A PhD, is that for me? – The Network Pages

Are you thinking about your future? Do you want to apply your mathematical knowledge in a company, or continue your education first by pursuing a PhD degree?

With this one-day event for students in both theoretical and applied mathematics we aim to showcase the benefits of doing a PhD to help students to make their choice whether they want to apply for a PhD or not. We have invited speakers from many different areas in mathematics within academia and industry.

Organizer: Young KWG

When: February 2, 2024, ±10.00h – 18.00h

Where: Koninsbergergebouw, Utrecht University

Target audience: master students in mathematics studying at a university in the Netherlands. Especially women and students from minority groups in mathematics are encouraged to join. If we have enough spaces, (3rd year) bachelor students will also be considered.

Registration: Register for the event before 23.59, January 12th, 2024 via the registration form: https://tilburgss.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_839QjPA5QYGLOXs

Note that the number of participants is limited so we may need to make a selection from the registrations. Hence, registration does not guarantee a place. We will inform everyone after the registration deadline.

Programme

Plenary speakers:

Cecilia Salgado, Associate Professor Groningen University
Corinne Meerman, Dutch Healthcare Authority

PhD panel (Soon to appear)

Workshops

Do’s and don’ts when applying for a PhD
Speaker: Katrijn van Deun,Full Professor, Tilburg University

Having trouble writing a motivation letter? How long should it be? What to include and what to omit? Our speaker, professor at Leiden University, will give advice on what to focus while writing a CV and motivation letter for a PhD position. She will also share examples of good and bad practices.

The next two workshops run in parallel, and students indicate which they prefer to attend.

Common hurdles during a PhD and how to prevent them
Speaker: Sabrina Genz

Have you ever had doubts about beeing good enough for a PhD positions? Or maybe felt the pressure of a competitive environment in acadeima bringing you down? In this workshop we will discuss some of the main struggles that students face in academia and that create big obstacles throught their developement. That will include topics such as how to recognize and deal with impostor syndrome before it becomes a real problem, the relationship with the supervisors and relationships with fellow PhD students, amongst others.

Outcomes of a PhD
Speaker: Chiat Cheong

Common myth: “After 4 years of a PhD I only developed skills to continue with research.” In this workshop we focus on a wide range of skills that PhD students develop throughout their research years. Our speaker, Chiat Cheong, is a scientist who made a transition from academic career and her professional mission became: making PhDs and postdocs aware of their potential and providing support in their career development.

Schedule

Time Activity

09:30 – 10:00: Arrival and coffee
10:00 – 10:05: Welcome
10:05 – 10:50: Industry speaker: Corine Meerman, Dutch Healthcare Authority
10:50 – 11:00: Break
11:00 – 11:45: Academic speaker: Cecília Salgado Guimarães da Silva, University of Groningen
12:00 – 13:30: Parallel workshops:
- Sabrina Genz: Common hurdles during a PhD and how to prevent them
- Chiat Cheong: Transferable skills
13:30 – 14:30: Lunch break