PE&RC Retreats

PE&RC Retreats

Normally, PE&RC organises three types of PE&RC Retreats. Firstly, a 'first years retreat' that is particularly useful for people in the early stages of their PhD. Then, there is a 'midterm retreat' for PhDs that are about halfway down the PhD trajectory, and finally, a 'last years retreat' for PhDs that are close to finishing their PhD project and that are starting to look ahead. The retreats are normally planned held in March, July and October.

First years retreat

The idea of this retreat is to make PhD candidates more familiar with what to expect during the PhD track and how to avoid major catastrophes and disappointments. Focus will be on the PhD process and pitfalls you can encounter along the way as well as the criteria for a successful PhD within 4 years. Furthermore you will be informed about the PhD Programme itself and the role that the Graduate School plays as a process facilitator. Finally, the retreat is meant to get to know fellow PhDs and learn from them how they tackle issues. In this way PhDs will be able to identify themselves within a larger group of PhDs who they can turn to in the future. Thus, significant time will be spent on leisure and social activities.

Mid Term retreat 

Whereas the idea of the first years retreat was to make you more familiar with what to expect during the PhD track and how to avoid major catastrophes and disappointments, this will be the time to reflect and see if nevertheless such catastrophes and disappointments have surfaced, and how to deal with them. In light of this, some workshops are organised: "Communication with your supervisor", "Stress and work pressure", "Time and project management", and "Paper writing". An essential part of the retreat is also reflecting on the question "Am I on Schedule?" We will reflect on this in groups and then we will together think of ways to catch up if your lagging behind, or to stimulate and motivate you to keep up the good work. We will also discuss people's personal plan of action for the second part of the PhD. Apart from these issues, the importance of networking and peer-coaching are highlighted. Finally, this retreat is meant to get back in touch with your fellow PhDs and learn from them how to tackle specific issues.

Last years retreat

The idea of this retreat is to prepare PhD candidates in the last years of their PhD track for the specific challenges that await them. Among these challenges are the preparation of a thesis, meeting the deadlines associated with thesis defence and the choice of a further career inside or outside academia. Next to this attention to the challenges, participants are offered the opportunity to reflect on the years spent obtaining a PhD: what have they learned, what have they not learned, what do they want to pursue in the future. Furthermore, the idea is to create a situation where participants can meet their peers and exchange experiences. As in the first years retreat, significant time will be spent on leisure and social activities. Finally, the programme is designed to offer opportunities for interaction between first years and last years PhD candidates.

Planning PE&RC retreats