Brianna Lewis, PhD Candidate at the School of Social Sciences, Nottingham Trent University
The Nottingham Doctoral Symposium (NDS) centred around the themes of ‘Safety’, ‘Peace’, and ‘Conflict’. These themes align with much of the research undertaken at Nottingham Trent University Law School and more generally throughout Nottingham Trent University, and are especially relevant today in an increasingly fractured and unsafe world. The NDS was created through a coalition of PhD students from Nottingham Trent University (Laurence Teillet, Caroline Mwangi, and Brianna Lewis) and the University of Nottingham (Sara Ciucci, Giserd Marqeshi, and Rebecca Bruekers). The symposium welcomed current and prospective doctoral candidates, enabling all to share their studies, proposals, and ideas with each other. The event was a success; all presenting spots were filled and participants were able to get helpful feedback from other candidates on their projects. Nineteen students presented in total on a wide variety of topics revolving around the key NDS themes. Funding received from Nottingham Law School, Nottingham Trent University, was greatly appreciated as it allowed the event to take place.
There were two key events within the NDS, the first of which allowed current doctoral students of all stages to present a paper based on their current research. Panel themes included ‘Peaceful Nottinghamshire’; ‘Children’s Safety’; ‘Safety and Security’; ‘Climate Change Environment and Development’, and ‘Vulnerable Populations’. An emergent underlying theme throughout the NDS was vulnerability – suggesting that to resolve conflict and achieve safety and peace, we must focus on the needs of vulnerable populations. Papers highlighted the particular need to focus on those who are made vulnerable to and/or by political conflict and unrest, gender inequality, and captivity as examples. The NDS therefore also offered the potential for future research collaborations around the diverse yet thematic presentations.
Panels were exclusively chaired by doctoral students. This had a two-fold purpose. Firstly, it created a less pressured environment for doctoral students and prospective applicants by ensuring that panel chairs were their own peers. Secondly, it allowed the chairs of those panels the opportunity to experience this role and expand their overall academic experience. This event allowed participants an important opportunity to prepare for future conferences and symposiums, network with other candidates and academics, and increased their exposure to navigating the academic world.
Presentations revolved around a multitude of contextual and cultural dimensions, offering a broad and varied selection of contemporary research. Examples of this include presentations which discussed past justice processes in Nottingham, implications of ‘security’ initiatives, and fieldwork which spanned from Africa to Afghanistan, to the Caribbean, to the UK, and to ‘the Underwater World’. The diversity of presentations at the NDS was especially significant as it allowed for current and prospective PhD students to be exposed to research which they may not have otherwise ever come across. The potential for unique and novel studies to arise from this intersection of students is therefore an exciting prospect.
A unique highlight of the NDS was the ‘PhD Applicants Pitch Session’ for participants who were interested in pursuing a PhD in the future. The pitch session was the first of its kind and invited prospective students to share their ideas and receive feedback from existing PhD students and present staff. This event included discussions of victims’ rights, climate concerns, gender inequality, and conflict resolution. As with the doctoral candidates’ presentation session, the applicant pitches were diverse in context yet highly relevant and insightful within the key themes of the NDS. This session allowed prospective candidates to engage socially and academically with current PhD students and academic staff, encompassing a valuable opportunity to refine their ideas prior to submitting a PhD proposal. The event also offered prospective candidates the unusual opportunity to learn, reflect, and network in an environment which might otherwise be challenging to access before becoming a PhD candidate.
The diversity of research interests and topics within the NDS allowed for insightful and nuanced perspectives, enabling prospective students to receive feedback from researchers who had varied insider and outsider positionalities within their fields. This opportunity was inventive and welcoming, offering significant insights into a world which may have been previously ‘hidden’, for example allowing them insights into the life and research of a PhD student. As such, the ‘mentorship’ attribute of the NDS and how this applied to current and prospective PhD students should not go unacknowledged. The event therefore offered prospective PhD students a chance to reflect on the role of constructive feedback, and also allowed current PhD students the opportunity to ‘mentor’ prospective candidates about their chosen career path.
The emphasis on student development did not take away from the significance of the research topics presented, as students (both current and prospective) shared highly insightful and meaningful findings which garnered much interest during the symposium. This was reflected in the continuation of discussion around presentations and research topics during breaks, highlighting the piqued interest which arose between researchers and disciplines. Given that undertaking a PhD is often considered to be a potentially isolating experience, the social element of the event is important to note, in which networking could be considered an opportunity to challenge this impact of postgraduate research life. This is important to consider for both current and prospective students who may appreciate making connections with others who are ‘in the same boat’ and able to offer heightened levels of empathy, support, and kinship.
Great appreciation was given towards the academics who attended and gave opening and closing speeches, inspiring present and prospective students in their journeys. The closing speech given by the Universities for Nottingham represented the unified aim of the NDS in connecting current and future doctoral students together with the aim of promoting research which helps to achieve peace, safety, and resolve conflict. The support shown throughout the NDS allowed for a welcoming and encouraging atmosphere. This event was highly valuable in its unique approach towards current and prospective students, highlighting the need to foster inclusive, diverse, and faciliatory spaces in academia. We hope to continue our collaborative work to support doctoral students, by doctoral students, encouraging solidarity, growth, and exciting opportunities for the future.
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