This year we revived one of the highlights of the academic year, the annual postgraduate research conference, in a new, more generative format.
Funding from the PDA School made it possible to spend a research-intensive and highly enjoyable day at our Bedford Square residence, listening to and discussing eight intellectually stimulating presentations by some of our doctoral students. The diverse themes reflected the broad range of topics Media Arts doctoral students are researching, including Anglophone film movements, the role of the director in contemporary television documentaries, female identities and sonic representations of trauma in Middle Eastern cinemas, the well-being crisis in UK television, the afterlives of 1980s Black British film and video, and neocolonialism and Black British identities. The well-attended research day gave doctoral students and faculty members the opportunity to discuss these topics in a relaxed setting.
In his fascinating Pathfinder Lecture, Dr Nicolas Helm-Grovas, who is currently Lecturer in Film Studies at King’s College London, charted his career path since obtaining his PhD at Royal Holloway in 2018. He discussed his current research projects and gave invaluable advice on how to navigate the job market, apply for post-doc funding and how to get research published.
The day ended with an hour-long roundtable discussion on specific strategies for maintaining the vibrancy of our postgraduate research culture.
A huge thank you to everyone who participated in the Postgraduate Research Day, but especially to Dr Manishita Dass, the Department’s PGR Lead, who made this amazing event happen.
