Discovery Series: Dissertation Planning and Implementation – June 2022

On 16 June, the Faculty of Social Sciences International Office (FIO) held the second event in the Discovery Series, a selection of talks and Q&A sessions to inform international students about the academic processes of the university and how these fit into education practices throughout the UK. This was an in-person event with international PGT students attending a live panel. Following the success of the first Discovery Series event, the event proved extremely popular with all places being booked within 24 hours. The focus of this session was on dissertation writing and project planning, giving students the tools they need to meet the academic expectations set for them.

The event was organised by the FIO team and was hosted by Song Pan Utz (Senior Executive Officer, Faculty of Social Sciences International Office). The panel for the event consisted of Sabu Padmadas (Associate Dean International, Faculty of Social Sciences), Dr Haris Psarras (Associate Professor in Law), Dr Christian Kellner (Associate Professor in Economics) and postgraduate research student Barbara Bradbury.

Before the session, audience members were asked to submit questions to the panel so that they could be included as part of the session. After a brief introduction from the panel, Song Pan Utz asked the pre-submitted questions, covering topics such as what constitutes a good dissertation, how to find and use the best data, and how to avoid the common mistakes which students can often make. The panel answered the questions posed to them with advice and anecdotes, sharing a wealth of information and experience with the students in the room. This section was followed by a more open question and answer session where students could ask their questions directly to the panel or use Vevox to have a question asked on their behalf.

With reference to the panel, Song Pan Utz said “Thank you again for bringing such insightful and engaging discussions. I thoroughly enjoyed it and have learned a lot from you.

“Also, a special thank-you to Sam Woolway for organising and coordinating the event. We will aim to have monthly events for the Discovery Series in the next semester. I look forward to continuing our conversations.”

Thank you to the panel and the FIO team for organising the event and the panellists for their excellent contributions.