PhD_Post.doc Talks
Communication is one of the most important pillars of science. Researchers should be able to clearly present the idea behind their work, but also remain open to the ideas of others. This exchange should flow not only within our laboratories but also throughout the broader scientific community. Just as we have our labs where we speak with our colleagues, we also need a space to meet people from other departments. The mission of the PhD_Post.doc Talks working group is to create this space and facilitate the connection of young researchers at our university.
PhD_Post.doc Club: what is it?
PhD_post.doc Club is about meeting all people, but especially doctoral students and postdocs from our alma mater.
You can look forward to lectures by your colleagues (mainly PhD students and postdocs) and the opportunity to meet people from your field and beyond.
Why we do it
Before the founding of this club (March 2019), there were no regular events connecting doctoral students and postdocs at UCT. Markéta found this "free orbital" at our school that was calling to be filled, and saw it as an opportunity to open more communication channels at UCT and overcome language and cultural barriers. If nothing else, we are all members of one specific culture – the scientific culture. Therefore, yes, the event is mandatory in English. If you are afraid of English (Czech and Slovak colleagues 😊), let's overcome it together!
So, there are two main purposes of the PhD_post.doc Club – social and educational.
PhD_post.doc Club is an opportunity to meet your colleagues from various fields, broaden your knowledge, or expand your list of contacts… simply put, just get involved!
PhD_post.doc Club offers an opportunity to present your research, research group, laboratory equipment you can share with others, or your experiences from abroad… The ground rule is that if you decide to present, you can share anything you want with us! The only two rules are that it should be connected in some way to science or scientific life, and of course, everything must comply with the UCT Prague Code of Ethics.
It is a great opportunity not only to train your presentation skills but also to gain new knowledge. We don't have many opportunities to present, but eventually, we all have to present anyway, likely in front of strangers and in an unfamiliar environment. Here, you can try it out among your colleagues and friends and get honest feedback from them.
Other benefits for speakers in the PhD_Post.doc Club
- Since self-evaluation is considered one of the best forms of feedback, we offer to record your presentation and provide it to you so you can see yourself in action. Then you can decide for yourself whether we publish it on the official UCT YouTube channel or not. 2. You can also chair the meeting – anyone who would like to try leading a presentation session can become the chair 😊.
How are the meetings organized?
There are always 2 parts:
Part 1: Lectures
Usually lasts one hour, but with a maximum of an hour and a half. Typically, there are 2 or 3 lectures given by our PhD candidates and postdocs. However, invited speakers are not excluded. Each lecture lasts approximately 20 minutes, including the discussion that follows immediately after the talk.
Part 2: Meet-and-greet time
Free refreshments and a space for chatting and fun. Since we are on university grounds, alcohol is prohibited. However, after some time, we usually move elsewhere (at our own expense) 😊.
Upcoming events
Past lecture series
2025/03/06 – Attoseconds: because femtoseconds are too slow
2024/05/16 – SensUs competition
Contact
Tereza Leonhardt