The ‘Life Beyond the PhD’ conference 2024, held at Cumberland Lodge from August 12th to 16th, brought together doctoral researchers from universities across the UK. The conference aimed to help students prepare for life after their studies. Located in the heart of Windsor Great Park, Cumberland Lodge is a historic building that has stood for over 350 years. It was part of the royal family’s estate for generations.
The five days we spent at the Lodge were filled with inspiring and enlightening moments, blending fun and learning. On the day of our arrival, we started with an exercise in which we used pen and paper to illustrate our PhD projects for others to interpret. Drawing the essence of my PhD was challenging but fun, and the result made it clear to me that my 6-year-old daughter, Olariche, draws better than I do. The organisers scheduled different activities from breakfast until dinner. The food was excellent; nonetheless, I missed my jollof rice.
We participated in talks and skills training sessions, and enjoyed games, BBQs, karaoke nights, and more. The most inspiring sessions included ‘Dealing with Imposter Syndrome’ by Professor Melissa Butcher, the ‘Anti-University Challenge’ led by Tina Ogwang, and skills training workshops. Dr Ed Newell, Nicola Hine, Jack Verduyn, and Chris Woods organised the skills training workshops.
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These workshops covered a range of valuable topics designed to enhance our communication abilities, including presentation skills using theatre techniques to engage and connect with the audience, writing skills to help translate research findings into content accessible to a general audience, and digital communication techniques, such as creating a content strategy for a brand to enhance online presence and outreach.
Esteemed scholars like Professor Tom Crick, MBE, Dr Becky Briant, and Dr Petra Fay, experts in various academic and policy fields, enriched us with their knowledge and experience. Dr Petra Fay shared her invaluable experiences with us, offering insightful perspectives on her PhD journey, her role as a Research Manager at the Wellcome Trust, and practical advice on grant applications. I am also grateful to Professor Tom Crick, MBE, for sharing his PhD journey and his inspiring talk on our final day at the Lodge.
My time at the Lodge was splendid, as I mentioned to Chris Woods during a video interview. Beyond enhancing our communication, collaboration, and negotiation skills and providing valuable career development insights, I had fantastic opportunities to network and engage with others on unfamiliar topics, learning from their experiences. I was fortunate to meet Winfred Gatua, Abubakar Ibrahim, Connor Long-Johnson, Tina Ogwang, Mikhail (Mike) Gorbounov, and Yazidu Salihu. We spent the nights discussing our research, patriarchy, Odogwu, the Russian mob, and many other topics. With Mary Nyantaro and Lydia Donohue, I had excellent discussions about our projects and aspirations. To all of them, I am very grateful.
The conference also gave me time to reflect on my about-to-end life as a doctoral researcher. The serene and beautiful environment provided a perfect backdrop for reflecting on my research agenda, life, and future opportunities. I even found the time to revise a paper on Cognitive Immobility, which was accepted for publication by a peer-reviewed journal called Diaspora Studies a few weeks after the conference, and to finalise my viva corrections. My time at the Lodge is unforgettable.
I am grateful to Cumberland Lodge and Royal Holloway University for the opportunity to attend the ‘Life Beyond the PhD’ conference in 2024. Living for a few days in the beautiful and dream-like environment of the Lodge was surreal, especially staying in a building with such a rich history.
The last royal residents of the Lodge were Princess Helena, Queen Victoria’s third daughter, and her husband, Prince Christian of Schleswig-Holstein, who made it their home from 1872 until she died in 1923. In 1947, the Lodge was granted to an educational foundation created by Amy Buller, later known as Cumberland Lodge. The Cumberland Lodge provided an excellent setting for the ‘Life Beyond the PhD’ conference 2024.
I encourage doctoral researchers who want to connect with the best minds in the UK to participate in the conference. I appreciate that the selection process at Royal Holloway, University of London, is competitive and transparent. I hope Cumberland Lodge encourages other universities to send their best students and those nearing the completion of their doctoral studies to this conference, as it truly prepares them for ‘Life Beyond the PhD’.
Throughout the conference, a recurring theme was the importance of understanding –understanding ourselves, our research, and the world beyond academia. In Flitcroft, the hall where many of our discussions took place, a framed quote on the wall read: ‘We can’t change what we don’t understand’. This quote encapsulates the essence of our time at Cumberland Lodge. The opportunity to learn, reflect, and engage with diverse perspectives is the first step toward meaningful change in our lives and the world around us.
