Life Sciences holds first PhD Away Day at Kew Gardens

PhD students, academic staff and alumni came together at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew for the department’s first annual Life Sciences PhD Away Day.

The Away Day, held on 9 October, was an opportunity for PhD students at different stages of their doctoral journeys to connect with one another, meet colleagues from across the department and hear from Imperial alumni about life and careers beyond their PhDs. Set within the surroundings of Kew Gardens, the programme combined career discussions and peer networking with opportunities to learn more about research taking place at Kew.

Connecting across the PhD community

"It was a really nice day with very useful talks from Imperial alumni and a great opportunity to learn more about the research going on at Kew." Rosie Gathercole PhD student

The aim of the day was to help members of the PhD community building connections with fellow researchers. The Away Day created space for students to exchange experiences, learn from more senior colleagues and develop relationships beyond their immediate research groups.

For newer PhD students in particular, meeting researchers further along in their doctoral studies offered an opportunity to hear different perspectives on the challenges and opportunities of PhD life. Bringing students together across cohorts also helped create connections within the wider Life Sciences research community.

The event also welcomed Imperial alumni, whose contributions helped students to reflect on the range of possibilities available after completing a doctorate. Discussions explored careers after a PhD, life beyond research and the experience of balancing doctoral study with other responsibilities.

Rosie Gathercole, PhD student, said: ‘It was a really nice day with very useful talks from Imperial alumni and a great opportunity to learn more about the research going on at Kew.’

Dr Marco Trizzino said: ‘It was a terrific day of networking and learning. Our newest cohort of PhD students had the chance to get to know more senior students and to hear from alumni about careers after the PhD, life beyond research, and balancing a PhD with parenthood.’

(Photo credit: Minxue Tang)

Exploring the Royal Botanic Gardens

Alongside the careers discussions and networking, guided tours of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, were a highlight of the day. Professor Martin Bidartondo helped host the event and lead the tours, giving attendees an opportunity to explore the setting and learn more about the research environment at Kew.

The visit provided a valuable opportunity to bring the department’s PhD community together in a setting beyond the usual university environment, combining informal conversations with opportunities to learn and explore.

Building a tradition for the future

This first annual PhD Away Day marked a new opportunity to bring students, academic staff and alumni together around shared experiences of research and doctoral training.

Professor Martin Bidartondo said: ‘The first Life Sciences PhD away day at UNESCO World Heritage Site Kew Gardens included candid panel and individual presentations by recent PhD students now pursuing a variety of careers and lifestyles, networking sessions, and tours of Kew’s historic fungal collections and living plant collections.’