Every year, the ACRC Academy’s new PhD students come from a diverse backgrounds, ranging from artists to engineers to anthropologists On Wednesday 11th September 2024, the ACRC Academy held its fourth and final induction day. All four cohorts, along with academic staff were invited to meet one another and to kick off the new academic year together.The day-long induction was led by directors Professor Ian Underwood, Professor Susan Shenkin, and Professor Heather Wilkinson along with Lucy McCloughan (ACRC Programme Manager), Jenn Yoo (Academy Project Manager), and Aisyah Noor Mohd (Academy Administrator).In the morning, the newest cohort of 14 students arrived at the Usher Building where their courses and support staff will be located. The students were presented with information to prepare them for their taught year by the directors, alongside academic staff Professor Tughrul Arslan and Dr. Nick Polydorides. Dr. Polydorides prepared the students by introducing their upcoming summer project while Professor Arslan shared some perspectives from a supervisor’s viewpoint. Afterwards, students also got to hear from Eilidh Bowman and Maxmillan Ries (both from the 3rd cohort) regarding key tips and tricks to help them during their taught year.During lunch, students had an opportunity to meet with their supervisors and students from other cohorts. Thanks to University catering, students connected with one another over sandwiches and coffee.After lunch, the third cohort attended a session to learn about their transition from their taught year to their first research year. Along with the directors, students David Vaca-Benavides (2nd cohort) and Emily Adams (1st cohort) presented on ways to work with supervisors and managing data during the research phase of their PhDs.To round out the day, students from the first cohort attended an informal viva session to prepare for their final year of the programme. The directors and students discussed how to approach and prepare for a viva—especially considering that their PhDs are interdisciplinary. We are excited to continue supporting and witnessing this cohort’s work as they embark on their final year of their PhDs.Continue learning about the ACRC Academy by following our blog. If you’re interested in learning more or collaborating with the students and staff, please contact us at acrc@ed.ac.uk. Publication date 29 Oct, 2024
