Five ways your eye movements affect everyday actions

Posted on 13 August 2018 by doctoral-academy-blog

Nikita Thomas, PhD Student in School of Optometry and Vision Sciences @Nikita_Thomas1 We make thousands of eye movements every day; some of which we are aware of and others which are subconscious actions that have been programmed into our brain’s visual control centres over millions of years of evolution. All visually-related behaviours, including eye movements,
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Documentaries, rom-coms – and tentative first steps in a new era of Sino-British film collaboration

Posted on 24 July 2018 by doctoral-academy-blog

Earth: One Amazing Day – the first film completed under the Sino-British co-production agreement. Earth Film Productions  The future of British-Chinese filmmaking is looking bright. Here, Hiu Man Chan (School of Journalism, Media and Culture) tells us why this is such an exciting prospect… The era of Sino-British film co-production has arrived. Although the UK’s
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From researcher to supervisor: my experience of mentoring a sixth form student

Posted on 18 July 2018 by doctoral-academy-blog

Have you ever wondered what it’s like to step into your supervisor’s shoes? For the past three years, Cardiff University has been inviting sixth form pupils onto campus to get a taste of research life. Ken Yan Wong (School of Healthcare Sciences) is one of the PhD students who supervised a sixth former in the
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Are you a good leader? The importance of leadership skills in the PhD

Posted on 27 June 2018 by doctoral-academy-blog

When considering the skills needed to complete the PhD, leadership might not be the first word that springs to mind. However, chances are you’re already practising leadership skills without realising it. Here, John Steele (Head of Training & Development, Skills Development Service) tells us why leadership skills are incredibly useful to the PhD, and what
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Beating plastic pollution: what we’re doing to help

Posted on 5 June 2018 by doctoral-academy-blog

Did you know today is World Environment Day? A day where well over 100 countries and millions of people across the world drive environmental change. Since 1974, World Environment Day has raised awareness and sought action on issues such as marine pollution, global warming, sustainable consumption and wildlife crime. Across Cardiff University there is a wealth
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New friends, CV points and a welcome break from research. Why you should organise a conference!

Posted on 30 May 2018 by doctoral-academy-blog

Have you ever considered organising a conference? Did you know it can help you develop the transferable skills that will make you more attractive to employers? In April, we hosted our annual Breaking Boundaries student-led conference for postgraduate researchers (PGRs) in the arts, humanities and social sciences. Here, we catch up with Archaeology PGR Adelle
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Juggling a PhD with family life

Posted on 14 May 2018 by doctoral-academy-blog

A PhD is a huge undertaking that can sometimes seem all-consuming, however many PhD students are juggling their research with family life. On International Day of Families, Diana Waldron (PhD Student in the Welsh School of Architecture) shares her story. My partner and I had started to get ourselves and our lives ready to plan a
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Doctoral Academy Champions: Lucie Lévêque, Computer Science

Posted on 10 May 2018 by doctoral-academy-blog

In this series of blog posts, our Doctoral Academy Champions will be introducing themselves and their research. Our Champions are all current PhD students who have benefitted from involvement in Doctoral Academy activities, and with whom we are developing close links – learning from their experiences and giving them a voice within the University. In the
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A space for quiet study and community-building: the benefits of our Researchers’ Room

Posted on 30 April 2018 by doctoral-academy-blog

The month of April marked the beginning of a new cohort of postgraduate researchers (PGRs) taking up their desk allocations in our dedicated writing-up space, the Researchers’ Room. One of the Doctoral Academy’s most prized provisions, the Researchers’ Room is a collegial space in the city centre, housed alongside our seminar rooms and offices in
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Why you should enter the Three Minute Thesis (3MT®) competition – by someone who already has!

Posted on 18 April 2018 by doctoral-academy-blog

So, tell me about your PhD…   Can you give a good answer in just three minutes? If you can it will help you in many different situations, from job interviews to family occasions. And it could even win you some money! The Three Minute Thesis (3MT®) competition is a fun, fast-paced and enlightening event, whether you’re presenting or
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