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School of BEI PhD Conference

When: —
Venue: Birkbeck Clore Management Centre

Book your place

The School of Business, Economics and Informatics is hosting a PhD conference on Wednesday 21 June from 9.00-16.00. The PhD committee invites you to join for a day filled with insightful presentations by our brilliant PhD students from the four departments across the School.

  • Department of Computer Science and Information Systems 
  • Department of Organizational Psychology
  • Department of Management
  • Department of Economics, Mathematics and Statistics

The theme of this year’s conference is "The In-Between". The theme reflects, firstly, the 'in-between' of disciplines as we bring together doctoral students and academic staff across the departments of our school and, secondly, being 'in between' research and life. 

The conference will take place as a Hyprid event with the option to attend online or in person at Birkbeck's Clore Management Centre. 

This conference is a fantastic opportunity to delve into the latest research and discoveries in business, economics, and informatics, and witness the outstanding work of our research students. 

Keynote Speakers 

We warmly welcome keynote speakers who offer perspective and insights on the ‘in-between' of doctoral research and give us the chance to reflect on our own individual experiences of balance. 

10.00 -11.00: Emotionally demanding research: What happens ‘In between’ researcher and life

  • Dr Helen Cooper, Associate Research Fellow, Organizational Psychology, Birkbeck, University of London
  • Janet Sheath, Senior Lecturer, Organizational Psychology, Birkbeck, University of London and counsellor, MBACP
  • Dr Rebecca Whiting, Reader in Organization Studies, Birkbeck, University of London

Abstract 

There is increasing concern for the wellbeing of those working within academia. All research has the potential to make emotional demands on the person who undertakes it. This presentation will introduce and explain the concept of Emotionally Demanding Research (EDR), explain how we can recognise when research has or is likely to become emotionally demanding and outline the likely implications for doctoral students and their research if unaddressed. It will highlight the importance of protecting their wellbeing and outline different strategies for addressing EDR within doctoral research.

13:00-14:00: The ‘In-Between’ in Postgraduate Research: Considerations for Mental Health and Wellbeing

Dr Trish Jackman, Associate Professor of Sport and Exercise Psychology, University of Lincoln

Abstract 

Achieving ‘balance’ between professional and personal lives can be a challenge during doctoral study, with poor work-life balance regularly linked to poorer mental health and wellbeing. In this talk, Dr Jackman will provide insights into research on work-life balance in doctoral students and how doctoral students can be best supported to thrive throughout their studies and beyond.

 

Biographies 

Dr Helen Cooper, Associate Research Fellow, Organizational Psychology Birkbeck, University of London

Helen Cooper works as both a career researcher and practitioner. She is an Associate Research Fellow in the Department of Organizational Psychology, Birkbeck. Her research includes investigating career transitions, gendered career and research ethics. She has a particular interest in employing narrative research methods to understand
careers in diverse contexts, from teaching and taxi driving to Barbie’s working life. Alongside her academic role, Helen runs her own career consultancy practice, providing both career coaching and supervision services. 

Janet Sheath, Senior Lecturer, Organizational Psychology, Birkbeck, University of London and counsellor, MBACP. 

Janet works in-between teaching, research and work life. She is Programme Director on the Career MSc in the Department of Organizational Psychology at Birkbeck, University of London and is also a Supervisor of Career Counsellors and Coaches and an
Organisational Career Consultant. This means that she works on the boundary between theory, research and practice. She brings a counselling and psychodynamic approach to understanding the relationship between the Researcher and the Researched.

Dr Rebecca Whiting, Reader in Organization Studies, Birkbeck, University of London

Rebecca Whiting is a Reader in Organization Studies in the Department of Organizational Psychology at Birkbeck, University of London. Her research
interests include socially constructed aspects of diversity (particularly age, gender and class), work-life boundaries, research ethics and the role of digital technology in the organization of contemporary work. She is a qualitative researcher and leads the Department’s Qualitative Research Methods Group. Her research has used a variety of qualitative methodologies, including participatory video diaries, multimodal analysis of online data and discourse methods.

Dr Trish Jackman, Associate Professor of Sport and Exercise Psychology, University of Lincoln 

Dr Trish Jackman is Associate Professor of Sport and Exercise Psychology at the University of Lincoln. Her research in sport and physical activity focuses on
promoting pleasure and optimal experiences, such as flow. Stemming initially from her own experiences as a PhD researcher, Dr Jackman has also conducted a series of studies on PhD researcher mental health and wellbeing. She was funded by the Student Mental Health Research Network to develop evidence to inform the design of inductions to support doctoral researchers in the transition to doctoral research. This research has been shared nationally and internationally. 

 

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