“How can I keep calm and focused while communicating in stressful situations?” This workshop focuses on applying mindful communication principles to the way scientists correspond with others in academia (and beyond). These principles include setting an intention, being fully present, remaining open and non-judgmental, and relating to others with compassion. The participants will learn how to bring on a greater level of awareness to the two major components of communication: listening and speaking. The workshop gives the opportunity to discuss fear-factors in the research process and find practical solutions to navigate these challenges in a more proactive and positive direction.

“How can I make sure my paper stands out from the others…?” Excellent research is fundamental. But so is sharing it effectively with the broader academic community! This seminar supports participants in learning how to structure their academic writing so as to stand out from the crowd by producing writing that is clear, engaging and persuasive. Through its unique one-to one session offered on the second day of the workshop, this can be achieved for academic articles but also for policy briefs, media editorials or funding applications.

“Sometimes things don’t go as planned and I need to keep my cool instead of panicking. How can I stay focused when dealing with surprises?”

This unique two-day improvisation workshop gives participants the tools to accept the unexpected with confidence. Practical techniques help participants to step out of their comfort zone and to develop their authority, focus their anxiety, prepare for blackouts and become more self-reliant. The training is tailored to individual participant questions and uses role-play to investigate proposed scenarios and to train coping strategies, which can be used in real-world situations.

“How do I answer the question ‘What do you do?’ so that it’s brief, memorable, authentic and engaging?”
Understandably, with complicated research this is challenging to do but well worth the effort and preparation. In this interactive workshop, participants develop an “elevator pitch” for professional networking contexts, that tells the story, captures the listener’s attention, positions the individual accurately, communicates passion for the topic and motivates the listener to want to hear more. Activities and exercises include working with a partner to “pitch” one’s research topic, identifying professional connections in the network, and sharing best practices for effective networking.