Disastrous Doctorates Workshop

In March 2015 I attended the Disastrous Doctorates Workshop in Wellington New Zealand. This workshop was hosted by the Joint Centre for Disaster Research (JCDR) at Massey University and sponsored by the Earthquake Commission (EQC) of New Zealand. This year was the first year it was opened up to students from outside of New Zealand.

The one day workshop was a multidisciplinary workshop with a mix of participants (from natural and social sciences, law, and business, geography, psychology, engineering and emergency management to name a few). The aim of the workshop was to provide a forum for PhD candidates to meet other students in the disaster-research field, to network with professionals in the field and to learn and workshop how to manage your PhD and career after graduating.

I attended this workshop to grow my network in the disaster field and to acquire tools and tips to succeed in my PhD studies and how to transition into work after finishing. I presented in the 3 minute thesis session and attended the fieldtrip, which provided an introduction to the hazardscape of the Wellington region, including community initiatives to reducing risk, tsunami hazard zones and exploring the Wellington Fault.

The workshop and fieldtrip provided a great introduction into the current research taking place in the disaster space. It connected students with professionals and with each other. The panel discussions and Q & A sessions with professionals in the field enabled the sharing of knowledge, experiences and helpful tips, not only for getting through a PhD but making the most of it and how to deal with emerging on the other side. This was a well organised workshop and is recommended to all PhD students at any stage in their studies. Check out their Facebook page and keep an eye out for it in 2016!