We asked some of last year’s committee members to give us an insight into being on the DC Conference Committee and any words of wisdom for those thinking of applying for the 2021 committee?
Clayton as Co-Chair, congratulations on organising a fantastic 2020 DC Conference. For you, what was the best part about being involved in organising the conference?
Being a part of a team to deliver a large project. Experience of teamwork on a largescale is rare during a standard doctorate so it was a refreshing experience to work with multiple people all working towards one common goal.
Why did you want to get involved in the DC Conference Committee?
I wanted to broaden my experiences during my doctorate. This seemed like a great opportunity to gain some leadership experience which is hard to come by in a doctorate.
Do you think organising the conference will help you with your research and/or employability in any way?
Cochairing the DC conference has helped improve my time management and communication skills which will aid me in my research. Where this experience has supported me most though is in my employability. The opportunity to work with people and more importantly lead a cross disciplinary team to delivery such a large project is invaluable. Such experiences are sparse when completing a doctorate so I feel this will really aid me in the next steps of my career.
What did you learn from your experience on the committee?
Plan for the unexpected. When running a large project over a timeline of 6+ months contingency planning can be the trump card that can help you avoid the worst outcome. Of course, you can never know exactly what obstacles you will face in the future but contingency planning can enable you to adapt as obstacles present themselves and still deliver a successful project.
Every year we invite PGRs and ECRs to apply to be part of the DC conference organising committee. Would you recommend other PGRs get involved?
I would highly recommend getting involved in organising the DC conference. It’s a fantastic opportunity which broadens your horizons by exposing you to a diverse range of fields you would know little about otherwise. Overall, it was a very enjoyable experience designing and delivering this conference with my team.
What advice would you give anyone thinking of applying this year?
Plan your time accordingly. This project demands a lot of time so juggling this along with your doctorate will be challenging.
Thanks Clayton.
Michael as Co-Chair, congratulations on organising a fantastic 2020 DC Conference. For you, what was the best part about being involved in organising the conference?
Seeing it all come together and letting all the great contributors do what they do best on the day.
Why did you want to get involved in the DC Conference Committee?
I wanted to
challenge myself and take part in something ‘extra’ during my doctorate. I
wanted to test out more diverse skills like working with a team and organising
things with external members.
Do you think organising the conference will help you with your research
and/or employability in any way?
Reading the abstracts and having to think
critically on such a huge array of subjects was a new experience. Being on the
other side of the coin in terms of abstracts is invaluable experience when
writing my own.
What did you learn from your experience on the committee?
You have to play to your strengths! Identifying what the available skills and resources are prevents working on things that might not work out in the end.
Every year we invite PGRs and ECRs to apply to be part of the DC conference organising committee. Would you recommend other PGRs get involved?
I would recommend it to those who are ready for the commitment it takes! The experience you gain is really unique and rewarding.
What advice would you give anyone thinking of applying this year?
You have a chance to make a huge difference to the research culture at the university and make it your own. You don’t have to do things the exact way people did it before
Thanks Michael.
Sophia, congratulations on organising a fantastic 2020 DC Conference. What was the best part about being involved in organising the conference?
Thank you! It was great working with this team. And I would have never gained so much insight into the research conducted at the University if it was not for reading the abstracts and actively participating on the conference days
Why did you want to get involved in the DC Conference Committee?
I wanted to join an interdisciplinary team to organise such an important and impactful event for the PGRs at the University. I like to organise anything and challenge myself, so this was the best opportunity for it. Also, I have never worked in a team where everyone is from different backgrounds but working as equals with one common goal, so I wanted to see how this works for me.
Do you think organising the conference will help you with your research and/or employability in any way?
Yes, for sure! I have learnt so much about myself and uncovered and developed valuable transferable and interpersonal skills. These days, many job adverts ask exactly for this skill set! Having the support from Emma / from the DC opened my eyes for all the support the DC offers for your career. Having a career consultant who knows you opens up your eyes about yourself and you discover that things you took for granted about yourself are actually sought after. Both, being part of the committee and having support from the DC, boosts my CV a lot!
