A one-day series of professional workshop sessions for postgraduate and early-career colleagues designed to give a unique insight into the challenges and rewards of a life in academia. We bring together an esteemed group of academics, practitioners and journalists from across HE, the FCDO and the Conversation to guide you through a variety of topics and give you the skills and knowledge to enhance your professional lives. The workshops cover life as an independent researcher, publishing, grant and writing tips as well as careers outside of academia.
Draft programme
These sessions will take place in two parallel rooms from 10am to 5pm.
9.30am - Arrival and registration
10.00am - Welcome/overview of the day
10.15 – 11.30am Parallel session 1 (You will select a preferred option when you register)
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Finishing your PhD and starting your career as an independent researcher
Or
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Life as an academic: Understanding teaching, supervision, and beyond
11.30 – 11.40am Break/networking
11.40 – 1.10pm Parallel session 2 (You will select a preferred option when you register)
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Writing for a big, international, non-specialist audience – with The Conversation
Or
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Transforming your thesis or article into a book
1.10 – 2.10pm Lunch
2.15 – 3.30pm Parallel session 3 (You will select a preferred option when you register)
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How to get a research grant or post-doctoral fellowship
Or
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Demystifying the lecturer job application, short-listing, and interview process
3.30 – 3.40pm Break/networking
3.40 – 4.55pm Parallel session 4 (You will select a preferred option when you register)
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Publishing in peer-reviewed journals: from preparation to acceptance
Or
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IR careers and academic engagement beyond academia
7.45pm Drinks reception
Join the editors of Review of International Studies and European Journal of International Security and other participants for a drinks reception and networking.
BISA members pay a reduced fee of £18pp to help cover some of the costs. Non-members are welcome to attend for a fee of £55pp. All places include refreshments and lunch. We recommend reading our ‘Become a member’ information to see if you could save money on this and future BISA events by becoming a member.
Registration will close on 1 June 2025 or when all places are filled. Should the event be over-subscribed BISA members will be given priority for places.