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Research students from around the world share ideas at UNE

August 09, 2006

FEHPSpostgr.thumb.jpgA four-day conference at The University of New England is providing new skills and vital feedback to postgraduate research students from around Australia and abroad.

Students from throughout UNE's Faculty of Education, Health and Professional Studies are taking part in the Faculty's inaugural Postgraduate Research Conference. One of the conference organisers, Dr Terrence Hays, a Senior Lecturer in Education at UNE, described it as an opportunity for research students to develop their communication skills, get collegial feedback, and build research networks.

"While undergraduate students learn and study existing knowledge," Dr Hays explained, "PhD candidates delve into uncharted territory - researching new areas and creating new knowledge. They relish any opportunity to discuss their work with like-minded colleagues and gain professional feedback."

The conference is focusing on the politics, theoretical frameworks, and methodologies involved in research. "Whether the Faculty's PhD candidates were studying here at the campus in Armidale, or externally from within Australia or overseas, we knew they would benefit from this initiative," Dr Hays continued. "We are seeing a wide range of presenters gaining valuable feedback from academics and fellow students. For international external students, it has also been a welcome chance to meet their supervisors. Postgraduate research is usually undertaken on an individual basis, so it's important that we alleviate any sense of professional isolation."

More than 150 postgraduate researchers have converged on UNE for the conference, and many have voiced their praise for the opportunities it has provided. Masahiro Nishihara is doing his PhD externally through UNE and came all the way from Japan to attend the conference. Mr Nishihara teaches English at the Toyama National College of Maritime Technology in Japan, which has sent students to UNE's Language Training Centre for the past 10 years. "I am researching the history of English teaching," he said. "This is a convenient opportunity to meet my supervisors and to learn from other researchers in my field."

Another overseas external PhD candidate mingling with the locals is Cheryl Crippen. "I think this conference is brilliant," Ms Crippen said, "because most of the time PhD students don't get the time or opportunity to collaborate with students from other countries. It's giving us different perspectives on research questions. In the United States, PhD programs are very institution-specific and you only network with people within your own institution or maybe at professional conferences."

"My research topic is cross-cultural parenting," she explained. "I'm doing it through UNE as part a collaboration that was begun two years ago between Cal-State, Fullerton University in California and UNE. This arrangement has provided me with the flexibility to do my PhD while working full-time, which is ordinarily impossible in the United States."

The conference program includes keynote addresses, panel forums, and the presentation of 45 papers by students. The presenters are being given the opportunity to see their papers published by the Australian College of Educators.

Funding for the conference, which will conclude on Friday 11 August, was provided by UNE's Pro Vice-Chancellor (Research), Professor Peter Flood, and the Faculty's Executive Dean, Professor Victor Minichiello, and Associate Dean (Research), Professor Anne Eckermann.

THE PHOTOGRAPH displayed here shows Cheryl Crippen and Masahiro Nishihara at the UNE conference.

Posted by Jim Scanlan at August 9, 2006 02:56 PM