We held the fourth EAS Doctoral Student Forum (DSF) in Nicosia from 20th May to 22nd May.
Participants came from universities in Austria, Czech Republic, Germany, Italy, Lithuania and UK.
We asked each participant to prepare a short (3minutes) spoken summary of the basic idea of their project, and to bring a poster to the forum. At the introductory session, each participant made their spoken presentation and this allowed us to look in greater detail at specific aspects of each study, identifying key concepts and highlighting some principles about research in general. On the second day the discussion focused on the realities of the research process. The posters of each participant were used to work on ‘real-world’ research issues and challenges, with feedback and suggestions provided by the group. There was a mixture of paired, small group and whole group activities.
The event culminated in a dedicated DSF poster session at the conference where each participant was invited to make a public presentation of their poster and hear some valuable feedback from conference delegates.
Each year we notice that the number of applicants grows larger and represents ever more diverse research interests across Europe. We think it makes a unique contribution to the field of doctoral research in music education as the following comments from this year’s participants will show:
An inspiring and creative atmosphere…Perfect as a real immersion into research methodologies in music education…Knowledgeable but tactful critique – empowering not intimidating…The best place to discuss your ideas in a most friendly (but still critical) atmosphere…Fantastic to be supported so strongly by a sense of belonging to a fresh academic community – thank you, everyone!
YES!…Amazing group: DSF is not only a place to discuss your PhD but also to make friends and meet amazing people with whom you have a lot in common! Thank you guys!
Application forms for next year’s DSF will be available in October on the website.