WGS PhD Workshop Carousel 2024

Wageningen Graduate Schools

PhD Workshop Carousel

Friday 26 April 2024
Orion building, Wageningen campus

NOTE: Registration is now closed

Every year, Wageningen Graduate Schools (WGS) organises a one-day event for PhD candidates consisting of a carousel of 4 sessions with 6 workshops per session. The 1.5-hour workshops deal with all sorts of elements important for PhDs and the PhD track. Workshops are either stand-alone workshops or teasers that give a taste of more elaborate courses and workshops organised by Wageningen Graduate Schools.

You can register by filling in the information at the end of the page. After registration, you will receive a confirmation of the workshops you will participate in.

PROGRAMME

1. Research data and scientific publishing in a changing world  (Lecturers: Irene Verhagen and Joris Geurts - WUR Library) 
   Science is opening up. Publishers, funders, universities and research communities are focusing more and more on Open Access publishing and making research data available. But what are the effects of being ‘open’? And how do you do it? In this workshop, you will be introduced to the world of Open Access publishing and Open Data. We will show you different Open Access options and tools. We will also explain how and where you can make your dataset available, as well as how to find existing datasets to reuse. Finally, you will be informed about the re-use of published material for your PhD thesis.
2. Personal effectiveness for the introvert professional (Lecturer: Karolien Koolhof)
   This workshop addresses differences in personality and communication styles. Based on her own research, Karolien Koolhof will discuss the distinctions between introversion, ambiversion, and extraversion, as well as the various communication preferences. She will then connect this information to personal effectiveness. During the session, there will be ample opportunity for further exploration and questions. Participants will receive practical tools, and there will be plenty of room for discussion.
3. Starting to supervise BSc and MSc thesis students (Lecturer: Marieke van Schaik - WUR)
   In this workshop you will be provided with some general information about supervising BSc & MSc thesis students at Wageningen University to prepare you for your role as a thesis supervisor. We will discuss expectations and basic skills to get you started. There will be room for exchange and questions.  
4. Strengthening resilience during your PhD track (Lecturers: Claudius van de Vijver - Graduate School PE&RC)
   Doing a PhD is not easy and many PhD candidates are confronted with set-backs that can have a significant toll on their happiness and well-being. How to deal with these situations? In this workshop we identify the main challenges and how to become more resilient in tackling these challenges. 
5. Essentials of scientific writing (Lecturer: Edith Schouten - In'to Languages)
   Many writers find it difficult to create a clear narrative. They struggle not only with content but also with language. In the end, writers often sacrifice readability for content because they don’t understand how good writing works. In this workshop we’ll discuss the linguistic elements of clear writing, including good paragraph structure, sentence length, concrete vs abstract subjects, nominalization and general elements of coherency. After each discussion, we’ll do a short exercise to gain hands-on experience.
6. Optimal GenAI use in your PhD (Tijmen Kerstens - WUR)
   Building hands-on experience with generative AI tools for your PhD in an ethical manner. How do you optimize your GenAI use and maintain your scientific integrity?
7. Managing your supervisor  (Lecturers: Claudius van de Vijver - Graduate School PE&RC, Peter Vermeulen - Graduate School WIMEK)
   Ever have troubles with your supervisor? Would like to know how to tackle the issues you might have with your supervisor? This workshop deals with main challenges PhD candidates encounter with their supervisors and how best to tackle these. 
8. Storytelling for academics  (Lecturer: Marsha van Walraven - In'to Languages) 
   Researchers and academics struggle to communicate their research and experiences with society. Effective narrative tools like storytelling can make this task more effective and enjoyable. A well composed story enables multi-disciplinary cooperation, successful funding applications, and positive interactions with the media. Structure is the foundation you need to tell great stories. Story structures can be as simple or as complicated as you want them to be, accommodating everything from Little Red Riding Hood to Game of Thrones. They can be used to put together a pitch or a grant proposal. Understanding story structure and how the parts fit together will help you craft and tell better stories in the future. In this interactive workshop, participants will learn a basic story structure that they can use to share their research with a broader public. Participants will see those stories in a different light when they are done and have a method for analysing stories they want to tell!
9. Designing an attractive and effective poster (Lecturer: Caro Struijke - In'to Languages)
   What attracts an audience to my poster? What makes them look at it longer? How can I present my results in a clear way? During this short workshop you will learn: what makes a poster attractive, how to present text, pictures and graphs, how to make your poster self-explanatory, how to make use of colour schemes. In groups you will evaluate existing posters and you may bring your own (colour-printed on A4 paper) to receive feedback from your peers and your instructor.
10. Entrepreneurship as a skillset for career development  (Lecturers: Gitte Schober, Agata Gulisano - CVC Entrepreneurship & WUR) 
