shared journey.
• We strongly believe in celebrating milestones—thesis submission, successful defences, or any achievement, big or small.
• These moments of celebration in our virtual group will imbue a sense of satisfaction and camaraderie, making our collective journey more enjoyable and fulfilling.
• Please note: our meetings are not merely about seeking or providing advice.
• They are a constant reminder of an essential mantra – Success in a PhD is about 90% persistence and 10% intelligence.
• We’ll need a few things to get started to make this initiative a reality.
• Soon, you’ll find a sign-up form on our website, which will provide us with your details and allow us to send you a Zoom link for our meetings.

Are you ready to become an active member of our PhD Forum? Join us now, and let’s embark on this empowering journey together! Your PhD experience is about to become much more enriched.

References:

• ^{Kearns, H., Gardiner, M. The care and maintenance of your adviser. Nature 469, 570 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1038/nj7331-570a}