A PhD Student Sometimes Has to Talk

In my last blog I extolled the virtues of listening, but speaking is of equal importance for PhD students starting out on their research careers. Learning how best to share your findings and enthuse others about your area of expertise is no mean feat. Practice definitely makes perfect!

New opportunities

Back in April I was asked to attend and present at the Sanitation Research Symposium SHARE co-convened with the Great Lakes University of Kisumu (GLUK) as part of GLUK’s 12th Annual Scientific Conference.

The conference, and the Symposium particularly, covered some fascinating topics such as: maternal health, sexual and reproductive health, and water and sanitation. They attracted a range of participants including: university scholars, governmental and non-governmental organisations, and community members. A perfect opportunity to learn, share my science, and network!

The thrill of presenting

I had prepared hard and was excited to get started. My name was called out, and I moved to the front. It was my turn to share. I had ten minutes; ten minutes to share my findings.

Sharing my findings is always interesting; rather, I enjoy every bit of it! This was one of those special moments; I enjoyed every second of sharing my science.

I realised, however, that there were questions. I wished I had another presentation with which to answer them. All was not lost; I had a poster as well!

Networking

The Symposium was also an excellent opportunity to network. I made new friends and caught up with old friends I had not seen in a long while. Sometimes it was a matter of exchanging pleasantries, and at other times it was about catching up on people’s latest (academic) adventures.

Until next time!