What did you learn from your experience on the committee?
Most importantly, meeting and working with PGRs from other disciplines is a great experience. I learnt so much about team-work, leadership, delegating tasks, problem-solving, time and project management, public speaking, networking, but also scientific communication skills (seeing good (and very few not so good) examples of abstracts, posters, talks).
Every year we invite PGRs and ECRs to apply to be part of the DC conference organising committee. Would you recommend other PGRs get involved?
Yes, definitely! If you like to be challenged, this is a very rewarding opportunity. You will meet many great people, which is particularly nice given the loneliness of Covid, you will gain many skills, you will face and overcome problems and you will be in charge of something so many people in Surrey look forward to! It will be stressful, you need to manage your time well to not neglect your research, but you will come out as a better-skilled, more independent person who achieved a lot.
What advice would you give anyone thinking of applying this year? We are still facing Covid and I guess it is not clear whether this will happen in person or virtually again. Go in with an open mind and make the best out of it. Try to treat the conference like a blank canvas and ignore everything we did! And a more tangible tip: distribute positions early on and assign tasks with deadlines to specific people to make sure everything runs smooth! I wish you great success for the next conference!
Thanks Sophia.
Gaby, congratulations on organising a fantastic 2020 DC Conference. For you, what was the best part about being involved in organising the conference?
The best part about being involved in the conference was a real sense of team work gained from working with Emma and the team of PhD students and candidates.
Why did you want to get involved in the DC Conference Committee?
I was looking to gain experience in communication, organisation and networking skills. I thought it would be a great opportunity to enrich my CV. Moreover, the idea of helping to celebrate the research community and bring the PhD students together was really attractive to me.
Do you think organising the conference will help you with your research and/or employability in any way?
I think yes, it gave me an appreciation and understanding for conferences as a whole. On top of that my organisation and communication skills benefited greatly. I think the skills gained are very transferable.
What did you learn from your experience on the committee?
I learnt a lot about working effectively in a team
Every year we invite PGRs and ECRs to apply to be part of the DC conference organising committee. Would you recommend other PGRs get involved?
Yes! I highly recommend this to PGRs, this was a great opportunity to meet new people, more specifically other PhD students from other departments who I wouldn’t have normally crossed paths with. It gave me a real sense of comradery and enjoyment.
What advice would you give anyone thinking of applying this year?
Give it a go! Plan your time, make contacts early and enjoy it!
Thanks Gaby.
Roonak Rezvani, PGR, Centre for Vision, Speech and Signal Processing (CVSSP)
Hi Roonak, congratulations on organising a fantastic 2020 DC Conference. For you, what was the best part about being involved in organising the conference?
I really enjoy working on a team and as a PhD researcher, I think it’s a soft skill that we need to work on and I saw it as an opportunity to work on skills that can’t be addressed directly through PhD experience.
Why did you want to get involved in the DC Conference Committee?
I got involved to gain experience and to do something new and evaluate my organisation skills
Do you think organising the conference will help you with your research and/or employability in any way?
In our PhD journey we learn about how to do research and we become more expert in our subjects but we can’t improve our other skills such as communication, leadership, management and team work. In this regard, I think helping organising a conference was a good opportunity to demonstrate my soft skills.
What did you learn from your experience on the committee?
We had to do it in the middle of COVID pandemic remotely and as it was quite unexpected, we need to change our plans and I think that unexpected experience really taught me how to adapt to change and to believe in our abilities as a team. It was also a really good team work experience.
Every year we invite PGRs and ECRs to apply to be part of the DC conference organising committee. Would you recommend other PGRs get involved?
In my opinion, it is a really good opportunity to improve your team work and communication skills and also have a feeling of accomplishment at the end which is a really amazing feeling. It can also enhance your CV and also enjoy the process of delivering something valuable.
And, finally, what advice would you give anyone thinking of applying this year?
Share your ideas and communicate effectively with your teammates. Enjoy the process!
Thanks Roonak.
