The annual ERBE Summer School Event took place on 26th–27th June at Cardiff University Students’ Union/Undeb Myfyrwyr Caerdydd, bringing together 29 students from across the CDT, along with CDT staff and members of the ERBE Advisory Board. This year’s event was centred around developing presentation and networking skills — two frequently requested topics — with students participating in two full days of workshops designed and delivered by science communication and engagement specialists Science Made Simple, culminating in the development and delivery of individual 3-minute presentations focusing on their research.
Day 1 started with an initial briefing, during which were encouraged to discuss what they felt made a good or bad presentation, and ways in which they hoped to improve their own presentations. After being briefed on the 3-minute presentation challenge and given some key tips for effective science communication, the students then attended three workshops on the themes of storytelling, personal presence, and better presentation slides.
Day 1 ended with dinner at Techniquest Science Discovery Centre in Cardiff Bay, a fantastic venue bursting with interactive exhibits, perfectly demonstrating how complex scientific ideas and concepts can be communicated to diverse audiences through use of engaging visual presentation, physical props and accessible language. The dinner also offered students, staff and advisory board members a valuable opportunity to catch up and network, and to engage in the odd physical challenge in the human physiology section!
Day 2 kicked off with a networking workshop which aimed to build students’ skills and confidence in professional networking situations — as well as energising them for the presentation development sprint ahead. Students were then given time to develop and practice their presentations, with dedicated support and opportunities for small-group and one-to-one coaching from Science Made Simple throughout. During this time, the summer ERBE Advisory Board meeting took place, after which the event was rounded off with delivery of the students’ final presentations, in small groups of up to 5. Key to the experience was a strong emphasis on positive reinforcement and constructive feedback, with students encouraged to identify their own and each other’s strengths, before being given further constructive comments and suggestions by their coaches.
The event was very well-received, with students valuing the opportunity to develop key transferrable skills in a supportive and collaborative environment. Our thanks go to Science Made Simple for an excellent training programme, and most of all to the students themselves for their energy, engagement and enthusiasm throughout the two days.
“The workshops were really useful. What I liked most was how they helped us think about presenting to a more general audience; especially in terms of cutting down on technical details and making the message clearer and more accessible. I can definitely see that being helpful in future roles where we need to communicate our work to people from different backgrounds.”
Niloo Todeh Kharman (ERBE PhD student, Loughborough University)
“Big thanks to ERBE CDT in Energy Resilience and the Built Environment and MaREI for organising such an engaging and inspiring event. A special shout-out to the incredible [Science Made Simple] team […] for their dedication, supportive feedback, and guidance on how we can better communicate our research and impact. Your support made this experience both educational and empowering.” (from Ceylin’s LinkedIn post)
Ceylin Sirin (ERBE PhD Student, MaREI)
Attending the summer school in Cardiff was invaluable as it taught me to communicate my research findings through storytelling. I learned how to make complex ideas accessible and engaging using analogies and everyday experiences. This two-day programme was dense, practical and workshop-like, proving once again that the final step of theory is praxis.
Marios Kordilas (ERBE PhD Student, UCL)
