The First Annual PhD Student Colloquium Brought Inspiration and New Connections

The meeting provided an opportunity to share research plans and methodological approaches across doctoral programs. The event was designed to foster open discussion, mutual support, and collaboration among doctoral students, advisors, and faculty members.

Networking was a significant added value of the colloquium—participants also used the opportunity for informal conversations and making new connections. Discussions naturally touched on topics that doctoral students encounter at various stages of their research—from choosing methods and working with data to the limitations of research design or the search for suitable respondents and partner institutions.

The presentations demonstrated an extraordinary diversity of topics: ranging from issues in the digital world of children and schools (e.g., digital interventions, children’s experiences with AI, attitudes toward technology, and the risks of overuse), through music-historical and music-pedagogical topics, to cultural-philosophical and phenomenological perspectives on human experience. It was precisely this diversity—combined with a willingness to share ongoing research questions and receive feedback—that provided participants not only with inspiration for further work but also with new opportunities for collaboration across doctoral programs.

The friendly and collegial atmosphere was further enhanced by the practical workshop “Communication with the Media and in the Media: How to Talk About Science,” led by Dr. Matyáš Strnad from the Publicity and Communication Department at UHK. This session offered doctoral students concrete tips for presenting their work to the public in an accessible manner.

We would like to thank all participants for their inspiring contributions, thought-provoking discussions, and the open atmosphere, and we believe that the colloquium “On the Way to Dissertation” will become a new tradition at the Faculty of Education, University of Hradec Králové.