    Our globalised, digital economy is creating virtually unlimited opportunities for new technological innovations and new ways of doing things. Creativity and an entrepreneurial mindset are needed to initiate successful new ideas, and develop sustainable new markets and business models that benefit society and can be used in research, in an existing company to assist the transition to a more sustainable way of working or with your own startup. We want to introduce you to the entrepreneurial way of working and the opportunities you have as a PhD to act on your own ideas. 
11. Impostor syndrome (Lecturer: Ana Pineda - I focus and write) 
    In this 1.5-hours workshop, you’ll understand why you sometimes feel like you are "not good enough” to be a scientist, you’ll get tools to deal with that feeling, and you’ll see that you are not alone with those thoughts. Being a PhD and even a postdoc is challenging. You are constantly learning new techniques, skills, and information about your research. And when you feel you know enough, new papers are published or you need to use new methods. It is often in those situations when we feel “not good enough”. This is impostor syndrome, and it is estimated that 80% of high achievers suffer it, often in silence, thinking that “only I feel this way”. On top of that, we’re constantly exposed to “excellent” scientists that do amazing work, publish non-stop, and present like Ted speakers. This also amplifies the feeling of being an “impostor”. But guess what… you are one of those excellent scientists too.
12. Pitching your research (Lecturer: Mariska Wessels - In'to Languages)
    Knowing how to present your idea in a convincing manner is an indispensable skill. Scientists must be able to explain their work effectively and memorably to non-specialist audiences as well as to their peers. This 1.5-hour workshop provides you with practical tools to develop both a compact and convincing message and inspiring delivery. You will discover creative approaches in delivering an effective pitch, learn vocal and performance techniques to engage and inspire an audience and to bring content to life. You will learn to 1) develop body language and voice skills to communicate powerfully; 2) craft a captivating short pitch using examples and metaphors; 3) explain in 60 seconds what the heart is of what you do and what the importance and relevance is or may be.
13. How to engage in dialogue as a scientist? (Lecturers: Suzy Rebisz - WUR Dialogues)
    Would you like to be better understood by society and stakeholders? But do you also realize that you need more than an understandable message to connect with them? This workshop is all about two-way communication, exploring the essence of dialogue. Especially relevant for those working on complex, debated, societal challenges – like climate change, energy transition and food production. Join us to investigate how dialogue can serve as a powerful bridge between the realms of science and society. We welcome you to share your challenges in advance to tailor this workshop to your needs.
14. Visual Thinking - from creative problem solving to design (Lecturer: Iliana Boshoven-Gkini)
    In this workshop, we will learn what visual thinking is and with which strategies you can achieve it. Is creativity something you are born with or can be learned? We will discuss tips and tricks to help you make your stories visually attractive and clearer too! This way, you will ensure retention and engagement from your readers.
15. What's next? Academia vs industry vs entrepeneurship (Lecturers: Stefan Nortier, Mariana Santos Couto Silva - CVC)
    How to use your skills to shape your career and the sector you focus your career on? Your experience with the process of innovation in science is also relevant for industry and entrepreneurship. This creates opportunities for young academics to shape their career. 
16. Explaining your research to an alien (Lecturer: Sylvia Brugman - Centre for Unusual Collaborations)
    In this workshop, the Centre for Unusual Collaborations (CUCo) wants to illustrate the often difficult and slow, but fun process of interdisciplinary work. Participants of this workshop will experience disciplinary grounding and perspective taking, the first two necessary steps for successful interdisciplinary collaboration
17. Writing propositions (Lecturers: Claudius van de Vijver - Graduate School PE&RC, Peter Vermeulen - Graduate School WIMEK)
    What are propositions and how to write a good one? After an introduction we will discuss propositions which have been submitted by participants to improve these and find the way of formulating good propositions

ORGANISATION

The WGS PhD Workshop Carousel is organised by the PhD programme coordinators of the 6 graduate schools that form Wageningen Graduate Schools. 

WGS Payment Conditions

The cost for attending the carousel day depends on your status:

¹ The course fee includes coffee/tea, lunch, and drinks with bites at the end of the day

WGS Payment Instructions

Payments will be arranged after the final submission date. Please inform the secretary in your group about your participation, and let them know that they will receive an overview of all participating PhDs from your group and will receive instructions on how to process these payments.

WGS Cancellation Conditions

• Up to 2 (two) weeks prior to the start of the course, cancellation is free of charge.
• After that, you will be charged the full fee of € 110,-.

Note: If you would like to cancel your registration, ALWAYS inform us (and do note that you will be kept to the cancellation conditions)

More information

For general enquiries and questions in relation to the organisation of this year's WGS PhD Workshop Carousel, please contact Carlos Iza Barzola (WASS; carlos.barzolaiza@wur.nl). If you would like to change your registration details or cancel your registration altogether, please contact Miriam van Heist (miriam.vanheist@wur.nl).