Skilling the Workforce

The Skills Team delivered the first learning event of 2023, which took place on the 18th & 19th January at the Insight Institute, University of Strathclyde.  Communication with Everyone was run by Dr. Jamie Gallagher, an award-winning professional specialising in engagement, impact and evaluation. This event aimed to upskill people to communicate effectively with the public, fellow researchers, businesses and policy makers, and turn their research into a compelling and memorable narrative to achieve maximum impact. The event was attended by PhD students, MSc students, industry members and IBioIC Skills Team staff.

Over the course of the two days, a wide range of topics surrounding communication were covered including how, why and what public engagement is and why it is important, maximising value from presentations, how to create accessible and memorable presentations, how to create a stand out poster, and how and why to engage policy makers. Effective evaluation was also covered to measure the impact of the engagement. Practical sessions in each topic were delivered through interactive games and activities. 

The highlight of the two days was hearing everyone use their new found knowledge of effective communication to deliver a 2-minute pitch on their research. Every talk was different and everybody had their own presenting style.  We’re looking forward to hearing presentations from students at the annual Student Symposium in March with their new research narratives!