The GYA held its seventh professional development workshop for at-risk scholars on 11 – 12 September in Oxford, in collaboration with the Council for At-Risk Academics (Cara) and the Institute of International Education’s Scholar Rescue Fund (IIE-SRF). The workshop was hosted by Wolfson College, University of Oxford, and funded through an anonymous grant to the College. It was also made possible by the time and contributions of speakers and partner organisations.
The workshop provided participants with knowledge and practical guidance on navigating academic life in the UK, identifying professional opportunities within and beyond academia, building professional networks and developing their careers.
Participants were welcomed to the workshop by Sir Tim Hitchens, President of Wolfson College, University of Oxford. GYA member Nesrin Alrefaai (London School of Economics, UK, and GYA At-risk Scholars Initiative (ARSI) co-lead) then opened the workshop and gave an overview of its programme, with sessions addressing:
- CV and cover-letter writing
- mock interviews
- publishing in academia
- the UK Research Excellence Framework (REF)
- grant applications an the UK funding landscape
- networking skills and
- career opportunities beyond academia, including transferring academic skills to non-academic roles and insights from the private sector.
At-risk scholars also shared their experiences and career paths, offering participants practical perspectives on professional development. A walking excursion through Oxford concluded the workshop, giving participants an opportunity to experience the city and connect informally outside the workshop sessions.
Thank you to contributing speakers:
- Moritz Riede, GYA alumnus and former Co-Chair; University of Oxford, UK
- Pascal Kaienburg, TerraChange Solar
- Matt Smith, University of Strathclyde, UK
- Catarina Vicente, UK Young Academy (UKYA) member; University of Oxford, UK
- Manuel Fernandez-Gotz, GYA alumnus; University of Oxford, UK
- Oluwarotimi Williams Samuel, GYA member; University of Derby, UK
- Natisha Dukhi, GYA Co-Chair; Human Sciences Research Council, South Africa
- Manuela Pacella, GYA member; Loughborough University, UK