This week-long program brought together PhD students, partners, and researchers from various universities for an intensive training focused on research progress, communication, and collaboration.
The agenda offered a diverse range of activities, including:
- Technical Presentations & Progress monitoring presentations where PhD students presented their research and received valuable feedback.
- Interactive workshops designed to enhance problem-solving skills and explore creative approaches to research.
- Sessions on effective research communication using social media and ethical considerations in Artificial Intelligence.
- Networking opportunities through social activities and industry presentations.
Tuesday (19/3/2024)
- Welcome and Introductions: The week kicked off with a warm welcome from our Project Coordinator, Philippas. Then it was followed by an icebreaker session to help everyone from all universities, partners get to know each other!
- Using X to communicate your research: Ashleigh N., a leading expert in science communication, led a valuable session on using Twitter to effectively communicate research findings. Participants learned key strategies for crafting engaging tweets, leveraging hashtags for broader reach, and building a network of researchers in their field. Effective social media communication is important for disseminating research and fostering collaboration within the scientific community.
- Yoga session.
- Progress Monitoring Presentations (1): This session showcased individual presentations by PhD students. Each student presented their research progress, outlining a detailed work plan for the next six months and beyond. The plans included their research goals and activities, potential risks and mitigation strategies, and a personal development plan outlining desired skill development. Each presentation was followed by a 10-minute discussion, allowing for valuable feedback and questions from peers and supervisors.
Wednesday (20/3/2024)
- RELAX-DN Technical Presentations (1): This session focused on technical presentations by PhD students, delving into their specific research areas. Each student had 15 minutes to present their work, followed by 5 minutes for questions and discussion. This format facilitated knowledge sharing and fostered potential collaborations between students with complementary research interests.
- Continued Progress Monitoring (2): The remaining PhD students continued their research progress using the same format as on Tuesday.
- Supervisors’ Meeting & Student Social Activities: While supervisors convened to discuss the week’s progress and plan for future sessions, PhD students enjoyed a social activity exploring Belfast through a black taxi tour. This provided an opportunity for students to bond outside of an academic setting and experience the city’s rich culture and history.
Thursday (21/3/2024)
- Continued RELAX-DN Technical Presentations (2): The remaining PhD students continued their Technical Presentations using the same format as on Wednesday.
- Progress Monitoring Presentations (3): The remaining PhD students continued their research progress using the same format as on Tuesday.
- AI and Ethics (Deepak) (1): Led by Deepak, this session explored the ethical considerations surrounding Artificial Intelligence (AI). Participants gained a deeper understanding of the ethical implications associated with AI development and deployment.
- Lateral Thinking Workshop: This interactive workshop introduced participants to lateral thinking, a problem-solving methodology that emphasizes creative and unconventional approaches. Over three hours, students sharpened their skills in generating innovative ideas and systematically evaluating them.
- AnalyticsEngines Presentation: Jordan McDonald, a representative from Analytics Engines, presented on how innovative technologies can be applied to solve real-world problems and generate business value. The presentation also explored current trends and challenges in data and AI use. The active audience participation highlighted the potential for future collaborations between academia and industry.
Friday (22/3/2024)
- Project Management Strategies (GS): This session provided a framework for effective project management. GS, the session leader, introduced strategies for breaking down large projects into smaller, more manageable objectives with clear plans and deadlines. This approach helps researchers stay organized, focused, and on track to achieve their research goals.
- Visualizing Your Research Journey – Draw Your PhD: This creative session provided PhD students with an opportunity to visually represent their research journey. By using illustrations and diagrams, students were able to depict their research objectives, methodologies, and expected outcomes. This exercise served as a unique way to reflect on their research and potentially identify areas for improvement or further exploration.
- Continued AI and UN SDGs (Deepak) (2): Building upon the previous day’s discussion on AI and ethics, Deepak led a continuation of the conversation, likely focusing on how AI can be leveraged to support the achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
- B-Secur presentation: B–Secur is advancing heart health technology that brings greater clarity to EKG interpretation with better data and deeper insights. This session provided an opportunity to explore the potential of B-Secur’s algorithms and discuss the possibility of further research collaborations between RELAX-DN and the broader healthcare industry.
- Close of training week: Wrapping up the week, Philippas thanked everyone for their hard work and participation. We are eager to look forward to future collaboration in our RELAX project.
